The Champion of Harmony
by Voxum
Summary: Princess Celestia understands that being an Element of Harmony is dangerous, and that Twilight and her friends are bound to make enemies. So, naturally, the only course of action is to send a guard to keep them safe, even if they don't know about it.
1. A Dragon Pony Thing

**Hey everyone, Voxum here! This is a story I've been writing for several years now, though I've only decided to upload it about a year ago, and on a different site. I decided to post this here so that more people can enjoy it-_since people really seem to like it, for some reason or another_-which, I hope you do!  
**

**Though please try to push through the first six chapters. They... aren't the best. But it gets a lot better once the story _really_ begins. Until then!**

* * *

"Oh thank you! Thank you so much!" came the voice of an elderly stallion as he gingerly hoofed a bag over to a taller, cloaked figure. The elder, Iron Gear, was a pony in his early seventies. His iron gray mane and tail having faded into a wispy white, his brown coat showing the signs of the wear of time helped indicate his age. The only thing about his stallion that still spoke of youth was the mark on his flank, a pair of iron gears at work, which sat there proudly.

The bag, about as big around as the figure's hoof, jingled as they placed it into a bag on their back, indicating that it was full of coins.

Bits, to be precise, were the name of those particular coins, and they were the primary currency across the world known as Equis.

"No problem sir," came the quiet voice of the stallion in front of him, the deep tones of his voice giving away his gender.

"Still, I appreciate you helpin' out a poor old stallion with such a difficult task," Iron said with a smile,

"I wouldn't say fetching and chopping firewood is a 'difficult task'," the figure muttered under his breath, before turning to his elder, "anyways, it really wasn't a problem, sir." The figure, possessing four green hooves that poked out from the bottom of his cloak, spoke with a strange, lilting accent, painting him quite clearly as a foreigner, if the light growling from his throat didn't already.

"All the same," the elder spoke, "is there anything I can do for you sonny? You've been wearing that cloak of yours all day in the sun! Perhaps a drink? Or two?" he offered. The figure tilted his head for a moment, before shaking it.

"I appreciate the offer, sir, but I've somewhere to be," he said, completely ignoring the downtrodden expression of the elderly pony in front of him. His job was over and done with, anything else could take the back seat until he checked in.

"I understand," Iron said, sounding dejected for a moment, before he perked up, "Welp, better get back to the missus!" he chirped, turning right around and trotting happily over to his home, a bright wooden cottage.

The figure turned away as well, a pair of wings sprouting from his back in unison, their forest green feathers standing out heavily against the dark of his cloak.

Though, if one looked very closely, they might notice how unusually stiff his feathers seemed to be.

The stallion stretched for a moment, wincing at the soreness in his back, before he took off.

He'd been moving almost non-stop for a few months now. Thankfully, his latest mission was over, and he was clear to head back to Canterlot for some rest before moving out again. Honestly though, couldn't Celestia just petition the Dragon Lord for some extra precautions around the border instead of sending him across Equestria just to hunt down some criminals that weren't even their problem?

He sighed. Oh well, it gave him a job, and that was all he needed.

Still ticked him off. Those pathetic excuses for dragons weren't their problem. They'd broken the rules of the treaty and, as such, must be punished. That was fact. However, the least the Dragon Lord could do was actually put in a little more effort to take down his own kind instead of leaving it to Celestia, who would then have _him_ do all the dirty work.

He coughed suddenly, causing him to lose some of his balance out of surprise. Looking around, he spotted a small lake a mile or two ahead of him, where he could stop for a drink. Feeling slightly rejuvenated by the thought, he sped forward towards the glorious liquid, where he gently landed, his relatively light form barely disturbing the grass beneath his hooves. Moving forward he pushed his cloak off, revealing himself to the world.

He was slim, built for power and speed. He stood a few inches taller than the average Equestrian stallion despite his thin frame and almost delicate appearance. As he stood now, his features were sharp, elegant, but fierce. His eyes were angled the slightest, a visual sign of his nature as a foreigner to Equestria. His onyx mane and tail, however, showed the wear and tear they'd suffered, as well as the visual sign of a lack of either care or time. It grew long, framing his face on either side, even falling forward into his eyes from time to time. His forest green coat suffered a similar fate, growing somewhat longer than was considered normal, but was still short enough to show that he, at least, kept it so. The only part of him that stood clear and cared for, was the bright white question mark on his flank, with the burning ball of blue fire that sat beneath it, serving as the dot.

Leaning downward he took a long drink of the cool, crisp water, feeling the dryness of his throat fade away. The cool liquid left behind a delightfully rejuvenated feeling within him, as if it had cleared away all his aches and pains in a wave of magic.

It was almost a shame he had to leave for Canterlot.

Once he finally drank his fill, he put his hood back on, and took off once more.

The sight of a large white castle resting on a mountain in the distance was waiting for him.

* * *

The throne room was always a beautiful work of art, in his opinion.

Even though he'd be the first to admit that he isn't the most fond of Princess Sunbutt, he wouldn't deny that the room, made from polished marble, lined with lavender across the walls, pillars rising up to the arched ceiling, and massive windows that let in the light of the solar diarch's celestial body, was gorgeous.

Although it was hindered slightly by the fact that Celestia _still_ hadn't gotten a throne for Luna.

Princess Celestia was a tall mare, boasting the wings of a pegasus and horn of a unicorn, as well as the strength of an earth pony. Her coat, a shade of white with just the slightest hint of pink, was kept pristine and soft. Her mane and tail, longer than her own body, flowed in an invisible wind, the cobalt, cerulean, turquoise, and heliotrope blended together perfectly, not a single strand of hair overlapping each other. She had an almost ethereal look about her, as her mane and tail seemed to wave in an intangible wind, covering one of her magenta eyes regardless of the motion. Her muzzle was squared, almost like a stallion's, but with a combination of strength and warmth only a mare could possibly give off, which easily paired with the seemingly natural smile she wore, and it wasn't a surprise she was so popular. She was model slim in both torso and legs, but a thousand years worth of peace had left a layer of slight fat over her limbs, which gave them a rather soft and squishy look to the trained eye. The shining sun on her flank, her cutie mark, almost glowed in her radiance.

Beside her was Princess Luna. A mare whose dark blue mane flowed like her sister's, specks of white dotted them, sparkling like the stars she painted the sky with. She was noticeably shorter than her sister, but still a head taller than himself. Luna's features contrasted with her sister's gentleness, giving off an air of sharp elegance, complimented by the regal atmosphere her ethereal mane and tail gave her. Like her sister, her muzzle was squared, etched into a neutral stance, but with noticeable signs of recent smiling. Her body, slim and strong, showed obvious signs of being trained. A thousands years of banishment on the moon had done nothing to ruin the muscle one could see pulsing beneath the fur and skin of the princess. The crescent moon on the black splotch on her flank exuded a trained coolness. This mare was a fighter, through and through. Despite this, the way her cyan eyes held a hollowness to them spoke of a shy, lonely mare, but one who was steadily getting better.

Even if they had never put on that regalia, many would have likely still believed them to be royalty.

He didn't bother to hide his irritation at the singular throne, however, his eyes darting from the two of them to the throne several times.

Celestia noticed this, of course, and had to fight the slight grin she could feel worming its way onto her face.

"Alright, anyways..." the stallion finally spoke up, figuring he might as well get it over with, "The dragons have been dealt with and a message sent to the Dragon Lord explaining the whole thing. Not like the guy would mind anyway, he gets pissed whenever someone breaks the treaty," he said, idly scratching his nose.

He had discarded his cloak once he arrived, revealing himself to the two princesses in front of him. One thing of note, was the golden bracelet around his right hoof, bearing several dozen runes etched onto its surface. These particular runes specified a disguise spell that covered him without directly interacting with his skin. Of course, to any not well versed in runes, it would appear as naught but an unusual trinket.

Currently the bracelet was inactive, revealing that his sapphire blue eyes contained a slitted pupil similar to a dragon, leathery wings, and a set of fangs that poked out from his upper lip.

He was what was known as a thestral.

Hailing from the Tramplevanian Mountains up in the Frozen North, an empire of sorts, under the name Nocturne, resided. Since the Days of Chaos, it has resided with its main inhabitants, the thestrals, living peacefully amongst themselves. However, one fateful meeting between those thestrals and a particularly unhappy pony resulted in a clash that killed quite a few of the passive thestrals, before being repelled by, yet another, pony who calmed its sibling and made peace with the hesitant thestrals.

Since then, thestrals have harbored a cool dislike towards the solar diarch for what she had done, and loved the lunar diarch for having saved them from her sister's unholy wrath.

"I see," came Celestia's voice, before she frowned a little, looking just the slightest bit embarrassed, "I hate to inconvenience you, but... I'm afraid I'm going to have to send you off immediately," she said. The stallion leveled a small glare in her direction at that. His tensed muscles obvious underneath his coat.

"What? No rest for the wicked?" he asked, his tone obviously annoyed, "You of all ponies should know how important that is. I'm not performing at my best if you just send me off like that."

"I'm sorry, Emerald... it's just that this next job is rather... near to my heart. I'd rather you go off as quickly as possible, if only for the sake of my conscience."

"... It's about your student, Twilight Sparkle, isn't it?" the now named Emerald asked, sending a flat stare in her direction. Celestia stiffened slightly at the accusation, but Luna spoke up in her stead,

"Indeed," she said, stepping forward, ignoring her sister send her a smile at the save, "In the few months since my return, the Element Bearers have demonstrated an unusual knack for getting into trouble," she explained, grinning slightly, "My sister, as well as myself, fear that the defeat of Nightmare Moon may have given them a inflated sense of confidence that will get them injured, or killed. As such, we'd like to send you to divert any threats. Specifically at night."

Emerald stared for a moment, before sighing.

"What's the pay?" he asked, not even flinching when Luna chuckled at his blunt question.

"500 bits for each threat diverted."

"Rather small, but okay," he said, "how will you know I've diverted a threat?" he asked. Luna's horn lit up suddenly, before a blue flash appeared in front of her, and a brown, conical object hovered in her magical grasp.

"You will use this. Unlike my sister's student's dragon friend, Emerald, your fire is unable to transmit letters between you and myself. As such, this lighter will serve in their place. With these, the two of us have a direct line between each other, much like my sister and her student. Simply squeeze the center to conjure the flame, then light the letter on fire," she said, hovering the lighter over to Emerald.

He inspected the device for a moment, before placing it in his bag. It was a simple brown bag, but with a button of a white question mark as its only personalization.

"Alright... anything else?" Emerald asked. Celestia bit her lip, speaking up,

"Yes... nopony is to know that you are in town to protect Twilight and her friends. Feel free to state your connection with my sister and myself, and even your position as a guard to watch the Everfree. However, we'd _prefer_ it if you didn't say anything about being a guard at all, though we recognize that it's not always an option. I'm sure you won't mind that at all, Emerald," she said, causing him to nod. "In all honesty, were Twilight and her friends to find out about this, I worry they'd do something reckless to prove that they don't need protection," she added, subtly swallowing the lump in her throat.

"That's understandable," he said, "but what if something happens during the day?"

"Simply observe," Luna replied, "If they require help, give it, by all means. But try to avoid getting involved if they don't. Stay alert regardless," Emerald nodded in understanding.

"Alright. If that's all, I have to go, don't I?"

"Hmhmhm. Good luck," Celestia said, giving the non-pony a smile as he casually flew out the window towards the distant town of Ponyville.

Silence reigned for a moment, before Celestia spoke,

"Do you think he'll get along with Twilight and her friends, Luna?"

"Well, I'm sure he'll try, at least. For his job if nothing else."

"I certainly hope so."


	2. Into the Fray

"Alright, time to get me a house," Emerald muttered as he strolled through the streets of the bustling town, doing his best to ignore the various stares coming his way.

Ponyville was a small town, famous for two things.

First: Being the home to the Elements of Harmony.

Second: Being one of the most friendly towns in Equestria.

Knowing both of those things, he should have expected his arrival to attract some attention. As friendly as it was, it was also a small town. Specifically one of those towns where most ponies within it were familiar with each other to some degree. Despite that, he knew if he hadn't been wearing his disguise, they wouldn't be anywhere _near_ as welcoming. Ponies smiled and waved at him as he passed, a stark contrast to the way they'd treated some zebra who'd moved here about five years ago. It was only after some of the residents had trekked through some poison joke and confronted the zebra about the 'curse' she'd placed on them did any of them finally realize that they were being stupid.

Part of him wondered who this zebra was, as their name certainly hadn't been mentioned, but he ultimately shoved it from his thoughts.

Besides, the idea of a bunch of ponies running around, with whatever had happened to them, shouting about how the zebra had cursed them, was a funny idea to be honest.

He wondered who ran through poison joke in the first place.

Honestly, how does someone _not_ recognize the blue flower? The Everfree Forest isn't the only place it grows, after all.

Then again, how many ponies in this town gave a shit about anything even _associated_ with the Everfree?

He arrived at Town Hall a few minutes later, still ignoring the greetings he was receiving from the townsfolk.

Walking inside, the interior to the Town Hall was as much as he had expected. Beige walls and a beige ceiling were the norm, as well as the carpet of the same colour lining the floor. Off to the side, hanging upon the leftmost wall, was a large bulletin board with a few miscellaneous flyers dotting it.

There was a whitish pink mare sitting at the desk, her overly vivid blonde mane and tail spilling out behind her, staring straight into what may have been a fashion magazine, completely ignoring the bell atop the door ring as he entered. The disguised thestral walked up to her,

"Um, hello?" he asked, causing the mare in question to jerk upwards, startled, before she leveled a stare at him, "Sorry for the scare," he said, giving her a false smile, "I was hoping to rent or buy a house here." The mare stared at him for a moment, her white coat turning a faint pink the longer she stared.

"Well?" he asked, getting annoyed, "Are you gonna help or just stare at me like an idiot?" he snapped. She flinched slightly, the pink in her cheeks turning a much darker shade as she pointed to a door to her left.

"I-in there," she squeaked. Emerald nodded, walking over to the indicated door and went inside.

Upon entering the room, the only occupant, an older mare with a fading amber coat, looked up at him from behind her gold, half-rimmed glasses.

"Oh... hello?" she said, her tone becoming somewhat confused once she saw him, "How can I help you?"

"Hey," he began easily, walking forward, "you must be the mayor, right?" the mayor nodded, "Good. I'm Emerald Skies," he began, "I was sent here by the princesses to look over the Everfree," he said. He'd been debating how he'd introduce himself to the mayor from the moment he entered Ponyville proper. After all, he couldn't just walk in as a thestral. That would be completely idiotic and counterproductive to his plans.

It was a good thing he'd stopped by the Royal Archives before leaving, and discovered that the mayor in Ponyville had requested a few guards to watch the Everfree, all of which had been denied for some reason or another.

It made sense, of course. Giving the mare the partly false reason why he was there would almost guarantee her cooperation. And if it didn't, he could easily show her one of his badges, signifying that he was telling the truth.

"Wh-what?" she asked, stunned, before shaking her head and setting a stack of papers off to the side, "I-I wasn't aware! The princess didn't send any sort of message and-!"

"I'm supposed to be undercover," Emerald cut her off, "I just figured it'd be easier to tell you rather than go with the whole song and dance that is renting or buying a house regularly,"

"Of course, of course," she began, biting her lip, "I-if it's not too much trouble, could you give me some sort of proof? Like I said, there was no message, so..." she trailed off. Emerald gave her a nod and reached into his bag, bringing out a pair of badges.

One was golden, with blue silk adorning the front. Atop the blue silk was a golden sun in the likeness of the solar princess' cutie mark. Behind the sun was a pair of swords crossing. This badge was only given to members of Celestia's Elite Solar Guard.

The other, however, was almost the exact opposite. A silver back with a black silk lining the front, adorning as well by a silver crescent moon, much like Luna's mark. A pair of spears crossed underneath the moon. This badge could only be wielded by members of Luna's Elite Lunar Guard.

The mayor's face paled upon seeing the first badge, and paled even further when looking at the other, something he found rather funny.

Mayor Mare, however, was absolutely stunned. How could she believe it? Not only did she get a guard like she'd been hoping, but this pony was a member of not one, but both of the most well-trained guard units in all of Equestria!

And he was in her office right now!

She had sent several letters to the Canterlot Royal Guard asking if they could send a few down to Ponyville to keep things in check, but she was always rebuffed! Apparently the guards were under the impression that the Elements of Harmony could handle anything that came their way.

That was preposterous, she had thought. Those six mares had absolutely no training whatsoever! Sure Applejack had some experience with timberwolves every now and then, and even Rainbow Dash knew some self-defense, but the creatures of the Everfree, as well as whatever else that could come to town could very well turn out to be something they couldn't handle without an obscene amount of luck.

And that wasn't even taking into account the amount of trouble the mares _themselves_ caused every now and again!

But now, her prayers had been answered! She'd met several Royal Guards before, but they couldn't hold a candle to this one! She could practically feel the professionalism _oozing_ right out of him!

"W-well... I suppose that settles that," she murmured, looking away, before turning to the stack of papers, "We have a few houses available. Four, to be exact. But if you're supposed to look out over the Everfree, then this one," she pulled a paper from the middle of the stack, "should be fine."

She hoofed the paper over to him, and he took the time to look it over.

All in all, the mayor was right. The house was on the outskirts of Ponyville, right next to a hedge maze that was often used during Nightmare Night, which was coming up in a few months. It provided a wonderful excuse to keep any unwanted eyes from coming to check on him, as well as provided a good amount of privacy should he want to sharpen his skills. The maze would be good to practice stealth as well, though that was more of an afterthought than anything else.

"It's good," he finally said, speaking up once he was finished, "What's the cost?" The mayor swallowed a lump in her throat, before responding,

"Well... normally it'd be about 3,500 bits for that house but... you see our budget is stretched somewhat thin lately. Ever since the Summer Sun Celebration, crazy things have been happening in town. Some of them have caused a good bit of damage to the town, and we've had to spend a good bit of money to keep everything in working order."

"Get to the point."

"O-of course, sir. I'm trying to say that we can't exactly pay you ourselves, so I'd like to say that you won't have to purchase the house."

The declaration honestly surprised the thestral. Emerald had been partially expecting her to bump up the rent several times just to earn some extra money. Though it was an honest, and very welcome, surprise, and he'd be more than happy to take advantage of it.

* * *

He was feeling rather nice at the moment. A free house and a job that wouldn't have him running around Equestria like a headless chicken?

It was a good day, so far.

He was broken from his thoughts when he felt his stomach turn in hunger. He frowned slightly at the pain, but figured he might as well get something to eat. It had been a few weeks since he'd last had something, and, as much as he'd rather get right to work, he needed something to tie him over for another week or two. Possibly three. With that thought in mind, he strayed from the course to his new home, and headed to the nearby market.

The market was a busy place, he noted. Not as busy as Canterlot or Manehatten, of course, but still busy nonetheless.

He strolled through the market, keeping to the sidelines to avoid drawing attention to himself.

His efforts were in vain as, moments later, some odd pink mare suddenly appeared in front of him, gasped, then disappeared once more.

The amused, and somewhat pitying, looks that were thrown his way gave him the impression that, whatever had just happened, was commonplace. Shaking free of his confusion, he continued on his little hunt, before his eyes came to a small apple stand.

Inwardly he was rather excited. Apples had been his favourite fruit when he was young, and he hadn't had one in a long time.

He made his way over to the stand, which he noted was manned by a rather young filly. She was small, likely elementary school age. Her coat was a bright yellow, which went well with her crimson mane and tail and amber eyes. She also had an adorable, oversized red bow in her mane, which made her seem even smaller than she was, despite coming up to just under his torso.

She was cute. She actually reminded him of his own little sister, Whisper Moon.

He made a mental note to pay her a visit someday soon.

"Hello there," Emerald said, having walked into the filly's line of sight,

"Well howdy mister!" she called excitedly, her voice carrying a small, but charming, country accent, "Wanna buy an apple?" she asked. He chuckled slightly, before nodding,

"Yes, I do. How much for two?"

"Six bits!" the young filly said confidently, although the way her eyes suddenly darted to the sides were an obvious tell that she was, in fact, lying.

"Three bits an apple?" he asked, quickly honing in on the lie, though it wasn't out of malice, her attempt at deceit was actually rather amusing, "Isn't that a bit expensive?" he asked, smirking as he saw the sweat upon the filly's brow.

It didn't seem that she was comfortable with lying.

"Yer darn right it is!" a sudden voice interrupted the filly's response, this one carrying a more prominent accent. An orange mare appeared from behind the apple cart, her emerald eyes boring into the filly's, "Darnit Applebloom, I told ya, ya can't jus' raise the price of our apples!" she scolded the now named Applebloom. The mare sighed suddenly, looking up at Emerald. She lifted the large brown stetson that resided on her blonde mane away for a moment, "Sorry 'bout mah sis here, sugarcube. It's only two bits an apple. She's been tryin' ta get her cutie mark in sellin' things," the mare said, giving little Applebloom a rough pat on the head.

To her credit, little Applebloom seemed genuinely sorry for the attempted trick, so he easily brushed it aside.

He probably would've done the same as her anyways.

"It's no trouble," he said, feigning casualness, using the moment to commit the mare to memory. He'd done quite a bit of research upon the six Bearers, and he recognized the mare before him as Applejack, Bearer of the Element of Honesty.

If this mare was her sister, it wasn't a surprise to see why Applebloom was both bad at, and uncomfortable with, lying.

Though, for a moment, he wondered why this mare had such a problem with lying in the first place. Did it have something to do with her Element?

"Say..." Applejack said, leaning forward to inspect him further, also breaking him from his thoughts, "I don't recognize you. Are ya new in town?" she asked. Emerald glanced at the mare, giving her another quick once over, before finally responding.

"Why yes, yes I am. I just moved here today," he replied, having just finished inspecting her.

She was strong. That was what stood out to him the most. While not as strong as himself, or anyone in a similar position, she was a worker. Name aside, her appearance, coupled with her cutie mark, a trio of apples, made it obvious that this mare, as well as Applebloom, were members of the well-known Apple Family, a family almost obsessed with apple farming. It was apparent enough that he would've known even if he hadn't done any research. She had obviously worked her entire life, if not most of it, on a farm. Despite the muscle framing her body, he noted that her front legs weren't as defined as her back legs and hips. Her coat hid it, but he could see the toned muscle throughout her body lessen a bit as it neared the front. Turning his attention away from her muscled body, he noted her honest green eyes and friendly smile, and determined that she was an over-all kind mare, and, from the interaction with Apple Bloom, a caring older sibling as well. Her blonde mane and tail, which were tied at the ends, combined with her eyes, and the visible freckles underneath them gave her an air of natural beauty, despite the obvious lack of care for it. Standing a little below eye level with him, this was mare he might get along with.

"Well ain't that nice," she said, giving another friendly grin, "I hope ya like it here in Ponyville!"

"I appreciate the kind words," Emerald said, before fishing out six bits from his bag, "Anyhow, I'd like two apples. Keep the change," he said, dropping the six bits in front of little Applebloom.

The filly in question gave him a cheerful, but guilty, smile, taking the money and placing it the register as her older sibling hoofed the apples in question over to him. Applejack smiled at him once he had the apples in his hooves,

"That was mighty kind o'ya," she said, tipping her hat in his direction. He just shrugged in response,

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied, placing the apples in his bag, before he finally began walking off.

She was nice, he thought. But what he read of her, however, contradicted that somewhat. Or, rather, it further confirmed the fact that she was a kind mare. She had a temper, if he remembered right, one that could easily be triggered, especially by one of the other Elements. Specifically the Element of Loyalty, Rainbow Dash.

Lost in thought he was at the moment, he immediately snapped out of it once he noticed something wrong. He'd been walking rather leisurely back to the house, and as such, he had yet to leave the town itself. Because of this, he managed to notice the sudden silence.

Looking around revealed to him that there was no one around. This served to confuse him, as he was entirely aware that this town was usually loud and bustling with activity. He frowned, his eyebrows furrowing in suspicion. Nothing had happened in the last few days that was particularly out of the ordinary. He knew he didn't have a smell, and it still wouldn't have been enough to completely clear the town if he did. He also hadn't done anything in town to warrant the disappearance of anyone, really.

Then again, he realized, he could be a _bit _grouchy. Perhaps he'd said or done something without even being aware?

He quickly re-traced his steps since coming into town, and even a bit before that.

Aside from glaring at a few ponies, the only things he'd done was head to Town Hall, buy some apples, and meet some weird pink mare whom everyone in town seemed to recognize-

... Perhaps this had something to do with her? He shook his head, ridding himself of the thought.

No, as odd as the pink mare seemed, there was no way anyone, aside from maybe the princesses, could clear out an entire town for one reason or another, especially in such a short amount of time. Besides, she had run away upon seeing him, and he knew she hadn't run back into town after that, as he'd been keeping tabs on his surroundings in case she returned. She had run from him on sight, after all, and that reaction caused him to be a little suspicious of the mare.

Did she recognize him from somewhere? Was she aware of who, and what, he was? Of what he'd done?

He'd see if he couldn't get any answers from her if he ever cornered the speedy mare.

He arrived at his new home. It was moderately sized and fit in with the town's overly colourful theme, with the walls being a bright sky blue, the roof being a cheerful yellow, and the door completely white.

All in all, it was decent.

However, he instantly knew that there was a heavy amount of activity from within the house. Somehow, someway, it seemed someone had managed to fit the entire fucking town into his new house! Music reached his ears from within the house, which set his worries at some ease.

Had the mayor saw fit to throw a party to celebrate something?

He glared at the front door for a minute, debating on whether to enter or not. As it stood, the day wasn't even half over and he just wanted to sleep. He'd have to be up all night _and_ nearly all day if he was to do his job properly.

Eventually, exhaustion wore him down, and he pushing through the door into the house.

"SURPRISE!" came the sudden, and very loud, shouting of what had to have been several hundred ponies. Emerald's ears instinctively flattened against his head, protecting him from the worst of the pain that shot through his skull. He just stared for a moment, watching as the ponies who'd shouted quickly began dispersing around the room, music starting up in the wake of their yell. The door closed behind him after a moment, and he sighed.

He quickly wove through the mass of bodies, before finding the stairs and quickly walked up them.

Unbeknownst to Emerald, a pair of bright, baby blue eyes had begun following him when they noticed he wasn't staying.

The mare the eyes belonged to frowned. She had been so busy making sure absolutely _everything_ was perfect for the new pony in town that she totally forgot to say hello! Now he was gone and going to bed. She really wanted to go up and talk to him, but her Nana Pie had always taught her not to just barge into somepony else's room without permission. Besides, he looked _super_ tired!

Oh well, she'd just surprise him with some of her super-duper-special-cupcakes the next time she saw him!


	3. The First Night

He usually didn't sleep too well. For most of his life, he'd lived being woken up by something that required him to act immediately. Because of that, he had gotten a bit too used to only getting a few hours of sleep, rather than the healthy six to eight.

As it was, he was a little groggy when he just... woke up.

That didn't mean he didn't appreciate the extra sleep, of course.

Looking up from his position, he glanced out the window and found that the moon had risen. Feeling somewhat annoyed at himself, Emerald rolled directly out of bed, catching himself before he hit the ground, sending a nice little shock through his body, waking him.

He took the time to find his bag, and rummaged through it for a moment, and pulled out a black strap, which he fastened to his torso, the belt portion going through the space between his wings, fitting rather well despite it's age.

Oh how he loved this bag. Having dozens upon dozens of enchantments woven into the damn thing, it was like a little pocket dimension all to himself. It was was one-of-a-kind too. The area inside the bag was about the size of Canterlot Castle, and was even modeled after the place, though he wasn't sure how they'd managed that. He'd kept all his personal items in the thing, including treasures he'd collected, money he'd earned, and pretty much everything else.

Thankfully there was some sort of enchantment that kept someone else from using it properly, since if someone ended up taking it they'd have everything he'd ever truly owned.

Not the best idea, in hindsight, but he'd live with it.

Once the strap was on, he searched through the saddlebag once more. He quickly found what he was looking for, and pulled it out. It was a long, custom black locust spear, of thestrali design. It's dark brown shaft showed it's relative age. The shaft of the heavier-than-it-probably-should-be weapon was a bit shorter than he was long. The heavy steel spearhead appeared to belong to a short sword rather than a spear. Unlike most spears, made to be particularly good for thrusting, Emerald's spear was made to slash and cut, rather than to stab.

Many asked why he simply didn't get a sword, only to be ignored.

Honestly, he just preferred the extra length. If he couldn't kill his enemy before they got past his range, he'd simply burn their head off anyways.

Regardless of how awake he was, he yawned momentarily, before heading outside.

The cool air hit him hard, washing over his body with relish. His gaze trailed up to the moon, and a small grin lit up his face, growing slightly more as his eyes trailed over the numerous constellations he knew by heart.

Once Emerald finally moved out of his thoughts, he rummaged through his bags once more, before pulling out four metal stakes, each one baring a dull red orb atop. Sound suppressors. Once activated, a large dome appears and removes all sound from within the dome. Only special disruptors were able to prevent the spell from activating around certain points.

They were rather popular during the old wars before Luna's banishment. However, certain flaws were discovered that removed them from active service. For starters, after activation, anything that moves into the dome is not affected by the spell. Not only that, but it was found that the spell can't enter other places. It washes over any obstructions, rather than enter into them.

Awful for military operations where assassination was necessary, but perfect for keeping a bunch of little townsfolk from wondering '_What the fuck is going on outside?!_'.

Emerald took off, gliding gently over the town as his eyes flickered over each and every building, searching for the perfect spots to drive the suppressors into the ground. He spotted a large apple orchard north of the town which would easily be out of the range of the suppressors. He frowned slightly, but ended up shaking his head.

He'd deal with the orchard later if he really had too.

Finally spotting the four corners of Ponyville, Emerald dived down and began placing the suppressors in their proper places. It took a few minutes, but eventually they were all in place, and, with a little pressure atop one of them, the dull red orbs glowed with a faint light, before a large dome of cobalt light encompassed the town, before fading away.

Emerald stared for a moment, before reaching into his bag once more, and bringing out a star shaped necklace and putting it on. He stepped into the barrier, feeling the spell wash over and disperse over him, causing the necklace he wore to glow with a soft light, before it faded.

Nodding to himself, Emerald began the first of what was to be many nights.

His first stop was to be the border of the Everfree so that he could gauge the level of danger it posed to the town as well as monitor any animals who strayed too close.

Thankfully, it seemed the animals weren't too keen on venturing close to town. It made sense though. From what he'd heard, the creatures of the Everfree rarely took the time to leave the forest, likely due to the sheer amount of ponies making hunting harder.

Although he'd been surprised at how, dare he say, bold the ponies were.

After all, building a schoolhouse less than forty feet from the forest's edge meant they had to believe nothing would ever happen, right?

Well, that or they were stupid, but, given that this had to do with a bunch of foals, he honestly hoped they were just bold and not stupid.

Regardless of what previous evidence would imply.

He hummed lightly, still hovering above the schoolhouse, before shrugging and moving off, intent on further patrolling the area and getting a feel for the general job.

As he thought, the apple orchard was too far out of the way for the suppressors to work, meaning he'd have to patrol around it every so often. What he hadn't expected, however, was the small cottage he spotted away from town.

It was a bright little thing, completely covered and surrounded by vegetation. He could see numerous animals making their home around, as well as inside, of the thing. Even spotting a hen house and animal pen, he felt he could give an accurate guess as to who lived here.

The resident animal lover, hermit, and Element of Kindness, Fluttershy.

Emerald frowned slightly, glaring at the offending cottage. This area would likely be a lot harder to take care of. His eyes trailed over the animals around the cottage, stopping on a large bear, as well as a manticore he could spot just beyond the treeline.

...

Perhaps Fluttershy's little friends would keep her safe for him?

He sighed, landing back on the edge of town.

The orchard and the cottage could be an honest problem if anything ever decides to go after either of the two mares. Of course, that's assuming something actually chooses to go after them in the first place.

He supposed he'd just have to keep an eye out for some vibrations from those two directions more than he usually would.

He shrugged.

He'd burn that bridge when he got to it.

Literally, if he had too.

A low growl broke him from his thoughts, bidding him to turn. The Everfree treeline seemed to suck in all the light that dare try to enter the uncontrolled domain, leaving the two, soulless green eyes to peer at him from the darkness as the only light capable of existing within said darkness. A putrid scent finally struck his nose, causing it to scrunch at the stench emanating from the body of rotting wood in front of him.

The timberwolf prowled out of the darkness, revealing it's oaken body to the thestral. Wood replaced muscle and sap replaced blood for the creature in front of him, allowing it's never-ending hunger to exist.

The two beasts stared each other down for all of a moment, before the wolf pounced forward.

The blur of brown barely had time to witness the flash of steel, before it's head was disconnected from it's body, falling to the ground, lifeless.

Emerald stared down at the corpse of the predator he'd killed. It was young and alone, likely it's small size had allowed it to be shoved around and away from its sources of food by the rest of its group, and it had come to him for an easy meal. He huffed, having been expecting a much bigger, much stronger wolf to have the gall to exit the forest, if any at all.

Regardless, he couldn't just leave the corpse here. It could lead to dissent amongst the town if anyone saw it.

Emerald let a savage, wicked grin split his face, before a cloud of blue fire spewed from his maw, consuming the kindling that had once been the wolf. The scent of burning oak overtook the smell of rotting wood as the body burned before him, the wondrous blue light illuminating the area around him, cutting through the darkness.

He grinned.

Tonight might just be a little entertaining.

* * *

Or not.

Unfortunately, for him at least, the timberwolf was the only thing remotely interesting that had happened to him during the patrol.

Well, he supposed that wasn't entirely true. He had found an interesting set of notes underneath a cloud home, which, if Emerald remembered correctly, belonged to Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty. He couldn't help but scoff at the idea.

A lazy pony who tended to put off all of her work until the last second was supposed to be the embodiment of Loyalty?

Ridiculous.

Regardless, the notes he'd found were from some griffons, as was apparent by the chicken scratch they called writing. That wasn't what was interesting, rather, it was the fact that they were all threats of varying degree. Given how none of them addressed having received a response, it was likely Rainbow never saw them.

She didn't seem the type to periodically check underneath her own house.

The moisture in the cloud probably soaked into the paper and caused them to fall through the cloud's floor. Part of him wondered how they managed to get the paper to stick to a cloud door in the first place, but he quickly disregarded it.

He sighed, reading over the threat letters.

They mainly spoke about how Rainbow hurt a friend of theirs and how they wanted to 'return the favour'. From the looks of things, they very well might attack this week.

He sighed. It was way too early to deal with this shit.


	4. A Normal Day?

Emerald jerked awake, the fading images from his dream lingering before his eyes. He groaned lightly, then proceeded to roll out of bed. Suppressing an abnormal shiver at the cool air, a yawn tore through his throat as he made his way into the bathroom.

It was a simple enough routine. Take a shower, dry off, then curse his unkempt mane and tail for existing.

After that he'd simply brush his teeth, then run a file along his fangs for a few moments to make sure they were still sharp. Then he'd run a few swabs through his ears to keep them from getting blocked, and then gently groom the fur to prevent it from getting tangled.

The whole process took him nearly twenty minutes, most of it dedicated to his ears and fangs, but it was something he had to do.

He brushed the lock of hair that wormed it's way over his eye, remembering to put 'Go to the barber' on his mental check list, and headed downstairs, idly noting how bare it was. He nearly walked into the kitchen to make breakfast, but stopped upon remembering that he didn't have anything to make.

A memory popped into his head, and he grinned happily, making his way back upstairs and over to his bags, where he proceeded to extract a pair of finely ripened apples.

* * *

He strolled through town, his stomach somewhat sated by the fruit he'd consumed, idly thinking about buying some more.

Honestly, those were some of the best damn apples he'd ever eaten!

Granted he hadn't been able to eat too many in his life...

The point was still there, though.

Something hitting his nose broke him from his thoughts. He blinked at the wet feeling, before looking up, just in time to receive the downpour face first. He huffed a little through his nose, then chose to scan the sky.

Gray clouds had been moved in without his notice, a testament to how deep he was in his thoughts. He'd just have to pay more attention to his surroundings then.

He sighed, ignoring the rain that continued to drench him. Well, there went his idea of buying supplies for the house. He really didn't mind the rain, though, so he wasn't in any hurry to head inside.

Besides, it felt good against his newly trimmed coat, having decided to get it over and done with before he forgot. His coat was trimmed to a proper length, and he no longer had to worry about it getting caught on something stupid and end up killing him. He'd even gotten his mane cut a little, so instead of hanging over his face like some vagrant, it hung around his face, framing it.

The sound of pattering hooves caught his attention, and he turned to face the direction they were coming from.

He could see Applebloom running down the street, a pair of saddlebags on her back. Behind her were two fillies around her age he didn't recognize.

One of them was a young pegasus with a bright orange coat, and a purple mane and tail with eyes of the same colour. He noticed that her wings were _much_ too small for a filly her age, much like his had been when he was younger. He idly wondered if the filly was related to him in some way, as small wings were a Skies family characteristic at that age.

It wouldn't surprise him, really. Of all the thestral families, the Skies had the most number of non-thestral family members. He'd even met several during his various jobs.

He'd even met a changeling who was related to him!

He wasn't entirely sure how that union could even work, but it did, and he didn't care to find out.

The other filly was a small unicorn, with a simple white coat, and a mane and tail divided into pink and purple curls, with her eyes being a very bright green.

He noticed that both fillies, like Applebloom, did not have a cutie mark.

Feeling a bit of amusement at seeing the three run around like that, he stopped them, via standing in their way, and covered them with a wing, using their, by Equestrian standards, larger than average size to keep them all relatively dry.

He noticed the pegasus give a small glare at her own wings as he did this.

"What in the world are you three doing out in this weather?" he asked, ignoring her for now,

"We're headin' ta school mister!" Applebloom said excitedly, staring up at him with her bright orange eyes,

"Without an umbrella?" he asked. All three fillies looked down in embarrassment,

"Mine's broken," the pegasus said,

"I fergot mine," Applebloom muttered

"Rarity wouldn't let me borrow hers," the unicorn pouted, causing him to raise an eyebrow at that.

...

Neighbors, perhaps?

"I'll walk you three," he said before he could stop himself,

"Really?!" the unicorn asked, her voice cracking in the middle of the word, which caused her to flush slightly. He chuckled, before nodding,

"Yeah," he replied, beginning to walk forward, towards the school house, making sure his wing still covered them.

"Thanks fer the help Mr. Emerald!" Applebloom said, smiling up at him, he nodded,

"It's no trouble Applebloom,"

"You two know each other?" the unicorn asked, looking surprised,

"Uh... Yeah, I kinda... Uh..." Applebloom murmured,

"She sold me some apples yesterday," he said, choosing to help the flustered filly,

"Uh, y-yeah!" she said, latching on to his explanation quickly.

"... So, are you going to introduce us?" He asked, changing the subject after a moment of silence.

"Oh, right! Girls, this is Mr. Emerald!" Applebloom said, smiling at the fillies, then turned to him, "An' these are mah friends, Scootaloo!" the pegasus gave him a sheepish wave, "An' Sweetie Belle!" the unicorn smiled brightly at him.

"And together we're _THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS_!" the three practically shouted in unison, causing Emerald to wince at their volume.

"Ohhoho... So, you three uh, go on crusades for your marks?" he asked uncertainly,

"Yeah!" Sweetie exclaimed,

"We go around trying out new things to see if we can get our cutie marks!" Scootaloo added.

He was pretty sure that cutie marks didn't work like that.

Then again, thestrals really don't care about their marks, so who was he to say what was right and what wasn't about them?

"Good luck with that, then," he said.

His casual acceptance of their antics was met with surprise on the three fillies part. Most adults they told that too usually tried to tell them that cutie marks took time. For any adult to not try, especially one who seemed as serious as Mr. Emerald, was a surprise.

"So... what's your cutie mark mean, Mr. Emerald?" Sweetie Belle asked, inspecting the question mark on his flank. Emerald bit his tongue slightly to keep from making a joke at her expense, as she was likely too young to understand the possible implications of her stare.

"Well, I suppose it represents my questionable ability, and my burning desire, to just keep going. Even when I should, by all rights, stop,"

"What?" Scootaloo and Applebloom asked together, looking confused. Emerald thought on a way to 'dumb it down' for them for a moment, before speaking once more,

"It basically means that once I put my mind to something, almost nothing can stop me," he said, earning an understanding 'Ohhhhh' from the two of them. Sweetie Belle, however, seemed more confused,

"But... how'd you get that kind of cutie mark, Mr. Emerald?" she asked.

Emerald grimaced as the memories surfaced, before he ruthlessly crushed them back down, ignoring the maddening giggling that lingered in his mind.

"I'm afraid that's a bit too... personal for me to tell you, Sweetie," they 'Aww'd in disappointment, before he spoke again, "But I will say that I earned it because I found hope," he said, throwing a glance back at the mark.

He really didn't like his cutie mark. It brought back too many memories.

But, at the same time, he loved the mark. He earned his mark the day that his life suddenly had meaning again. When his whole world was a cloudy gray, something happened that gave his life colour again, and his mark appeared. It was his mark that helped him understand what he was meant to do, that he NEEDED to be free from that place. Eventually, it happened, but then his life lost meaning once he felt it had been fulfilled.

And then Celestia appeared, and gave him a new life.

He'd likely never say it to her face, but he owed Celestia _everything_.

The rest of the trip passed in silence, the schoolhouse coming into view minutes later.

"Alright, we're here," Emerald said as they approached the large red building, "Go on, then," he added, seeing that they hadn't moved yet. Applebloom and Scootaloo shared a look, before running into the building. He would've turned to leave at that point, if it wasn't for Sweetie Belle suddenly hugging his leg, causing him to freeze,

"Thanks for walking us to school, Mr. Emerald," she said, beaming up at him. He stared for a moment, before chuckling, a small grin on his face as he did so. He gave the filly a gentle pat on the head,

"No problem Sweetie Belle. And just call me Emerald," he said. Sweetie's smile brightened considerably, before she too rushed into the schoolhouse.

"Bye Emerald!"

He chuckled once more, then turned and walked off.

Today might not be so bad.

* * *

Emerald grunted slightly as he stood from his little workout.

After having made it home, still drenched in water, he'd headed up to the bathroom to dry off, only to remember that they didn't have any towels.

Annoyed, he instead headed to his room, where he'd at least use the cool water still on his body to help him with a little exercise.

He'd likely be staying Ponyville for a long time. If that was the case he'd need to figure out a proper backstory to tell in case he ever needed to give it to anyone. Not only that, but he had to find a way to make some extra money so that no one could question him on how he was affording his stay in Ponyville without a job.

He couldn't go out and work with the weather team, unfortunately. As a thestral he didn't possess the same latent magic as pegasi that allowed him to manipulate the weather. That meant he'd need to find a job that didn't involved the weather, which _really_ shouldn't be too difficult.

However, his options were limited. He needed a place that had decent access to one of the Bearers. He'd need to find where they each worked and decide which one would provide the best possible benefits. And if he couldn't get a job with one of the Bearers, then he'd need to find somewhere with access to a place they all tended to frequent so he could watch over them.

He was broken out of his thoughts a few hours later, by the sound of knocking at his door downstairs.

Freezing in place, he quickly went over the number of possible creatures who'd want to seek him out, and could be aware of his location. Flicking his ear slightly, he managed to pick up enough vibrations to get a rough approximation of size and shape of the ones at his door.

There were three small figures standing outside his door, each one wearing a pair of saddlebags. A trio of familiar fillies, a pegasus, unicorn, and earth pony, sat there. Curious, he headed downstairs quickly, and pulled open the door.

"Why aren't you three in school?" he asked immediately, not giving them a chance for a greeting.

"One of the boards in the roof broke and the school started flooding, so Miss Cheerilee had to end school early today," Scootaloo answered after a moment. Emerald frowned,

"It broke? Under a bunch of rain? How old is that building?" he asked,

"Mah Granny Smith said somethin' about the schoolhouse bein' here since Ponyville was founded," Applebloom said, "I think that was 'bout a hundred years ago, or somethin'," she added.

"Really? Well, I suppose you can't really be mad then," Emerald muttered, "So, why are you three here?" he asked,

"We were hopin' you could help us get our cutie marks today!" Applebloom gushed excitedly,

"Uh... in what?" he asked after a moment of thought.

Why was he considering this?!

"Doing stunts!" Scootaloo said.

"I thought we were gonna try tour-guide cutie marks..." Sweetie muttered,

"Yeah Scootaloo, we've already tried a bunch'a stunts befere," Applebloom agreed,

"Well, yeah, but we always end up covered in tree sap! If he's helping us, then we'll definitely get our cutie marks!"

"I'd appreciate a tour," Emerald cut in,

"See! We can try fer our stunt-mare marks later!" Applebloom said, rushing forward to grab Emerald's hoof, "C'mon Mr. Emerald!"

Emerald allowed himself to be dragged away by the three excitable fillies, internally wondering why he was letting such a thing happen in the first place.

Granted, they did a wonderful job showing him around town, that, he would admit.

Although, they did get a bit too enthusiastic when it came to some areas of town.

Mainly the apple orchard, a boutique, and Rainbow Dash's cloud house outside of town.

Given Applebloom's family, he honestly expected her enthusiasm, to a degree, but he was honestly surprised by the other two's.

Though, in hindsight, he supposed Sweetie Belle really did look a lot like Rarity in more than just passing, whom he was introduced to. He'd only seen a picture or two of Rarity in the past, so he wasn't too certain earlier. He wasn't sure what caused Scootaloo to idolize Rainbow Dash, however. She was lazy, arrogant, and somewhat stupid from what he'd read.

Then again, perhaps he shouldn't base his entire perception of her on a bunch of reports?

Eh, he'd see.

As it stood, the girls had taken him around town for the better part of two hours, before they finally finished. The three had been hopping excitedly the nearer the four of them got to the end of the tour, and Emerald had a small, but ultimately sinking feeling in tandem with their excitement.

A feeling that only worsened when the three happily checked their flanks, only to find them still completely blank. He supposed he might've felt bad if he knew, intimately, how cutie marks worked. As it was, he didn't.

Cutie marks, as far as he knew, were things that appeared on certain species that dictated what their special talent was. Whether it be cooking, dancing, or even fighting, everyone, within those species, got one eventually once they discovered their talent.

What he didn't know was how anyone found that talent. What dictates what their marks becomes? What affects their very being so much to determine their mark?

He'd gotten his mark by hoping for a better future, by denying everything around him, and steeling himself for the fight to come.

But would he have the same mark if only he'd been born a pony?

The question haunted him for the longest time. What if? What if? What if?

His entire _life_ was based upon 'What if?'s'!

He often wondered where he'd be in life if he had born differently. Even something small like just having a different name, what would he have become?

Would he have had more friends? Would he still have a family? Would he be a fighter or a lover?

His biggest regret in life, was being born as a thestral.

The thing he valued above all, what he put his pride into, was also being born a thestral.

That didn't stop the questions, of course, nothing could. Thankfully, he's been getting better since coming into Celestia's employ.

Another thing he'd never say to her face.

"It's alright you three," He found himself comforting them, "I'm sure you'll get your marks, someday,"

"But we're tryin' ta get them now!" Applebloom pouted, sitting down roughly, "Why won't anythin' work?" she asked, looking up at him sadly. Emerald merely gave them a semi-guilty grin,

"I don't know Applebloom. I can't help you. From what I've heard about cutie marks, they're just... something that happens. I never planned to get my mark. Matter of fact, at the time I didn't even know what that mark _was_. I was... a little behind in education at the time. But if someone who didn't know what a cutie mark was could get one, then three little fillies who put their heart into trying will get theirs eventually, there's no doubt. So... just keep trying, I guess?" he said.

"Yeah!" Scootaloo spoke up, cheering, "Mr. Emerald's right! We just gotta keep trying, and not give up!"

"Totally!" Sweetie squeaked, though she ignored it, "And besides, even if we don't we'll still be together, right?" she asked.

"Right," Applebloom said, looking much better, then jumped back onto her hooves, "We jus' gotta keep goin'! Cause we're..."

"""_THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!_"""

Why did he feel like he just made a mistake?

* * *

He was... amused.

Those three certainly had spunk, he'd give them that.

That sinking feeling he'd had was proven to be true once they, somehow, roped him into helping them with their potential stunt-mare marks. It'd hadn't been anything too bad, at first.

A zip line here, a ramp and hoop there, nothing too bad.

Then they set the hoop on fire.

Of course he'd stepped in immediately, as he really didn't want to explain to anyone why there were three heavily burned fillies in the hospital. Regardless, they'd been disappointed he'd stopped their 'fun'. Thankfully, they'd come up with something stunt-related that wasn't quite as dangerous, namely high-diving.

They'd shown him to the local swimming pond, where they got him to lift them into the air and drop them into the water. He'd avoided telling them that it wasn't how high-diving was actually done, and just let them have their fun.

He would later deny the fact that he'd been grinning a little the entire time.

Once their fun was done and over with, he'd kindly escorted them all back home, giving minor introductions to Applebloom and Scootaloo's families, earning thanks for entertaining them as well.

When that was over, he headed back home, just in time for the sun to set, and the moon to begin it's dance.

Emerald quickly ran inside his house and gathered his things, before rushing back out and taking off. Setting up the barrier took a few minutes, but it was easy.

Emerald quickly headed to the schoolhouse, making sure everything was fine. He could still smell the timberwolf's blood, which wasn't easy as it mixed quite well with the surrounding trees, as well as the slight smoky scent left from the burning.

Regardless, if he could smell it, so could the other wolves, meaning they likely wouldn't be coming anywhere near here for awhile.

Satisfied, he went to check up on the other locations, making the first round of what would be many that night.

It wasn't until the sixth round, where the moon was just beginning to descend once more, when something happened.

Emerald was making his way back to Rainbow Dash's house, passing over the town, when he spotted something underneath her house in the distance.

His flight over the town gave him an excellent view of the town and it's surrounding area, which was making things wonderfully easy to keep an eye on. However, in sacrifice for such a wonderful lookout, it took him outside of the barrier's influence, meaning that, while he could see the figures under her house speaking, he was completely unable to hear what they were saying.

Emerald continued on his way to Rainbow Dash's cloud home.

The night air was pleasant against his fur, even more so as it cascaded over his sensitive ears, nearly sending shivers down his spine.

This was why he enjoyed flying without the disguise.

In his honest opinion, flying was the closest thing he could get to being free. More so without his disguise on. As long as he had the damn thing on, he was trapped in a figurative cage, waiting for the day it somehow failed and he was outed.

Though, he mused, he really wouldn't care. Him being revealed as a thestral wouldn't change his job. The only thing it would probably do is lead the ponies to try and drive him out of town or hide away until he left.

Either way, he'd probably have to knock a few skulls around until they understood that he wasn't leaving, not yet.

A small part of him, however, honestly didn't think they'd care either, but the more reasonable, more logical side of him crushed that part, buried it, and ignored its cries for help.

He slowed to a stop when he arrived at Rainbow's, identifying the figures he'd seen as a group of five griffons.

They... were here earlier than he'd thought they'd be.

He knew it was a possibility they'd come by tonight, but he had pegged them as more intelligent than that.

Oh well, best thing to do in a fight is to overestimate your enemy.

He flew over to the group, landing a few feet away. They didn't notice him, which annoyed Emerald already. Looking around for a moment, he finally found a stick, which he promptly stepped on.

The loud crack it made was more than enough to startle the griffons.

"GAH!" one of them shouted falling backwards, nearly hitting another,

"Watch it you idiot!" they shouted, sounding male, before they started hitting the fallen one.

The other three stared at the duo for a moment, before one of them, finally looked in Emerald's direction.

"Well well well," the griffon said, standing up, with an overly confident grin on his face, "If it isn't Rainbow Dash," he said, walking forward. His announcement had caught the other four's attention, which stopped the little fight going on.

Emerald didn't speak. If they wanted to think he was Rainbow Dash, fine. It would help with his cover anyways.

"Nice contacts you got there," the griffon, likely the leader, said, "Hope you weren't trying to scare us off. 'Cause it ain't workin'," he added, sounding almost sickeningly smug.

Emerald silently fumed.

Couldn't he just get on with it?

The other four griffons finally surrounded their leader, putting them into an arrow formation. He idly wondered if that was intentional or not.

"See, Gilda happens to be a friend of ours. An' when she came back to Griffonstone lookin' all ticked about how you abandoned her for some dweebs, well, we knew we'd have to get some revenge,"

Emerald was getting bored.

"An' see? There's five of us," Emerald rolled his eyes, "So that little self-defense of yours is totally worthless," he finished, a shit-eating grin on his face.

Rainbow Dash knew self-defense?

Huh... he'd have to get the archives to update their information.

Meh, not like it's important.

"Let's get her, boys!" the griffon shouted, pointing at Emerald dramatically before he, along with the others, rushed at him.

_Too slow_.

He ducked under the punch sent by the first griffon, swiftly uppercutting the idiot, breaking his jaw, if the crunching sound was anything to go by. The body flew over the rest of them, who barely had time to register what happened.

By then, he'd already rushed to meet them, twirling around the second, knocking him out with a strong elbow to the back of the head. The third was swiftly knocked out as well, due to a hoof to his temple.

The fourth and fifth griffons, the two that had been fighting a moment ago, were a bit farther back than the others, but that mattered little. Emerald darted past the fourth, having grabbed his front limb, and quickly dislocated it as well as one of his wings, before throwing him to the ground.

All of that had happened within the span of ten seconds.

Emerald stopped there, watching as the final griffon halted in place, looking at Emerald and his downed allies in fear.

Emerald glared at the final griffon, giving him a silent warning to get out.

Thankfully, he seemed to understand, as he rounded up his friends and, in an adrenaline induced panic, managed to carry them all off.

Emerald sighed.

That wasn't as much fun as he'd thought it'd be.

* * *

The sun was due to begin rising in ten minutes, which gave Emerald plenty of time to file out a report on what had happened.

He was sitting by the town's fountain, a pencil and bit of parchment in Emerald's hooves.

"... And done," he said, signing the letter in his name, before he lit the paper alight with the lighter he'd been given. Emerald watched as the blue flame ate up the parchment, before the ashes suddenly flew off towards Canterlot at an impressive speed.

"So... do I wait, or...?" Emerald thought aloud. His answered appeared a moment later as a new ash trail suddenly zipped towards them. There was a sudden, unexpected flash of bright white light, a bag of bits were where the ash trail had stopped.

His eyes stung violently, the bright flash of light having burned his retina's. Thankfully it wasn't too bad.

Of course he was still laying in the fetal position, covering his eyes with his hooves as the spots danced brilliantly over his vision.

He'd probably get it checked at a hospital, just in case.

Damn it, Luna.


	5. Strange

Hospitals were a strange place, in Emerald's opinion.

A lot of ponies, from what he'd seen, had a slight fear of the place. He supposed it made sense, hospitals were places of life and death, and the pain in between.

Emerald, however, despised hospitals with a fiery passion.

Though, that was absolutely his bias speaking.

He'd spent ten years trapped in a perverse parody of a hospital filled with a variety of monsters he'd spent years hunting down and killing with the other victims.

As it was, he was currently fidgeting on a bed, still somewhat pissed that his vision still hadn't cleared.

No matter how many times he blinked, or adjusted the light in the room he was in, the spots just wouldn't leave his vision. He sighed, as useful as heightened vision was, it could be a real bitch sometimes.

Issues with his hearing were far easier to fix, he already had a potion for it in fact, but a potion for his vision?

He cursed his stupidity.

Regardless, he'd managed to send a letter to Luna about what had just happened, and he was now waiting for her response.

He hoped it wasn't another letter.

The door opened suddenly, revealing the doctor who'd been kind enough to admit him into the room, free of charge.

He was an average stallion, brown coat, darker brown mane and tail. He had a pair of glasses resting on his muzzle and, at the moment, an amused, if a little exasperated, smile on his face.

"Well, Mr. Skies," he began, "I, um..." he seemed embarrassed, as well as amused for some reason, "you have a visitor," he finally said. Emerald looked up, curious,

"Who is it?" he asked. Doctor Stables, as he was named, moved to the side just as the familiar, if still blurred, sight of Luna herself walked into the room.

"Ah, Emerald!" she said, strutting in with the same royal countenance she was beginning to be known for. Stables left the room behind her, which caused Luna's posture to immediately droop.

"We are- er, I mean, I'm very sorry for what We'v- I've done!" she said, correcting herself several times. Emerald gave her a blank stare, before sighing,

"It's fine. It was the first time I've ever used the damn thing,"

"I am aware, but-"

"But nothing, Luna!" Emerald snapped, "_Fix my damn eyes!_"

* * *

"... I'm sorry for yelling,"

"... Really?"

"Yes, Luna, I'm sorry. I'm sure you would've been a little peeved if you were in my position,"

It was an interesting sight for any passerby.

The night sky was all but gone from the world, the sun finally beginning to rise as Celestia woke from her slumber.

Very few ponies were awake at this time, which was rather fortunate, as they may have seen one of their rulers pouting on a park bench as the new pony in town awkwardly patted her on the back.

Emerald and Luna had become friends almost the instant she returned to Canterlot. That day, Emerald had been waiting for his next mission, as he'd just recently gotten a new set of armour that he'd thought of testing out.

He hadn't expected for Celestia to walk into the throne room with a small, scared mare behind her.

He knew who she was instantly, how could he not? Princess Luna had been a big figure back home, and likely still was. Everyone looked up to her back in Nocturne for the things she'd done in life.

So when Celestia had asked him to show her around Canterlot, he'd been nervous.

Although, when he saw Luna jump in fright when a poor foal's balloon had popped, he'd stopped being nervous.

How could he be nervous around someone like her?

Luna had quickly latched onto him when he continued to show her how things had changed, something that had surprised him. He would've assumed that Luna would try and spend more time with Celestia, given they haven't spent a long time together.

Then again, if he saw his sister again for the first time in sixteen years, he'd probably have no clue on how to approach her either. So he couldn't really imagine how a thousand years made that even _worse_.

Though, part of him wished Celestia hadn't chose him, mainly because he was under the impression that he was influencing Luna, personality-wise.

Celestia quickly assuaged his worries. Apparently she had chosen him to help her because their personalities were so similar, which was stupid in his opinion. If she wanted to help her sister better integrate into society, wouldn't it be better if she chose someone whose personality clashed with Luna's?

Kind of like her own personality does?

Celestia's weird.

Emerald sighed, directing his attention away from the pouting princess.

"So how's life at the castle treating you?" he asked, needing to break the silence. Luna glanced at him,

"Well... things have been well," she grimaced, "Though, We wish that Our subjects didn't fear Us so," she suddenly winced, "Er- I mean..." she sighed, "Adjusting Ou- my speech is much harder than I thought..." she murmured.

Emerald chuckled a bit,

"I can see that," he said, earning a glare from the lunar co-ruler, "Have you been talking to the staff like I suggested?" Luna frowned a little,

"Yes... though, many of them still fear me. The Night Guard is kind, however," she said, smiling a little at the end. Emerald nodded,

"What'd you expect?" he asked, glancing at her with a knowing grin, "You are '_Luna Iertător._', _The Forgiving Moon_. How could we ever fear you?"

Emerald noted, with heavy amusement, the sudden flushing of Luna cheeks at his words.

"Does that still embarrass you?" he asked, before continuing without letting her answer, "You should be happy. No matter what these ponies think of you, you will _always_ have an entire race ready and willing to help you at the drop of a hat. If they even let it hit the ground in the first place," he added with a hint of amusement.

"W- I know," Luna said, finally looking at him, "It's just... I-I really want to finally put the Nightmare behind me. I can't do that if I just leave. Besides..." she smiled, the sunlight reflecting off of her teeth in a dazzling show, "This is my home,"

Emerald stared at her for a moment, idly noting how the gentle morning breeze flew through her ever-moving mane.

"... Home is important," he muttered, loud enough for her to hear, "But, still, we're friends Luna. If you need any help, just ask," Luna stared back at him for a second, before she beamed once more,

"Of course! And the same to you, my friend," she replied, almost savouring the way the words flowed out of her mouth.

"Y-Your Highness!" came a panicked yell. The princess in question, along with her friend looked over towards the voice, finding a young stallion in golden armour jogging towards them.

The stallion possessed the customary white coat and blue eyes that most guards have, due to the enchantment on the armour for privacy's sake. The armour was gold in colour, having a shine that suggested the stallion polished it regularly. The chest piece fit over his form somewhat loosely, obviously a single size too large for him, though the blue star that adorned the front held it together and kept it from falling off. His helmet framed over his face, leaving only his muzzle, eyes, and ears exposed to the sunlight from the solar co-ruler.

Emerald always wondered why they chose gold of all things to make armour from, due to the metal's characteristic softness, but, according to Luna herself, gold was very easy to enchant.

Who'd've thought?

The earth stallion continued jogging up to them, his motions making the sword strapped to his side more obvious than it was. He stopped in front of them, panting slightly, before saluting,

"Your Highness!" he repeated, not looking directly at her, "I've been dispatched to locate you and make sure that you were not harmed! Your sudden disappearance from the Night Court left many under your charge worried!"

"Ah," Luna said, glancing at Emerald, who looked amused, "I see,"

"You should head back," Emerald said, "It's probably your bedtime anyways," he teased, making Luna glare at him in response.

"You!" the stallion snapped suddenly, bringing Emerald's attention back over to him, only to find the point of a sword in his face, "How dare you speak to the Princess in such a manner! Apologize this instant or you're under arrest!"

...

Was this guy stupid?

Emerald stared at the stallion in question, idly wondering how many times he could beat the stallion over the head before Luna managed to stop him.

Filing that thought away for later, this stallion was obviously one of the less-than-noble's sons, if his pathetic attitude was anything to go off of.

The princesses, both of them, really don't care how they're addressed, and would never, ever have someone thrown in prison for speaking to them in a familiar manner. That meant this idiot was just blowing hot air and making promises he couldn't keep, in front of one of those very princesses no less.

Not only that, but if his armour wasn't already a give-away, the way he immediately jumped into threatening someone at sword point told him that he _had_ to be brand-new, likely a trainee who just got stuck with fetching Luna.

Emerald spared a glance at Luna, who gave him a nod.

Taking that as a signal to handle this himself, he gave the idiot in front of him a wicked grin.

* * *

Well that was fun.

He walked through the town, practically skipping as he thought on the entertainment he'd finally received.

That guard had nearly wet himself when he saw his grin, and he actually wet himself when Emerald had casually tore the sword out of his hooves and ate the damn thing.

Just like a dragon, Emerald had a very powerful jaw and a very strong set of teeth that let him eat gemstones, as well as a stomach that could properly digest them.

Steel was nothing in comparison.

But the look on his face?

Absolutely _priceless_. If only he'd had a camera!

Even Luna was fighting a smile at the sight. Thankfully, once the guard fainted, she'd taken him back to Canterlot with her, idly commenting about having him removed from the guard and placed on the cleaning staff.

His upbeat attitude seemed to go unnoticed amongst the townsfolk, which suited him just fine. As it was, he was currently on the hunt for a day job.

Also he was hungry.

Steel didn't exactly make a good breakfast.

Too much iron for his diet.

Emerald spared a glance here and there, looking for a 'Help Wanted' sign. Sparing another glance at a rather large building, he froze in place, his eyes roaming across the gingerbread-esque bakery.

He tilted his head, idly wondering who thought of the design.

He supposed it was clever, for a bakery, at least.

A sudden breeze hit his nose, carrying with it the pleasant scent of freshly baked goods.

Well, he WAS hungry, after all. Maybe he could ask the owners if they knew a place he could work?

Strolling through the door, ignoring the bell that rang, his eyes took in the room.

It was a nice place, he mused. There were tables lining the floor with stools to occupy the customers. He could see the front counter just ahead of him, baring a display case right next to it filled with goodies. There was a door and a set of stairs heading up a little ways behind the counter, with an open window leading into the kitchen as well. He could see a booth area off to the left where several ponies currently sat, eating sweets. Off to the right was what must've been a supply area, thought it mostly seemed to hold party supplies. The floor was nice and clean, revealing a sort of off green colour that worked decently well with the oak banisters and beige walls. He could see designs along the ceiling of various sweets that were probably sold in the store.

Backing away slightly, he eyed the sign above the door.

Sugarcube Corner.

"Well hello there dearie!" came a sudden voice, one belonging to an older female who just appeared behind the counter, "How can I help you?" she asked.

The mare in question was much older than him. She was a fair bit shorter than him, and was rather plump as well. She had a light blue coat and a mane and tail of varying shades of pink. He noticed that her mane was done up in a swirl, vaguely reminding him of frosting. She had a gentle face with a kind smile and motherly rose eyes that worked well with the trio of cupcakes on her flank. But the thing that stood out the most, was the undeniable fact that she was pregnant.

"Ah, yes," Emerald began, walking back into the bakery, "I suppose I was looking for something to eat, as well as a job,"

"Well, I can certainly help with food, as for a job..."

"It's fine, miss, I'm sure I'll figure something out," Emerald said, cutting off her thoughts with a smile. "What could you recommend for breakfast, then?" he asked instead.

"Well, nopony ever went wrong with some blueberry muffins," she mare said, smiling kindly,

"I'll have three of those, if you don't mind."

"Not at all! Pinkie, three blueberry muffins please!" the mare said, turning and speaking through the window.

Pinkie?

Emerald mentally kicked himself. Of course _Pinkie Pie_ worked here!

Her file even mentioned working in a bakery, how the fuck had he not put it together!?

"Now... goodness! I never caught your name! I'm Mrs. Cup Cake," the now named Cup said, smiling at him,

"Emerald Skies," he replied,

"Well, Mr. Skies. About you needing a job, well, I may have one for you," Cup said, leaning forward on the counter.

"Really?" he asked, "What is it?"

"Well, my husband and I are expecting a pair of foals, but, you see, Pinkie Pie, dear that she is, is our only employee. She's wonderful at her job, and practically part of the family!" she gushed, "But... she and her friends tend to get into... ah... trouble. Quite often, too. It would be wonderful if we had another worker to help out. Especially with the counter!"

Emerald eyed her skeptically,

"Just like that?" he asked, narrowing his eyes, "I haven't been in town for a week, and you're already offering me a job?" Cup gave a small laugh,

"Not so much a job, more like a little trial,"

"Trial?"

"Of course! My husband and I really can't just hire anypony off the street. If you come in tomorrow at six in the morning, you can spend the day working the counter with my husband! If you do well enough, you've got yourself a job! If not, well, I'm sure Carrot wouldn't mind helping you find one," she said, trailing off slightly at the end.

Emerald was actually quite surprised. He really hadn't expected a job to practically fall right into his lap like this. He'd been certain he'd have to wait a few weeks, gain the trust of some random ponies, and pray one of them gave him a job.

But this?

A single conversation, and not only would he be getting a job, because he knew full well how to help in a store, the counter especially, but one with one of the Bearers around as well? And, if what he'd read was right, then the other Bearers came around here fairly often as well, so he could keep tabs on damn near all of them at once!

He might need to enter a lottery with _this_ kind of luck.

Though, he reminded himself, Pinkie's file had explicitly stated that she was a very, _very_ hyper mare, so this had the potential to be his worst idea ever.

He wasn't sure if that was good or not, considering his current worst idea had to do with a volcano, some rope, a broken wing, and a very panicky Daring Do.

Then again, that was a very entertaining experience. One he had no regrets doing.

No matter how often the awful end results were brought up.

It was _fun_, dammit!

"Well, I can't refuse that kind of offer, can I?" he said, smirking. The sudden ringing of a bell caught their attention,

"Blueberry muffins! Ready to launch Mrs. Cake!" came a bright, chipper voice as a mare popped up in the window.

Pinkamena Diane Pie, or Pinkie Pie, was a bright pink mare with a darker pink mane and tail. Said mane and tail was poofed all over the top of her head, spinning around in gentle curls as a fringe hung over her muzzle. Her eyes were wide and cheerful, further exaggerating the bright baby blues. A smile was stretched a mile wide across her muzzle, revealing a set of dazzling pearly whites that seemed to almost make Emerald's twitch upwards in response. Considering how many sweets she, apparently, ate, though Emerald's had doubts on the file's legitimacy on this point, she was a surprisingly thin mare with a layer of fat over her limbs and stomach that made her look soft and squishy, perfect for a baker.

Pinkie's eyes were locked onto Cup, or Mrs. Cake, as he may need to start calling her,

"That's wonderful Pinkie!" Mrs. Cake said, smiling brightly at the mare, it seemed the smile was contagious after all. Mrs. Cake took the small brown bag, before turning to Emerald. Before she could say anything, however, Pinkie let out a loud gasp, before vaulting out of the kitchen window, and landing right in front of Emerald, who'd backed up a step.

"You're that pony who didn't get to enjoy the party yesterday! I was so sad when you went up to the room but I realized that since you were tired or maybe you were super sad or something so I decided I needed to bake you a bunch of super-duper-ultra-special cupcakes!" she squealed, most of her words coming out in, what had to be, a single breath. Emerald's ear twitched slightly, having caught most of what the mare was saying, though his brain had to play catch-up for a moment. While he was busy rebooting, he managed to get a better look at the mare now that he saw more of her.

She stood at the same height as Applejack had, just below eye level with him. He'd been right in noting that she had a layer of fat over her limbs, but it seemed most of the sugar she ate went straight to her flank, as it was almost noticeably bigger than he believed was normal. Though the increased size made her cutie mark, a trio of balloons, two blue and a yellow, more noticeable. Not that it was a bad thing, though it certainly made it easier to tell that the mare in front of him enjoyed her life immensely. Though, he managed to see a slight deviation in the fat along her limbs, suggesting that she might be trying to diet at the moment, with little success. Regardless of the fat, he could still see the muscle lining her body, as was customary for most earth ponies.

All in all, the mare was pleasant. Hyper, but pleasant. He wouldn't mind working with her, he believed.

But first...

"What?" he finally managed to ask, earning a giggle from the pink pony,

"I made you some special cupcakes!" she repeated, this time holding a tray in front of his nose and-

_Where the fuck did she get the tray?!_

"Umm..." his eyes darted past Pinkie, looking straight at the amused form of Mrs. Cake. After determining that she likely wouldn't save him, he resigned, "Thank you?" She beamed brightly,

"No problem! I love welcoming new ponies into town! Oh and a bunch of others too! Like there's this super nice mule named Matilda, and a really nice cow named Daisy Jo! Oh, and one time there was this friend of Dashie's named Gilda who came to town, but she was a total meanie and-!"

"Pinkie!" Mrs. Cake suddenly called, stopping the runaway mouth that was Pinkie, "I think he's had enough,"

"Huh? What do you mean?" she asked, only for Mrs. Cake gesture to Emerald.

Following the movement from her almost-kinda-but-not-quite caretaker, Pinkie looked over to the new pony, only to find him staring forward blankly, his ear twitching slightly.

"... Oh... you're done," he said suddenly, blinking, "Sorry, kinda lost concentration for a second there..." he muttered. Pinkie beamed at him,

"That's okay! My friend Twilight does that_ all_ the time!"

"I'll bet."

"What?"

"Nothing," he replied, before straightening himself, "Anyhow, you and I might be working together after tomorrow, so I suppose we'll be seeing more of each other," he said, feeling just the slightest bit of dread at his own statement.

"Really?!" he nodded, "That's amazing!" she said, before gasping, "I'm gonna need more cupcakes!" She then promptly jumped back through the kitchen window.

Silence reigned for a moment, before Emerald spoke,

"So, uh... how much for the muffins?"

* * *

Part of him really wasn't looking forward to tomorrow anymore.

Not that he ever looked forward to that, but still.

He let out a sigh as he walked away from the bakery. He'd gotten a job, or will get one, so that was a plus. The day was already coming off to a decent start, though he fully anticipated everything to start collapsing around him at any moment.

He wasn't a very optimistic thestral.

A bonus to working with Pinkie, at least, was that she might break him of that without even realizing.

He wasn't sure that was good thing.

Shaking his head away from the unnecessary thoughts for now, he continued moving forward. The market was, as usual, surprisingly busy for such a small town, but that didn't matter much to him. It was while idly moving his eyes over the crowd, wondering if he'd recognize any of the Bearers from description alone, why the archives didn't have any fucking pictures was beyond him, when he saw her.

Sweetie Drops.

Sweetie Drops was a mare whom he'd known for two long years before they parted ways.

Her mane and tail were gently curled, and striped with blue and pink, looking almost taffy-like, which worked well with her candy cutie mark. She was as slim as she'd always been, muscles packed well, hidden underneath her greenish-gray coat. While not model thin, Sweetie Drops had always been one of those mares who enjoyed moving around, an action that contrasted heavily with her love of sweets. He could see the thin layer of fat that had accumulated over the four years since they'd last seen each other. She held a serene smile on her face, a sight that had been uncommon back then, given her hard-ass personality. If that wasn't enough to tell him she'd mellowed out over the years, then the gentle spark in her blue eyes certainly would have. Even after all this time, she still maintained her appearance. She had always been a fairly pretty mare, and he could remember the few and far between times when she'd bring some stallion back to her room, reeking of alcohol.

Thankfully she had always made sure to have condoms on stand-by after the first time.

He was surprised to see her here of all places. Ponyville wasn't very well known five years ago. It wasn't until the Elements had been discovered that the town had gained some semblance of popularity.

Feeling a spark of mischievousness, he snuck through the crowd until he arrived right behind her. He took notice that she was standing outside of some music store he didn't bother memorizing, likely waiting for something.

Emerald grinned wickedly, before tapping her flank.

She let out a delightful squeal, jumping a good three feet into the air. Emerald snorted at her reaction, having not expected that big of one.

"Dammit Emerald!" she snapped, her voice light and familiar, though it seemed she had only said it in reflex, rather than actually recognize him, given that she hadn't turned to face him.

That got him thinking. Did he really sneak up on her that often?

...

Meh.

She gave a disgruntled sigh, hoof over her face in annoyance. She glanced at him disdainfully, before suddenly doing a double-take,

"Wait, Emerald?! It's actually you!?" she cried, walking forward, as if to study his face, before she suddenly slugged his leg, only to yelp back, shaking her hoof, "What the hay?!" Emerald chuckled at her, earning a glare,

"Yeah, it's me Drops. Been a while, eh?" She huffed at him, before a smile graced her features,

"Yeah, it really has been," she said, lunging forward, bringing the surprised thestral into a hug, which he returned after a moment, "How've you been? Still have that weird thing for rainbows?" she finally asked once they let go. He shrugged,

"It's not a weird thing, Drops, and I've been working. Our little agency may have been taken away, but Celestia's still got some use for me. How 'bout you, Drops?" She gave him an almost haughty smile, something that obviously refused to change about her,

"Well, first of all, everyone calls me Bon-Bon now. It's some stupid nickname, I have no idea how they come up with it," she whispered, almost conspiratorially, "Second, I finally opened up a candy shop!" she said, the haughty smile turning into a bright grin,

"Really?" Emerald asked, amused, "Still got that sweet tooth?" she huffed,

"Course I do! How can a mare be as sweet as myself without a little sugar?" she asked, striking a little pose, her hip pointing out and her hoof on her cheek.

"Sweet? Well, I suppose it's nice your ego still hasn't followed your name's example, Drops,"

"Says you, Mr. Rainbow, ya jerk!" she said, whacking his leg again, though the smile didn't let up.

"Hey Bon-Bon, I found the sheets for my next performance!" came a sudden voice, causing both himself and Sweetie Drops to turn around.

Coming out of the music shop was a unicorn mare Emerald didn't recognize. She had a bright, whitish green mane and tail that seemed haphazardly brushed, a sea-foam green coat, and a pair of bright gold eyes. The mare before him seemed to live a nice, leisurely life, given by the healthy layer of fat coating her body. It wasn't anything much, though she held the distinct lack of muscle that seemed customary to most unicorns. Her coat, unlike her mane, seemed well-taken care of, as seen by the way it was carefully brushed down, leading all the way to the golden lyre on her flank.

"Oh, right," Bon-Bon said, looking at the mare, "Almost forgot about her," she muttered.

Emerald snorted.

"Should we head down to the- wait, who are you?" the mare questioned, having finally noticed Emerald's presence.

"Lyra," Bon-Bon spoke up, "This is my friend Emerald. I've told you about him before, I think? Anyway, Emerald, this is Lyra Heartstrings. She's a friend of mine, and just so happens to room with me, in exchange for working at my shop,"

"Do have to tell everypony that?" Lyra asked, looking annoyed,

"Yes, I do. Remember last time we told that to someone? They thought we were dating! It was so embarrassing..." Bon-Bon murmured, looking away from the two of them.

Emerald snickered, earning a glare from her. The unicorn, Lyra, shook her head, before looking over Emerald's form.

"... You know, I think I remember you telling me about this guy. Wasn't he the one with the thing for rainbows?" she said, Bon-Bon rolled her eyes, while Emerald glared at both of them,

"Yes, and I hope you do! You barely listen to anything else I say!" she snapped, causing Lyra to flinch away. She shook her head, turning her attention back to Emerald,

"Anyways, have you visited Aloe and Lotus yet? Or what about Zecora?" Bon-Bon asked. Emerald gave her a confused look,

"What do you mean?"

"You don't know?" she asked him incredulously, when he continued looking confused, she added, "They run a spa here! And Zecora's a potion-maker!"

"Really? The twins actually went through with that?" he asked, Bon-Bon nodded,

"Course they did! What, you think they'd take the bits if they didn't plan on it?" she asked, Emerald shrugged,

"Meh, I really didn't care what they used my bits for. Though... I suppose I am glad they went through with it. I'll pay 'em a visit soon enough. Faust knows they'll kill me if I don't..." he muttered, causing Bon-Bon to laugh,

"Oh yeah! All three of them would get on your case about your stress issues," she said, ignoring his murmur about not having any stress anyways, "Oh come on, we both know you've got an issue with taking care of yourself. Hay, you look like you've been forgetting to eat again," she said, frowning, before shaking her head, "Why do you think I was so... open with relationships back then?" she said after a moment.

"'Cause you were an irresponsible floozy?" Emerald asked, smirking wickedly when she was beet red, likely out of anger rather than embarrassment though,

"YOU'RE SUCH AN ASSHOLE!"

* * *

The sun was just passing it's mid-point, revealing that he'd spoken to Bon-Bon and Lyra several hours ago, and had yet to visit Aloe and Lotus, or even Zecora.

He'd get to it anyways.

Eventually.

As he passed through the town once more, he tried thinking of ways he could pass the time. He could do some training, keeping his skills sharp was never a bad idea, but that ran the risk of revealing his nature to the town, as low as that arguably was.

He'd save training for when he'd found a suitable place, far enough from prying eyes, but close enough to help out if necessary. Though that could take awhile.

Working at Sugarcube Corner would definitely pass the time, hopefully, but he needed something for after, or when it goes slowly.

It was times like this that Emerald really hated how much his life involved fighting. It left no real time to develop proper hobbies or interests that didn't involve it in some way.

Didn't help that he didn't have a lot of close friends.

He could just visit Aloe and Lotus now, or even spend some more time with Bon-Bon and Lyra. Maybe go and hunt down Zecora, instead?

But, at the same time, wouldn't that just be him intruding in on their lives? They'd made something of themselves. He hadn't. He was a nobody, after all. His name was kept secret from the public, since he was a sort of official/unofficial member of the Elite Guards. He might have a pair of badges, but he'd be surprised if his name was actually on the lists.

He was Celestia and Luna's tool. Technically speaking, he wasn't even a thestral, much less a pony. He was a weapon, and weapons aren't good in peace.

He inwardly groaned at the thought.

Celestia had been trying to work that kind of thinking out of him for awhile now, but it really hadn't taken much hold on him.

After all, he'd set his mind to it. And like his cutie mark dictated, he would continue on this path, no matter how questionable his ideals were or how effective it was at killing him from the inside out.

He passed by a couple of buildings, trying to find something to do, when he spotted a large tree in the middle of the area.

From the looks of it, it was a large, magically grown oak tree, considering that it was obviously still alive despite being hollowed out. The sign read 'Golden Oaks Library'.

He found that rather nice. Place the books back where they originated from, eh?

He wondered if that was true actually. Were the books in this library made from the wood this tree had lost?

He doubted it, but it was nice thought, almost poetic actually.

He entered the library, hearing a bell go off above him. Ignoring it for now, he scanned the area.

The inside of the tree was, as expected, circular, with shelves built into the walls. Several podiums were scattered around the room, with the largest in the center. There was a doorway off to the right, leading into what he presumed was the kitchen. A stairway led upstairs, likely into a more private area. There wasn't anywhere for someone to sit and read, which he thought was odd, considering this was a public library. There were a few little hollows along the upper walls where the windows were, and he was small enough to fit in them comfortably, so he disregarded it for now.

Though he noticed one of the little areas had a couple open books and quills, while another had a telescope. A little more investigating revealing that the stairway also led to the balcony outside, which was nice.

All in all, this little library was fairly... nice. It felt lived in and well taken care of.

The sounds of clopping alerted him to someone coming down from upstairs, likely the librarian, whomever it was. He felt a little niggling at the back of his head, and a bit of information came to mind, that immediately had him wincing.

Celestia's student, Twilight Sparkle, was staying in, and running, the Golden Oaks Library.

Damn his pathetic memory...

"Hello there!" came a kind voice, likely Twilight Sparkle, "Welcome to the Golden Oaks Library! I'm Twilight Sparkle, the librarian. Do you need help finding a book or two?"

Emerald directed his gaze to the mare as she appeared.

Purple was the best way to describe the unicorn mare. In that sense she already reminded him of Pinkie, simply because that mare could also be described just by a colour. Unlike Pinkie, however, this mare was incredibly thin, almost unhealthily so, in fact. Though he could still see a bit of fat on her limbs. This mare likely ate a good bit of junk food, but probably kept forgetting to eat, or was purposefully not eating to try and stay thin. Recalling a bit more information about Celestia's student, he managed to deduce that the former was far more likely.

She had a surprisingly decent bit of muscle, a constant habit of carrying books with her everywhere she walked had managed to help her figure, if only a little. Her mane and tail, dark blue with a light pink and violet streak in them, was kept straight and simple, though he saw a few hairs out of place. She had likely been laying down for a moment or two when he arrived. Probably reading. She had a pretty face, and her bright lavender eyes shone with an intelligent light, yet he could spot the glimmer of hunger in them, begging for more knowledge to consume. The mare was shorter than Pinkie, though not by much. In comparison to the two friends of hers he'd met, she might just be the smallest mare in the group.

He'd probably be able to get along with her, unless she started praising Celestia in front of him, as he was sure she'd end up doing at some point.

"Hmm... not really. But I could use some recommendations," he said. Twilight smiled and happily trotted down the rest of the steps,

"Well, what kind of book are you looking for?"

"Just something entertaining to pass the time," Twilight nodded,

"Well..." she began, her eyes scanning over the shelves, before her horn lit up and pulled a book over to them, "I've personally never gone wrong with a Daring Do book!" she said. Emerald gave the book a somewhat amused glance.

"_Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone_?" he read, taking the book from her magic,

"It's the first in the series!" she said, smiling.

"I see," he said shortly, looking the book over. He'd lived this story himself, alongside the mare herself. Daring Do, or as she was secretly called, A.K Yearling, proved to be a surprisingly chatty mare when she wasn't working, a fact he still found odd.

"You're the new pony in town, right?" Twilight suddenly asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Why?" he asked, half-curious. She shook her head,

"I was just curious. I haven't been in Ponyville for too long myself. I moved here from Canterlot a couple months ago, so I know what it's like to move to someplace totally different,"

"This isn't the first time I've moved," he said, turning to face her directly, figuring he might as well try to get along with her.

And get some more information.

"Really?" she asked, tilting her head, before a sudden concerned look crossed her face, "Did something happen?" Her reaction confused him for a moment, but he shook his head,

"No. I was looking for work, is all. I'll be working at some bakery by nightfall tomorrow,"

"Sugarcube Corner? A friend of mine works there!"

"Really?" he inquired, already aware,

"Yeah, I'm sure you've met Pinkie Pie. She's the one who threw that party when you arrived in town,"

"I've met her, definitely. She's a little..."

"Odd?"

"That's a nicer way of putting it," Twilight laughed a bit,

"Pinkie's odd, sure, but she's a wonderful friend, really. She throws amazing parties as well," Emerald gave a small grin,

"Really? You sure don't seem the type to get out often," he said, which caused her to flush,

"I'm trying," she said, putting a hoof to her cheek, embarrassed, "I was a lot worse with my friends back in Canterlot. Trust me," she added, in a more somber tone. Emerald shrugged,

"Well, as long as you're getting better," he said, feeling a little awkward saying that, "Who knows? Maybe you'll head back one day and surprise them," Twilight smiled at him,

"Thanks. I'm sure it would," she said. Finding no other reason to indulge the mare in further conversation, he held up the book,

"Well, I supposed I'll get started on this. Mind if I read it here?" he asked, she shook her head,

"Not at all! Honestly, I'd really appreciate the company. Other than my friends, nopony really comes by," she said, seemingly happy at the idea. Finding her enthusiasm amusing, he hopped into one of the little grooves on the wall, before lying down and beginning to read.

Twilight was feeling rather happy today!

She and Spike had managed some extra re-shelving, having some books leftover from the previous day thanks to the party. She'd even paid a little visit to Rarity's when Spike went over, getting a little giggle from her at his overly obvious crush.

After leaving Spike with the fashion designer, she went around and bought a new inkwell and some extra quills, as she was thinking of practicing some new spells involving advanced magical theory.

She was certain it wouldn't be too difficult, and should be safe enough to do in her room.

It took her about an hour to set up, but she'd managed to complete the array and was just about to perform the spell, when she heard the library's bell ring.

Kicking herself a little for having forgotten to close the library down for a bit, she headed downstairs to see who it was.

She was a little surprised to find the new pony in town looking around the library. He looked like he was completely analyzing the room, and vaguely compared him to her brother, Shining Armor, who sometimes did the same thing when he thought he was alone.

Part of her wondered if it was just a stallion thing, while, once more, kicking herself when she realized she didn't have a single male friend!

How could she possibly learn all she could about friendship without trying to make friends with somepony of the opposite gender?!

While her thoughts were going everywhere, she took in the stallion's appearance.

He was oddly thin for a stallion, almost unnaturally so, and it reminded her a little of some guards back in Canterlot. In fact, everything about him seemed to remind her of the guards back in the capitol. His coat was kept short, it's bright green colour contrasting heavily with his onyx mane and tail, both of which were short as well. his mane framed the sides of his face, giving him an almost dark appearance. He had dark blue eyes that seemed to glint dully in the light. His larger than average wings were folded neatly at his sides, and nearly covered his cutie mark, which was a white question mark with small dot of blue fire.

He reminded her a little of Rainbow Dash, now that she thought about it. Once the guard-like feeling faded, which was surprisingly quick, he seemed similar to the egotistical athlete. He obviously kept well in shape, like her blue friend, and he seemed specifically built for speed.

The minor unease she'd felt, which stemmed from the fact that there was a stranger in her home, immediately faded at the thought.

The stallion before her was probably an athlete of some kind, though he didn't seem the type to train for speed.

Maybe he was a stunt-flyer? Like the Wonderbolts that Rainbow was wont to faun over.

She greeted him, and made sure to let him know she wanted to help.

She felt a little proud of herself at that. Seven months ago she'd have felt intimidated at the idea of speaking to somepony she didn't know, and likely would've busied herself with her studies just to avoid talking to them, but, thanks to her friends, she felt comfortable talking to almost anypony now!

He was polite at least, and he had a rather nice sounding accent, even if he had a bit of a growl. It reminded her of something, though she couldn't put her hoof on it.

She wondered where he'd come from, actually, but, after making a small comment about moving around a lot, she figured it'd be a little too invasive right now.

Maybe if she and this stallion were friends she could ask?

It seemed like a good idea. If he really _had_ moved a lot, then he probably didn't have too many friends, and if he did then he likely didn't see them that often. Pinkie would probably take care of that though. That mare couldn't meet somepony and not end up being their friend.

Well, first things first, try to find some common ground.

He moved around in his life, like she had, but he seemed to have done it a lot more than her. That might not be the best idea then. He appeared interested in the Daring Do book though! None of her other friends seemed to enjoy reading as much as she did, so she really didn't have anypony to turn to when it came to talking about books.

...

She wondered if she could convince Rainbow Dash to read? She and Daring Do had a lot in common after all!

... No, she'd _never_ pick up a book.

She was a little surprised when he asked to read it here. Ponies rarely ever came by, other than her friends, and all of them had just taken the book after signing, and she wouldn't see them until the end of the week. She watched him jump straight up into one of the spots in the wall, specifically the one with the biggest window.

She bit her lip as she watched him lay down to read.

The Golden Oaks Library was a public place, though she had turned it into her home. So, didn't that mean that he was technically a guest in her house?

She'd never really thought of it like that. She didn't own any of the books downstairs, her personal possessions had been placed in hers and Spike's room upstairs, but this was still technically her house.

Should she prepare some snacks then?

She winced slightly at the thought of cooking. There was a reason Spike was the one who usually made breakfast. And lunch. And dinner...

She wasn't a bad cook in all honesty. She could follow recipes easily enough, and the food was decently edible. But she found cooking to be tedious, and her mind tended to wander, and when her mind wandered she usually ended up spacing out in her thoughts.

And then she'd snap back and realize that everything was on fire.

She was walking into the kitchen, still debating whether to make something or not, when her stomach growled. She flushed a little bit, glad that the new pony- she needed to get his name- was in the other room.

Emerald continued to read, ignoring whatever Twilight was doing.

The book was surprisingly accurate to what had happened, which was surprising. He would've thought she'd omit a few things here and there, but, aside from the altered names, most of it was accurate, almost eerily so.

She had quite the memory, didn't she?

Then again, so did he.

He was brought out of his reading when he felt something prod his side. Looking up from the book, he directed his gaze down to the purple mare, who was sheepishly offering a plate of sandwiches to him.

"... What?" he asked, ignoring the plate,

"Umm... hungry?" she asked. He stared at her for a moment, internally confused.

Why would she offer him food? She didn't know him, so what was the point?

Perhaps she was just trying to earn a favour from him? He'd had to do the same thing a few times in the past during some of his dirtier jobs in the old agency.

But, what exactly would she gain from that? She didn't know what his work was, and she likely didn't even know his name. So why was she offering food?

He scanned over her quickly, finding no sort of enchantment, disguise, or even ill intent coming from her.

Maybe... maybe it was a pony thing?

The idea made him scoff internally, but it was possible. He was a thestral, not a pony, so he didn't understand what went through their heads most of the time.

Hesitantly, he took one of the sandwiches off the top, seeing her smile once he did so. He took a tentative bite, finding that it was just some tomato and lettuce, nothing too special.

He couldn't taste any poison either, or any other sort of drug.

...

Was it sad he knew those tastes in the first place?

Probably.

"Do you like it?" she asked. He swallowed the bite he'd taken, still confused.

"... It's fine? Was there something special about it that I should've noticed?"

"Well, no, but I didn't know how you felt about tomatoes and lettuce..." she murmured.

"Well... they're fine. Is there something you want from me?" he asked. Twilight gave him a confused look,

"What do you mean? You're a guest, so it's only polite to offer some kind of snack," she said, like it was obvious. He stared at her, surprised,

"Oh. Thank you, then," Twilight beamed up at him, before trotting off to the side, looking pleased with herself. He shook his head at her.

Ponies were weird.

* * *

**_Luna Iertător =_ Romanian.**

**Thestrali is Romanian in this story. I'm using a Google translate for it, so if it's wrong I'm sorry. Feel free to tell me, and give me _proper_ translations if that's the case, though!**


	6. Adjustment

The night had gone by swiftly, with little to nothing happening.

It was honestly quite disappointing. After the appearance of those griffons, he'd been expecting something more to happen at night , but _nope_!

Absolutely nothing happened! It was so damn boring!

Emerald let out a breath as his eyes opened, sluggishly rolling onto his side to avoid the light filtering in from his window. Why couldn't Celestia just let him sleep more?

Eventually, his internal clock woke him from his dazed state. He sighed, curling up under the blankets for a moment longer, before sliding out and rolling onto the floor.

Catching himself, he quickly proceeded into the bathroom to freshen up.

Once that was done with, he took a glance out the window, finding the sun beginning it's ascent. He yawned, mentally going over his schedule for the day.

Well, he'd have to head over to the bakery and finalize the job, which would likely take all day. He couldn't help but sigh at the tiring thought. He'd be getting a normal job for once in his life, but it would only to be for reconnaissance.

Well, hopefully dealing with Pinkie would give him more energy to work with. It was annoying how he'd lose so much of it whenever he would forgo eating in favour of his job.

Ignoring those unnecessary thoughts, he continued on his way into town, not acknowledging the sparse greetings he received. He was about halfway to the bakery when he was interrupted.

"Look out!"

He nimbly stepped out of the line of fire, watching passively as a gray blur crashed into the ground where he'd been standing a moment ago. A bunch of letters flew everywhere from the crash-landing site, indicating the the possibly injured party to be a messenger of sorts. After checking for injuries, and finding none, he scanned the fallen pegasus.

She had a light gray coat that seemed well taken care of, though the dirt that was now lodged in it might've thrown him off. It stuck up in patches thanks to the crash, but he could clearly see her cutie mark, a bunch of bubbles, cheerily gleaming on her larger than average flank. The mare, while not fat, was certainly not the average fitness-crazed pegasus, as seen by her apparent fondness for pastries, given the muffin he saw peeking out of her brown messenger bag. Her limbs were thicker than most, and her stomach had just the slightest bulge. Apart from that, she seemed in perfect health, crash aside. Her mane and tail were a bright blonde, and a brown hat sat snugly on the top of her head, a small letter imprinted on the front denoted her obvious occupation.

What really caught his attention, were her eyes.

They were a gleaming gold that shone brightly in the light, though given how one seemed to be looking in a different direction than the other, the reason for her crash was apparent.

"Ohhh..." the mare groaned, "I just don't know what went wrong..." she murmured sadly. Choosing to take a shot in the dark, he spoke,

"Everything alright?" he asked. His voice must've startled the mare, as she yelped and flung her bag around a little, causing a more letters to fly out.

"The mail!" she shouted, finally taking notice of the mess, while ignoring Emerald, "Oh no no no no no! I can't can't _can't_ be late again!" she sputtered, desperately picking up the letters and shoving them back in her bag. There was a small clink of her hoof hitting metal, which caused her to gasp. "But I can't leave my little muffin without her lunch either!" she said to herself, obviously panicking as she continued hunting for her letters.

Having gotten enough of being ignored, he spoke up.

"Is everything alright?" he asked again, not bothering to hide the clipped tone in his voice. The mare jumped a little, and she turned.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so so so _soooo_ sorry! I didn't mean to crash into anypony, I swear!"

"I figured," he said shortly, before looking at all of the letters, then back at her, "Aside from the obvious, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh! Um, i-it's nothing! I'm _totally_ fine!" she said. Emerald gave her a blank look, which caused her to start sweating lightly, before she broke. "Okay! I'm not fine! I need to get these letters back to the office before I'm late, but my little Dinky forgot her lunch at home and I won't be able to take it to her later but if I don't leave now I might get fired an-!" Emerald cut her off with a hoof against her mouth, annoyed.

Great, now he was caught up in this mess. Granted, he didn't need to be at the bakery right now, he still had a few minutes. And if he was late he could just explain himself easy. Mrs. Cake seemed to be a reasonable mare, so it shouldn't be hard if he was late.

Though, that was only _if_ he chose to help this mare. There was no point to it, really. She could get fired and her foal could die of starvation and he wasn't sure he'd care.

On the other hoof, helping out a towns member could get him in to the good graces of the rest of the lot. And good graces meant he had a little bit of wiggle room to do what he wanted with minimal consequences, if it came to it. Not only that, but if this mare was a messenger, then she could get letters to and fro with little issue, and that could come in handy later.

He winced internally.

Not even a week and he was already working on a plan to manipulate the entire town.

Maybe Celestia and Luna were right, and he _did_ need to work on his mental state?

Oh well, it got the job done.

"Do you want some help?" he asked, choosing the more beneficial option for himself. The mare looked at him, stunned. He frowned on the inside.

Was it really so uncommon for someone to offer to help this mare?

"Y-you really want to help?" she asked, her panic completely forgotten, Emerald shrugged,

"If you need it, then why not?" he said. The mare stared a little more, her eyes beginning to water, before she suddenly lunged at him.

It took a considerable amount of restraint not to attack the mare on reflex, but it was easier when he recognized the 'attack' for the hug it was.

"Thank you thank you! You have NO idea how much this means to me!" she gushed.

He... had a feeling.

She let go of him and rummaged through her bag for a second, before pulling out a lunch box with a Daring Do design on it.

"Could you get this to my daughter Dinky?" she said, picking up the remaining letters she'd dropped, "I can't bare the thought that my little muffin would go hungry! So could you please make sure it gets to her?!" she asked. Emerald thought for a moment, before nodding and picking up the box,

"Sure, why not? I've got a couple minutes to kill before I head to work,"

"What?!" the mare suddenly yelled, staring at him, "You're gonna be late?!"

"Maybe," he shrugged, "I'm sure Mrs. Cake will understand if I told her I was helping you out, miss...?"

"Ditzy. Ditzy Doo. And are you sure?" she said, looking concerned, "I wouldn't want anypony to get into trouble cause of me," she said, before looking away, "... Again..." she added under her breath, unaware he could hear.

"It's fine Ditzy. Now don't you have an office to get to?" he asked, hiding a smirk when she panicked again and raced away, before coming back and picking up the last few letters.

Rolling his eyes at the display, he spread his wings and took to the air. He flew up to just above the building height of the town, and in one, single flap of his wings, he propelled himself almost halfway across town towards the schoolhouse.

While the flight was quick, having arrived in less than a minute, he really wasn't in a hurry. There were still a few foals out and about, playing before they had to head inside.

He had no idea which foal was Dinky, and, other than the fact she was without a lunch, he had no clue what she may have looked like.

"Mr. Emerald?" came the familiar voice of Applebloom from his right, "Whatcha doin' here?" she asked. He turned, finding Applebloom and her friends looking at him curiously, their saddlebags fitting snugly on their backs. He shrugged, gesturing to the box he held,

"Some mare named Ditzy was running late, and her daughter Dinky forgot her lunch. I offered to get it to her. I don't suppose you three know this Dinky?" he asked. Applebloom smiled,

"Sure do Mr. Emerald! And I gotta say, that's real nice'o ya!" she said, walking up to him, "C'mon! Dinky's usually inside right 'bout now," she said, trotting off to the front door. Emerald followed after the bow-clad filly, finding it mildly humorous that she looked so serious about something this small.

Applebloom pushed open the schoolhouse's door, revealing the classroom to the thestral. It was simple, with windows lining the walls and desks neatly forming several rows for the foals to sit. A black board sat on the right wall, with a desk sitting in front of it. Sitting at said desk was a mare, whom was obviously the teacher these foals learned from.

She had a dark magenta coat, and a mane and tail of a light pink, and a lighter, almost white, pink streaking through. He could see a set of smiling flowers on her flank. As well.

He was a little surprised at her appearance. She seemed a bit young to run a schoolhouse all on her own, but then again, he was a little young to be in the Elite Guards, so who was he to judge?

She obviously tried to keep in shape, whether that was out of a desire to be healthy or to keep up her appearance, however, was lost to him. She had some muscle lining her body, customary for an earth pony, but he could see muscle in some places most didn't have. She turned to him and Applebloom after a moment, her focus having been on a small stack of papers in front of her, likely homework.

She had a bright smile on her face, though not quite as bright or wide as that Pinkie's was, and had a set of bright, cheerful green eyes.

"Oh Applebloom! It's nice to see you coming in early for a change!" she said, smiling down at the little filly. Applebloom smiled back at her, but shook her head,

"Sorry Miss Cheerilee! But I'm jus' showin' Mr. Emerald around!" she said, which finally brought the mare's, Cheerilee's, attention to him.

"Oh! Goodness, I'm sorry. I didn't notice you there!" she said, smiling. She got up from her desk and walked over to him, holding out a hoof, "Like Applebloom said, my name is Cheerilee, it's very nice to meet you!" Emerald shook her hoof,

"Same. I'm Emerald Skies," he replied. She smiled at him, before tilting her head,

"If you don't mind me asking, Emerald, is there something you need?" he shrugged, before showing her the lunch box,

"Aside from getting this to Dinky, no,"

"That's my lunch box!" came a small, squeaky voice from the back of the room. The two adults and the filly all turned to see a little unicorn staring at them, looking surprised.

Emerald held in a smirk, finding the resemblance uncanny. Her mane and tail were the same colour as her mother's, though her coat had more purple in it than gray. Her eyes, completely normal, were gold as well, but they were a little bit darker than Ditzy's.

"Well... you're certainly Ditzy's foal," Emerald said, walking over to her, before placing the box on her desk, "Try not to forgot that next time. Your mother almost had a heart attack," he said.

"Thank you mister!" Dinky gushed, hopping out of her seat to nuzzle his leg, before getting back in it. He chuckled a little, and turned to Cheerilee and Applebloom,

"Well, that's it for me. I suppose I'll see you lot around, eventually," he said, walking past them. He let out a small yawn once he got outside. Scanning around for the sun, he guessed he had about a minute and a half to get to the bakery before he was late. Shrugging, he took to the air, before shooting towards town at a leisurely pace.

He easily made it to the bakery with time to spare, waving to Mrs. Cake as he did so.

"Well, it's nice to see you again Emerald," she said, before sending him a disapproving look, "Though you're cutting it a bit close, don't you think?" she asked. He shrugged again, he'd been doing that a lot recently, before explaining.

"I was helping out some mare named Ditzy. Apparently her foal forgot her lunch, and I offered to help," he said, nonplussed by her look. Her expression softened instantly,

"Oh, well that was very nice of you dear. Now come on back here so I can show what you'll be needing to do,"

* * *

The work was easy and it provided a rather calm atmosphere that Emerald found he genuinely enjoyed. Even with Pinkie popping up every now and then, she must've had a last minute day off as she wasn't working with them, merely added to the atmosphere.

Something he noticed, however, was that everyone in town seemed excited for some reason or another, and, after some prodding, Mrs. Cake told him about Cider Season.

Apparently the local members of the Apple Family sold their apple cider around this time every year. Emerald found he really didn't understand the excitement.

Couldn't they just head to a restaurant and order some cider? He'd done it before, several times in fact. So why was everyone so excited for this?

Well, he supposed he'd find out tomorrow.

As it was, he was currently standing behind the counter, having been working for the past five hours.

He was getting bored.

Thankfully it seemed that he was doing a good job, as Mrs. Cake was happily working away in the kitchen, uttering not one word of complaint.

He was about to ask her when the day ended, as he hadn't before, when Applejack of all ponies walked through the door. She was looking around, seemingly lost in thought, when she spotted Emerald,

"Well now, I wasn't expectin' ta see ya behind there," she said, strolling forward, he shrugged,

"A job's a job," he said, internally wincing at what he said.

He'd been living by that particular phrase for awhile now.

"I guess that's true. Ya sure workin' here's for ya, though?" Applejack asked, her eyes suddenly roaming his form, "Ya seem like the type who likes hard work. I coulda given ya a job at Sweet Apple Acres iffin' ya asked," she said. Emerald frowned slightly, before shaking his head,

"Thanks for the offer. I'll keep it in mind. But for now, I think I'd rather stay in town. Keep an eye on things, ya know?" he said. Applejack nodded,

"I can respect that, I suppose," she acknowledged, before changing the subject, "So, ya lookin' forward ta Cider Season tomorrow?" she asked, smiling proudly at that.

"Uh... not really?" he said, still confused, "I don't understand the hype. It's just cider,"

Apparently, that was not something that had ever been said in town before.

The looks of absolute shock on, not only Applejack's face, but the faces on everyone in the bakery who heard that certainly gave him that impression.

"Uhhhh... did I say something offensive?" he asked, wondering if that was, indeed, something the townsfolk considered insulting.

"Whaddya mean 'just cider'?!" Applejack practically shouted at him, "It's '_Sweet Apple Cider'_ cider! The best cider this side of Equestria! How can ya say it's 'just cider'?!"

Emerald was leaning away from the apparently fanatical mare. He blinked at her, wondering how he could get out of this particular situation.

Well, he'd never dealt with this kind of thing before, so...

Damage control?

"I've never had any of your cider, so how would I know?" he asked, hoping the admission would get her off of his case.

It didn't.

As a matter of fact that only seemed to make it worse.

"Ya've never had _any_ Sweet Apple Cider?!" the farm mare all but shouted in his face, causing Mrs. Cake to look out the kitchen window in worry,

"Uhh... no, I haven't?" he said, quickly getting annoyed. Rather than dignify that with a response, Applejack merely narrowed her eyes at him, before backing off.

Internally confused, he went to say something, when she started stomping around the counter. Immediately understanding what she was planning, he backed up a little, glaring at her,

"What do you think you're doing?" he snarled at her, though it seemed his words were lost, as she merely grabbed his closest leg and attempted to drag him off.

Her grip was strong, but he could easily get out of it. Though, doing so would likely give something away. As a 'pegasus' he was naturally weaker than most earth ponies, and given how well known Applejack was for being a strong mare, he couldn't break out without earning some attention.

Thus, he could do no more than stare, pleadingly, at Mrs. Cake as he was dragged away.

Cup Cake watched in intrepid amusement. On one hoof, Applejack was a dear, if a little temperamental or prideful at times. On the other, Emerald was obviously a very mature stallion, if the oddly formal way he had of speaking meant anything. He likely wouldn't take too kindly to being dragged away before the work day was over.

Well, Cup thought, he was most certainly getting the job either way. He handled the orders quickly and easily, and his hoofwriting was perfectly neat, if a little strange to read because of its cursive nature.

He should be fine. Who knows? Maybe the Apple Family will help the poor dear loosen up a little?

* * *

Emerald was not happy.

He was rarely happy nowadays, but still.

Though he was curious as to why no one bothered to ask Applejack why she was dragging him down the street. He wasn't bothering to actually follow along, making it harder for her to constantly drag him as his own little revenge. He would've figured the lack of assistance would've made it clear that he wasn't okay with the whole thing, but no one stepped up.

Sure, she was an Element of Harmony, but that didn't mean she could do no wrong.

She was practically foalnapping him right now!

Then again, that usually implied that there was some form of resistance, and he wasn't actively struggling against her. Internally sighing at his predicament, he looked at the mare stallion-handling him.

Her features were set in almost angry determination. Apples had a lot of family pride, so his admission about not drinking their cider, as well as the insinuation that it wasn't any better than the rest, likely offended her.

Still, how could she possibly call it the best when there are hundreds, if not thousands, of farms all across the world who work just as hard, if not harder, than the Apples? Unlike in Equestria, where most farms can specialize in growing or harvesting one thing, farms outside of Equestria have to grow several things at once.

While he'd agree that theirs were the best he'd ever had, the fact was he'd only ever had ones grown in Nocturne before. And Nocturne focused more on quantity than quality when it came to food.

They could put all of their work into their apples, while others had to focus over several different crops at once.

Sure that specialization in apples certainly helped produce higher quality ones, but that didn't mean they could just step all over the work of other species like that.

Though, the more logical part of him thought, it could just be a marketing point rather than an actual belief.

The orchard quickly came into view, though Applejack's pace only quickened.

They closed in on the barn, where Applejack all but knocked the door down in her rush to drag him inside.

"Stay here," she snapped at him. He glared at her retreating form, not letting up until she disappeared around the corner. With her gone, he decided to take a quick look around.

The walls were covered in a beige wallpaper with darker lines running diagonally towards the door, but from a third of the way up from the ground there was a wooden decor. There were a few pictures adorning the walls, an orange rug was laying on the wooden floor, and beside the pink couch was a barrel full of assorted flowers.

It was a nice home. Cozy, warm, and welcoming. Certainly fit for a home of the Apple Family.

He heard hoofsteps from outside, just before the door opened once more. A large stallion, with a cherry red coat and dusty orange mane and tail walked through the door. He was very tall, standing a little under a head taller than him. Muscle could be seen almost clearly under his coat, rippling across his skin. A clear cut sign of his life on the farm. Despite that, there was a clear youthful light in his sap green eyes, combined with an almost overprotective, yet brotherly, glint once his eyes landed on him.

"I was forcefully dragged here by your sister," Emerald responded immediately. The stallion furrowed his brow,

"Which one?" he asked, his baritone voice going perfectly with his build,

"Applejack,"

"Why?"

"Mentioned I never tried your family's cider,"

"That'll do it," he chuckled. Emerald sighed at the stallion's amusement, his ears flicking towards a sound to his right. Idly glancing that way, he spotted an older mare, her wrinkled skin giving that away. She had a wispy white mane and tail, a mere remnant of what it once was. Her apple green coat was faded as well, clearly showing signs of wear and tear. However, her caramel eyes held a hint of youth that most ponies of that age wouldn't possess, likely due to the Apple Family's near constant activity.

She passed by him, seemingly unaware of his presence. The red stallion snorted slightly, only to flinch as the older mare suddenly rounded on him,

"An' watchu chucklin' 'bout Big Macintosh?! Better be 'bout how ya finished up all yer chores!" she snapped, her voice carrying a very thick southern accent. The newly christened Big Macintosh gulped, before nodding,

"E-eeyup," he stammered at her, his coat turning redder than before. The mare stared at him for a moment longer, before nodding,

"That's what I thought," she said, nodding firmly at him. Macintosh's eyes darted around for a moment, before locking onto Emerald. He cleared his throat,

"Uh, Granny Smith? We got a guest," he said, pointing the faux-pony out. The mare blinked, before looking over where his hoof lead and finally spotted Emerald.

Bastard.

"Well howdy there sonny!" Granny Smith said, a wide smile adorning her worn features, "What brings ya all the way down ta our little farm?" she asked.

...

Little?

Ignoring the thought for now, he responded,

"Applejack brought me,"

"Is that so?" she asked. She stared at him for a moment longer, before reaching a hoof out and cupped his chin. Confused, he let her move his head around for a moment, with her seemingly inspecting him for something. Eventually she let him have his face back, when she chose to hobble around him for a few minutes, before finally stopping in front of him. "Well, I gotta say, ya look like a fine young stallion for mah granddaughter! Ya'll better git me some great-grandfoals now, ya hear?" she asked him, smilingly widely.

Emerald stared at her for a moment, idly wondering if Applejack had heard that, given the sudden lack of motion in the kitchen, before he shook his head.

"I'm... just visiting for now. Applejack managed to pry the fact I've never tried your family's cider out of me and then literally dragged me here," Granny Smith blinked at him,

"... So ya ain't chasing after mah granddaughter?"

"No,"

"Welp, that's a shame," she said simply, causing him to blanch, "An' here I thought that ol' work horse finally got herself a mate. Eh, guess I'll just wait a lil' longer!" Granny Smith then chose to walk away, seemingly unaware of the tense atmosphere she had left behind. Emerald glanced at the red stallion, who was looking a bit too amused at the situation.

"I hope you realize that Applejack will likely blame you for not saying anything," he said, causing Macintosh to pale considerably.

"S-sorry 'bout Granny," came Applejack's voice as she walked out of the kitchen, completely red-faced, "She can be a little... embarrassin'," she muttered. Emerald chuckled,

"I figured," he said, causing her to flush a bit more, "So can I head back to my job now? Or is there actually something you want from me?" he snapped, letting his annoyance show. She flinched away at his tone, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly,

"Hehe, sorry 'bout that sugarcube. Anyways, I was hopin' ya'd take a mug of cider a lil' early," she said, grabbing a wooden mug from kitchen and hoofing it over to him. Rather than take it from her, he merely leveled a glare instead,

"And why would I do that?" he asked,

"Well, ya say ya've never tried any of our cider so-"

"Who cares?" he asked, cutting her off, "One creature in all of Equestria hasn't tried your cider. So? Instead of being an idiot and giving away your product for one being, just sell the damn stuff to someone who already likes it!" he snapped, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to head back to the job you so rudely tore me away from!" With that final snarl, he turned and stomped his way out of the Apple home, furious.

That mare had taken him from his work. And while it was temporary work, it was still _his_ work. And if there was one thing in the world he hated, it was not being able to finish a job.

That mindset had been beaten and engraved into him in the Facility, the place he'd been stuck for ten years. The place where'd he'd been tested and experimented on for ten years. Where you did what you were told, and were tortured if you didn't do it good enough or couldn't finish. Though, his cutie mark likely played a part in him keeping it.

To have set his mind to something, he would go against everything, question everything, best everything if it meant accomplishing it. Even if it killed him.

Rolling his eyes as he made it back into town. The ordeal had only lasted about fifteen minutes, so he still had plenty of work to do.

* * *

Though, apparently, not as much as he would've liked.

After his disappearance, despite it only lasting so long, Pinkie had taken it upon herself to fill his place, and then take over for Mrs. Cake when he returned.

While he honestly admired her dedication to her job, he still couldn't help but be a little annoyed at not doing some of his work himself.

Still, he ended up finding out that he worked surprisingly well with Pinkie. Mrs. Cake seemed surprised by that as well, given the way she tended to stare while they worked. Pinkie was quick and efficient in the kitchen, being able to listen to him give the orders instead of needing him to write it down like Mrs. Cake. His memory let him relay the orders quickly as well, even letting him get the right order to the right pony without issue.

As of now, he was currently wiping down the counter as Pinkie cleaned the kitchen behind him.

"Well," Mrs. Cake's voice broke the silence, "I must say, I wasn't expecting you to be able to work with Pinkie so well!" she gushed.

"Totally!" Pinkie all but shouted behind him, sticking her head out of the window, "We're like a super team of amazing bakers!" she said,

"So I got the job?" Emerald asked quickly, keeping Pinkie from continuing her train of... whatever it was she called her thoughts.

"Absolutely!" Mrs. Cake said, "With you and Pinkie helping out, Carrot and I can take it easy until the foals come," she added, smiling.

"That's so amazing!" Pinkie shouted again, only this time she actually jumped out of the window, "I can totally throw a 'Hooray You Got a Job!' party! Ooh it'll be so much fun! There'll be streamers, games, balloons, more streamers an-!" Pinkie suddenly froze, her entire body going rigid, before she suddenly seemed to deflate. "Oh, wait. I can't throw a party. Cider Season starts tomorrow and everypony'll be too busy..." she muttered, depressed.

Something about her sudden change in attitude struck Emerald, and he opened his mouth to try and cheer her up.

Though it wasn't necessary, it seemed.

"But if I can't throw a party for everypony in town, then I'll just throw one just for you! And since Cider Season is tomorrow, we can head out early and get you first in line as a gift!" she gushed, whirling around and staring at him, stars in her eyes.

Emerald twitched at her behavior, and went to speak,

"Tha-"

"Wait! Everpony's gonna be trying to get there early too!" Pinkie said, unwittingly cutting him off, "Which means we gotta be even earlier than even the earliest pony!"

"Pink-"

"Which means we gotta go right now!"

"Wait wha-!"

And thus, Emerald was once more dragged away by an earth pony towards Sweet Apple Acres.

* * *

**And thus marks the sixth chapter. Sorry for their relatively low quality. They were written a long time ago. The chapters from here on out will be much better, especially as it goes on. **

**Thank for sticking around this long everyone. I hope you all enjoy the rest of what The Champion of Harmony has to offer!**


	7. 6,000 Ways to Annoy a Thestral

"Emerald! Wake up!"

He wasn't happy.

"C'mon! It's almost time for everypony to wake up!"

Not at all.

"Wakey wakey, Mr. Sleepy Head!"

Pinkie had ended up dragging him all the way to the apple orchard, having, somehow, already packed a camping bag. She had then proceeded to set up the overly pink tent and practically throw him inside. He barely had any time to think before Pinkie burst in with him, zipping up the tent flap and talking his ear off about how excited she was to share his first ever Cider Season with her.

The only reprieve he'd had all night were the moments when he'd stuff a balloon into her mouth. It was only when the balloon had been completely inflated that Pinkie would stop talking to tie up the open end and, occasionally, make some balloon animal out of it.

And that wasn't even taking into account the fact he couldn't do his fucking job last night!

...

He supposed it was for the best anyways.

Sometime last night, he'd run out of balloons to stuff in Pinkie's face, and, thankfully, managed to push her into getting more. On her way back, however, he spotted about a hundred other ponies running behind her, each with their own camping gear.

"Wa-!"

"I'm up!" he snapped, his eyelids flinging open, allowing him to see the bright and cheerful pink mare hovering above him.

"That's awesome!" Pinkie gushed, throwing her hooves wide, knocking around a few of the balloons huddled on the tent's roof. "C'mon! It's almost time for Cider Season to start!" she squealed, before opening the tent flap and stepping out, not bothering to fix her mess of a mane.

"Gosh Pinkie, I love your new style!" came a quiet voice, startling Emerald out of his thoughts. It was said with enthusiasm, but the almost non-existent voice it was said with _completely_ contradicted that. Curious as to who, or what, was able to cause such a contradiction, Emerald poked his head out of the tent.

There were two mares in front of him and Pinkie, both pegasi.

One of them was a thin mare, almost unnaturally so. She had a long mane and tail of bubblegum pink that actually dragged onto the ground. It couldn't have been easy to take care of her mane and tail, given that. She didn't have much fat, but also not a lot of muscle, as her butter yellow coat made her look much softer than she actually was. Likely she ate rather healthy and kept up a fair amount of activity, but not enough to really mean much. She looked familiar, however, as if he had seen her somewhere before, or someone who looked similar at least. She was pretty, with an air of natural grace. Her legs were longer than most pegasi he'd met, but just as thin. Despite the fact her body was fit for flying, he couldn't see too much muscle around her chest and wings, meaning she didn't fly much, or at all.

From the way this mare seemed to hold herself, keeping her head lowered to the ground and her legs slightly bent, it was clear that she was a shy and easily startled mare. Her mane framed her face in a rather cute little heart, but it accentuated a few features that caught his eye.

Her teal eyes were slightly angled, and her ears, which poked out from under her mane, had small tufts of fur on the tips. Despite her soft looks and obviously timid personality, he could just see a set of almost imperceptible fangs in her maw as she spoke. There was no doubt about it.

This mare was half thestral.

But what Clan was she a part of? She was about his age, maybe a little younger, so she would've already outgrown most, if not all, of the defining characteristics that most thestral foals had. His eyes scanned over her, hoping to find something.

Her wings were a little bit above average, so he couldn't tell if she had Skies blood like him.

Her ears were of natural size, so the Tides Clan were out as well.

Her fangs were small, likely due to her half-blood status, so he had no clue on that.

He couldn't spot a single, defining characteristic. Sure, he was all but certain that Scootaloo was a member of his Clan, given her smaller than normal wings, but what were the chances of three members of the Skies Clan ending up in the same town?

...

Well, now that he thought about it, they were fairly likely, actually.

Eh, he'd have to pry her for information later.

He looked to the mare beside the possible-family-member. She was... noticeable.

Not in the sense that she was large, not at all. As a matter of fact, this mare was rather short for her age, most certainly a little shorter than Twilight had been. No, it was her muscle that stood out to him, and made her seem bigger than she was. While not as focused and used as often as Applejack's were, this mare had muscle all around her body. Most prominently were her chest and wings. She had a vibrant rainbow mane and tail, cut short and obviously not very well cared for if their messy appearance meant anything. Her mane, coupled with her sky blue coat certainly helped give the impression that she lived in the sky. Her small, sleek frame showed how fit she was for speed, and he was hard pressed to imagine her anywhere else but the sky.

Despite all that, this mare was obviously a sprinter, not an endurance flyer like he was. Given the spread of her muscle, she was used to simple, straight-line races meant for simple, but moderate bursts of speed. She might be able to handle a bunch of twists and turns, but it was likely she wasn't used to that sort of thing. She'd probably drop out of the sky from exhaustion after only a few dozen minutes of constant high-speed flight.

Compiling that information he'd gained from his observations, as well as cross-referencing it with the records he'd read, he knew these mares.

While Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty, was extremely obvious, he probably wouldn't have needed to read those files to figure out who she was, the mare beside her was a little more obscure.

Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness.

He wouldn't have known her if he hadn't read those files. The mare was so shy, and kept to herself so often, that even Twilight, the mare who'd sent in those friendship letters that Celestia used to file away that information, barely knew anything about her.

His paranoia kicked in slightly.

Did this mare have something to hide? Was this shy front merely an act to keep others from disturbing her at her cottage while she did who knows what? Did sh-

No. He had to stop. He knew that wasn't right. The way she held herself was only proof to that end. If it was an act, there'd be something off about it, and he'd pick up on it quickly.

So, he threw those thoughts away.

"Who _are_ all these ponies?!" came the raspy, tom-coltish voice that apparently belonged to Rainbow Dash. It served to remind him about where he was at the moment.

"Isn't this great?!" Pinkie piped up as Emerald finally took the time to exit the tent properly, "I was thinking yesterday that since Emerald here was gonna start working at Sugarcube Corner that he deserved the bestest of the best parties! But then I realized that I couldn't do that 'cause it would mean ponies wouldn't be able to wait in line for Cider Season to start, so I thought 'Hey Pinkie? Why not just take Emerald here, to Sweet Apple Acres so he could get the very first mug of cider as a 'Welcome to Ponyville, I'm so Happy You Got a Job Working with Me!' gift!" she squealed, wrapping her hooves around Emerald, who went rigid at the contact.

"So where'd all those ponies come from?!" Rainbow Dash asked again, sounding almost panicked,

"Oh!" Pinkie let go of Emerald, "Well Emerald and I were blowing up a bunch of balloons last night-"

"That's not-"

"-but then we ran out in the middle of the night and he had the super idea that I could go out and get some more! And I met a bunch'a ponies who asked me what the balloons were for so I told them Emerald and I were having a little slumber party while we camped out in line for Cider Season! And then they all came with me with their own stuff and now it's like a huge slumber party for everypony in Ponyville!" she shouted, jumping into the air, only to fall back down face first, causing Emerald to snicker. He threw his gaze out, scanning the long line. It certainly looked like the whole of Ponyville had come out for this.

It actually might've, now that he was taking a better look.

"Wow, that's a lot of ponies. I doubt the Apples have enough for everyone," he noted, only to turn back as he heard Rainbow Dash growl at something.

Pinkie had apparently woken him up twenty minutes before the official start of Cider Season, and it was within this time that most of the ponies in line also began waking up and packing their things.

Applejack, along with Macintosh and Applebloom were busy setting up the barrels and the stall that they'd be conducting their little business behind, with Granny Smith checking their progress every now and again.

Eventually, everything seemed to be in their proper place, and, as Pinkie said, Emerald was the first in line.

"Attention everypony!" came the amplified voice of Applejack as she spoke into a megaphone, "Cider Season is now officially open!" she happily cried. The declaration caused the ponies in line to start murmuring excitedly.

"Can you believe it Emerald?!" Pinkie whisper-shouted in his ear, "Your first _ever_ Cider Season!" she gushed as he began to move forward,

"I suppose it's... memorable," Emerald said through the two bits Pinkie had given him earlier. Apparently she wanted him to just enjoy the experience without worrying about money.

He found that funny, considering he had a veritable fortune in his bag.

Not that anyone needed to know that.

He stepped forward, giving a polite nod to Granny Smith when she greeted him.

"Howdy Mr. Emerald!" Applebloom said, "I guess ya really wanted some cider after all, huh?" Emerald shrugged,

"Pinkie's not really giving me a choice in the matter," he said, placing the two bits on the counter. Applebloom smiled as she grabbed a mug and filled it from the tap,

"Well, I hope ya like it anyways!" He nodded, taking the wooden and walking off. Rather than drink it right away, he turned to check on Pinkie.

Now, during the moment when she headed back to the bakery to grab more balloons, it seemed that she remembered to grab her bits, as seen by the two saddlebags stuffed to the brim with gold.

It was rather amusing to watch as Pinkie literally dumped the contents of her bag in front of little Applebloom. The small filly quickly got to work filling a mug, which was easily snatched away by Pinkie once it was full and greedily downed.

It was about five minutes later that he was able to watch as Pinkie hobbled away from the stand, walking on her hind legs as she was laden down with twenty or so mugs. Emerald sighed.

He was pretty sure that wasn't healthy for a pony to do.

Oh and the quantity of the cider she was about to ingest couldn't be good either.

Sighing, he walked after the mare, only to nearly trip over her a minute later when he found her. She was laying on her back, a content smile on her face with twenty empty mugs around her. The slight distention of her stomach making it rather obvious what happened, as seemingly impossible as it was.

"Really?" he couldn't help but ask, earning a rapid nod from the almost-drunk mare. He chuckled a little, he couldn't help it. Glancing at the amber liquid in the mug he carried, his curiosity rose a bit.

What this cider really THAT good?

Raising the mug to his maw, he downed the fruity liquid.

...

...

Well... it WAS good. It wasn't what he'd been expecting though.

From the way the ponies of this town acted, he'd expected the drink to be nearly addictive in taste for it to warrant such a widespread reaction. Shrugging slightly, he sat down by his excitable co-worker.

"So, what'd ya think?!" Pinkie asked, sitting up and staring at him with an excited gleam in her eye. Once again, he shrugged,

"It was good. But I still don't see the fuss," he remarked.

"Really?!" she asked, stunned, "Huh, and here I thought everypony loved the Apple Family's cider..." she muttered.

"If it makes you feel better, I've only ever had a few cups of cider before this, so I don't have much to compare it too,"

Still, maybe he'd send a bottle to Luna and Wisp?

A sudden honking interrupted his thoughts, at which point he noticed that he'd just spaced out, if the obvious change in time meant anything, and chose to turn to face the oncoming...

... Was that music?

There was... something coming towards the crowd. It was obviously a machine of some sort, he'd seen plenty back in the Facility, although those weren't for... conventional uses.

It was big and red. Noisy as well. It was similar in appearance to a train, though that similarity ended when he noticed a giant yellow funnel, several barrels, and a pair of velvet chairs on the front.

Sitting on those chairs, was a pair of unicorn stallions. The two stallions were obviously twins, given their near identical appearances. With cherry red manes and tails, each with several white streaks through them, the only thing really telling them apart was that one of them had a mustache. A pinstripe suit adorned their torsos, covering their whitish yellow coats only slightly. If their appearances hadn't been enough to tell they were related, their cutie marks certainly did. One of them had an apple with a slice taken out of it, while the other had a single slice of apple, seemingly fitting into the space his brother's lacked.

If there was one thing that stood out to him about these two, however, was that they held a glaring similarity to the Apples.

It took him a moment, but something clicked in his head, and he recognized the two before the town.

Flim and Flam Apple. Two members of a branch in the Apple Family who happened to marry a few unicorns. Driven out of the family by some of the more old fashioned members, they swore revenge upon the family that wronged them. Since then they sought out members of the Apple Family and conned them out of their farms.

The two unicorns had broken in some over-the-top song that Emerald had the fortune to tune out while he was thinking.

However, tuning them out he may have, he wasn't dumb enough to not pay attention to their little machine. From what he could gather, while trying his best to ignore the song, the machine was designed to make cider by crushing the apples it sucked up. How it didn't get sticky or gum up was beyond him, though.

It also didn't stop him from internally dubbing them Skim and Scam, respectively.

Emerald had a bit of a naming quirk. Despite not seeming the type, he often gave nicknames to certain ponies based upon his relationship with them. Though there was always an exception...

He tuned back in just in time to hear Granny Smith shout,

"Not so fast!" she said, before beckoning the family around her, forming a huddle. He felt tempted to eavesdrop in on their conversation, as this was most definitely a problem they might not be able to handle, but by the time he could, Skim and Scam had already joined in, and he had a feeling he knew what was happening.

"Who gets the seventy-five?" Applejack asked, leaning back out of their little huddle, before the non mustached stallion, Scam he believed, stepped up,

"Why us, naturally," he said, before his brother piped in as well,

"And we'll throw in the magic to power the machine, for free!" he said, his horn glowing a semi-bright shade of green. Applejack walked over to her family, shaking her head,

"Cider Season keeps our business afloat through winter. If we take this deal, we'll lose the farm!" she said. The two unicorns spoke up,

"So, do we have a deal?" they asked in unison. The Apples looked at them for a moment, before Big Mac spoke up,

"No deal," he said. The non-mustached stallion gave a 'Hmph',

"Very well, if you're going to refuse our offer to be partners... Then we'll just have to be _competitors_," he said with a smug smile, Applejack sneered,

"You wouldn't dare!" she said angrily,

"Oh no?" the stallion said, before looking to his brother. Skim stood up at the podium on their cider machine,

"Don't you worry everypony! There'll be plenty of apple cider for all of you!" he yelled. As the crowd murmured, Scam leaned into Applejack's ear, muttering something Emerald didn't need to eavesdrop on to figure out.

"What?!" Applebloom shouted from behind her sister, apparently able to hear what was said. Scam gave the Apples a sly grin, before sauntering over to his brother, who started up the machine, which then began backing away from town. Emerald frowned, glancing at the frozen forms of the Apples. Sighing, he walked over to them,

"What's the problem?" he asked, having a good enough guess already. Applejack's jaw started to move, but Applebloom beat her to it,

"Flim an' Flam just threatened ta run us outta business..." she said sadly. Emerald's lip twitched downward slightly, before leaning on his left side, taking a rather casual tone of voice, as if the matter didn't bother him.

"Well, I suppose it's to be expected. They are con-ponies after all," he said. Four pairs of eyes snapped over to him immediately,

"What?" Granny Smith asked, her voice flat and cold,

"Skim and Scam Apple," he ignored the widening of their eyes, "A pair of unicorns whom were cast out of the Apple Family due to tension caused by some anti-unification Apples. Swore revenge on the entire family. I just so happen to have run into them before when they were messing around with some stallion named Green Apple,"

"Cousin Green?" Applebloom asked, her eyes shining which barely shed tears. Emerald let his frown show,

"It just so happens they're wanted for some..." he glanced at Applebloom, "... wrongdoings they've committed. So... food for thought, I suppose," he said.

Deciding to venture off from the still shocked family, he made his way back into town.

He thought about heading over to the bakery to see if the Cakes had opened up, as apparently Cider Season was on hold for right now. It was a little after twelve, and a Saturday. As he was pondering just what he could do, a slight surge of pain from his abdomen stopped him. While it was far from anything major, the familiar pang of hunger caused him to pause.

Hmm... it wasn't that bad yet, he could hold off on eating for a few more days.

He needed to focus on his job, so food could wait.

As he was walking through the market, idly wondering if there was something he could do, someone called out his name.

"Emerald!" his ears swiveled towards the sound, recognizing the voice as Twilight's, "Could you come over here?" He glanced over to her, finding that she was sitting at an outdoor cafe named 'Horte's Cafe'.

Seeing as he was bored, and didn't have a reason not to, he strode over to the bookish mare, who seemed to be ignoring her half eaten daisy sandwich in favour of him.

"What?" he asked, getting right to the point. Twilight blinked, apparently not expecting such a quick reply, but she shook it off,

"Well, I was just wondering how you're liking Ponyville so far!" she said, smiling at him, while also darting her eyes to the open seat in front of her, obviously trying to indicate for him to take it.

He didn't.

"Well... it's fine,"

"Oh... well that's... nice?" she said, her eyes darting around, "So, um... Cider Season's nice, right?" she asked, before suddenly gaining more confidence, "I mean, you and I got to experience our very first one together! Well, not together together, but..." she trailed off, awkwardly.

Emerald couldn't help but smirk at her demeanor.

"It was nice," he chose to admit, "Though I wasn't expecting that mess with Skim and Scam and their Super Speedy Slimer Cheesy 6000," he said. Twilight blinked,

"Um... you mean Flim and Flam and their Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000, right?"

"Ever heard of a little something called belittlement?" Her face scrunched up slightly,

"Well, I guess they are a little... eccentric," she said, picking up her sandwich again, apparently remembering it existed, "But I think it could really help Applejack and her family if they made that deal," she said, taking a bite. Emerald frowned,

"Their profits from this sale helps them through the Fall and Winter. If even a small amount of it was divided up for those two cons, it could have some heavy consequences," he reasoned, attempting to coerce her into action.

If even one of Applejack's friends wasn't there to help, it would mean he'd have to step in more than he already was, and that could spell disaster if he ended up getting too close to one of the Elements.

...

Or could it?

Getting close to the Elements would provide him with the perfect excuse to be near them fairly often. Though, he'd have to find a way to get close to Fluttershy.

That reminded him. He needed to check and see what Clan she was a part of.

Twilight bit her lip, before swallowing,

"I guess that's true," she said, looking contemplative, "Do you think we could help?" she asked.

Shit.

She said 'we'. That could be bad for him.

.. Or not.

"... I suppose it's not out of the question. If she accepts," he said, choosing his words as carefully as he could. That caused the bookworm to laugh a little, confusing him. She shook her head as if brushing away a thought,

"I'm sorry," she said, smiling, still giggling a little, "It's just the thought of Applejack actually asking for help reminds me of my first few weeks in Ponyville. It was Applebuck Season -That's when they harvest their apples-" she said upon seeing his curious look, "And Big Macintosh had injured himself. She was so dead-set on harvesting every, single, tree all by herself. She was getting so exhausted from all the work that she ended up causing a lot of problems in town. Eventually she collapsed when she realized that she'd only done half of what she thought she'd done. Thankfully me and our friends convinced her to let us help, and we managed to finish in time for the off season,"

She had a wistful look on her face, as if her eyes were looking through her plate. She blinked, coming to her senses,

"Oh I'm so sorry!" she winced, "I didn't mean to get so caught up in my thoughts... hehe...?"

Emerald smirked slightly at her reactions, finding them mildly amusing. Oddly enough, she seemed to relax when he smirked, but that was likely a coincidence.

"You thinking of heading back tomorrow?" Emerald asked, figuring he might as well try to make conversation.

"Definitely," she said firmly, "Not only is the cider good, but now I want to make sure Flim and Flam don't do anything," she added, eyes burning with determination. She blinked, "How about you?" he shrugged,

"Yeah. I was thinking of getting them to give me two bottles so I could send them to some family and... a friend,"

"Really?" the lavender unicorn asked, interested, "Who are they?" Emerald bit the inside of his cheek,

"Well... my little sister, first of all," he said, "And as for my friend... Lulu's her name," Emerald said, grinning.

"Lulu?" Twilight asked, "I feel like I've heard that name before..." she muttered.

Emerald's grin turned wicked.

* * *

As it turned out, Sugarcube Corner was indeed still open.

Thankfully, business was rather heavy, which gave him a particularly good distraction for the rest of the day. Once the bakery closed several hours later, Emerald did a quick scan of the town, and ended up finding that ponies were, once more, camping out to wait in line for some cider.

That meant he couldn't patrol town tonight.

He supposed that should be a good thing. The sheer amount of ponies waiting, which likely included everyone in town save for him, would almost certainly drive away any would-be attackers. So, with that in mind, it really shouldn't bother him.

But it kept him from doing his job. And that annoyed him. Greatly.

He sighed, still hovering above town, suspended in the night sky like the stars above him. There was nothing he could do to get these ponies to head home so he could patrol.

...

Well, he _could_ get one of the princesses down here to order it, but that would be stupid and less than pointless.

Still, it was a possibility, and one must be prepared for every eventuality.

Regardless he now had nothing to do. His body was still full of energy, perfectly prepared to go all night, and ready to battle at any moment.

It also meant that he'd have a hard time sleeping.

Unlike yesterday where Pinkie's chatter wore him down and sleep was his only salvation, he had nothing. Glancing back down at the line, which was rather short as of now, he figured he might as well.

After all, how else would he get that cider to Wisp and Luna?

* * *

It was clear to him that something must be against Rainbow Dash.

Some higher being? A deity? Fate itself twisting the world in a way that was specifically designed to target her?

Or was it just Applejack?

Either way, she didn't get her cider today.

Emerald was lucky enough that he'd chosen to get in line when he had, as ponies began showing up in earnest afterwards.

As it was, he'd been prepared with his saddlebag, two large, empty wine bottles, and several bits adorning his person.

Now, Emerald abhorred alcohol. Would never touch a single drop even if his life depended on it.

As it was, the two wine bottles he had were stolen from a friend of his who was trying to work on their alcohol addiction, and Emerald had been more than happy to relieve her of them.

Back on topic.

Emerald had managed to get his two bottles filled, when he spotted Applejack worriedly staring off to where Skim and Scam had appeared yesterday. Frowning slightly, he walked over to her.

"Worried?" he asked, Applejack turned to him, biting her lip, then nodded,

"Yeah. I know I shouldn't be," she said, looking back over, "I mean, my family's been makin' cider fer generations. Our quality is the best this side of Equestria," she grimaced, "I guess I'm jus' afraid 'bout what you said the other day. Runnin' family outta business?!" she huffed, angry, "What kinda pony does that?! 'Specially ta family?!" she snarled. Emerald tilted his head,

"Not everyone is as lucky to have family as close-knit as yours, Applejack," Emerald said, feeling a slight uncomfortableness in the back of his throat as he spoke, "The fact that Skim and Scam are doing what they're doing is proof enough,"

Applejack sighed at that, looking guilty. Twilight walked up to them,

"Still feeling upset about Flim and Flam?" she asked.

"Don't worry Applejack, Granny Smith said they were just blowing hot air," came a voice from beside the purple mare.

Emerald was slightly surprised at the sight of the young drake before him. The drake, no... the hatchling in front of him was around school age. Coming up to just below Twilight's chin, he was arguably one of the shorter species of dragon. His small, chubby body was an obvious sign that he didn't act like most dragons his age, as most dragons his age tended to wrestle quite often. His purples scales, shining brighter than most, was another indicator that he didn't get into the same trouble as others of his species. A series of green spines jutted from his head and down his back, like some demented mohawk, ending at the spade tip of his tail.

He was, all in all, a child.

"I dunno," Applejack answered, "They were mighty serious when they talked 'bout runnin' us out of business," she said.

"That's it! Last cup!" Applebloom shouted, causing Applejack's eyes to widen.

"OH FOR PETE'S SAKE!" came another, distant shout, obviously Rainbow Dash.

Emerald snickered at her reaction, before his amusement vanished as his ears picked up a familiar, and unwelcome, sound.

Turning away from the crowd, he focused his gaze down the trail opposite town, spotting the form of the brother's cider machine making it's way towards them.

His intense focus caught Applejack's attention, and she followed his gaze.

Her heart lurched at the sight, a sickly feeling spreading throughout her body as the sight of the machine got clearer. Finally, it stopped, though, not without knocking over the picket fence by Granny Smith, again.

"What seems to be the problem here?" Scam asked, jumping down from the machine, looking smug as he watched the Apples.

"Well, well, well! Out of cider again?" Skim asked, feigning a swoon as he looked around. Flam smirked, before smacking the side of their machine,

"Well, what do we have here?" he asked as one of the many barrels lined in the back was knocked over, and rolled down a metal ramp, landing by his side, "Who'd like a cup?"

Emerald ignored the crowd of ponies rushing past him, most screeching their desire at the brothers. The two of them gave the town an arrogant smirk, as Scam's horn lit up, causing a mug to float over the crowd, before it was snatched up by Rainbow Dash,

"Don't worry everypony!" Skim shouted, waving a hoof around, "We've got the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 to make more in an instant!"

However, upon seeing the barrel, Applejack had grabbed her lasso, and roped the barrel in question before pulling it over to her, unintentionally knocking the mug out of Rainbow's hoofs before she got a drink.

Emerald smirked as he watched Rainbow Dash try to eat the ground where the cider had soaked in, feeling amused at her reactions. His attention returned to his surroundings just in time to hear the Skim and Scam brothers announce their intentions of finding more apples to make more cider than Ponyville could drink.

Emerald rolled his eyes at that. How exactly did the town think a plan like that could work? Most apple trees in Equestria were owned by the Apple Family, and if they did find enough to make a barrel outside of Ponyville, the trip would surely be far too much for-

"We'll make more cider than you could ever imagine!" came Applebloom's foolhardy claim. Emerald grimaced and laid his face in his hooves, an action that was not lost on Macintosh, as he grabbed Applebloom by the tail, marching her over to Granny Smith,

"Now, it ain't about the speed, youngin'," she said, "It's about _quality_," Emerald nodded along with her, as most things he'd experienced could follow the same principle.

"Who cares about how good the cider is, if I never get to drink any?!"

...

Rainbow Dash was famous for her skill and speed in flight, though host if it had to do with her Element However, once upon a time she was known for the inability to fly straight, a trait that she still has a few minor issues with today.

Thus, he'd be calling her Crash for now.

...

Ungrateful little...

Scam grabbed Crash's face, squeezing it slightly as he spoke,

"Oh, look at these poor unsatisfied ponies!" he said in a false saddened tone. Applebloom crossed her forelegs from where she was currently suspended,

"Ponyville is Sweet Apple Cider country!" she shouted angrily, only to be punished as her brother dropped her,

"Our cider speak fer itself!" Applejack spoke up,

"Let's put it to the test then!"

"Anywhere, anytime!" Applebloom challenged. Granny, thankfully, thought ill of that idea when she walked in front of Apple Bloom,

"Oh, that's enough now!" she said, only for Skim to start shouting,

"With our machine, we can make enough cider in one hour to satisfy this entire town!" he claimed. Once again, Apple Bloom opened her mouth,

"We'll do it in 45 minutes!" Granny spoke up once more,

"Easy, Apple Bloom, _easy_!" she said. Scam spoke in a challenging voice as well,

"What's the matter, Granny Smith? Chicken?" he said. Granny's eyes widened for a moment, before lowering in an angry expression,

"What did you call me, sonny?" she asked, her tone low. Emerald groaned internally, already anticipating her reaction.

"If you're so confident in your cider, then what's the problem?" he asked. Flam was, quite understandably, stunned as Granny Smith got into his face, shouting,

"Tomorra mornin', right here!" she yelled. Skim decided to place his input, speaking up from beside the Apple's counter,

"But, I'm afraid we haven't any... apples," he said, spitting on an apple he was holding, and then wiping it off on his shirt,

"You can use our south field! It'll be worth it ta teach ya'll 'bout cider makin'!" Granny shouted angrily.

Emerald idly wondered if she had any heart problems to worry about.

"Excellent!" Scam shouted, jumping up from the seat he'd been in, before leaning over Granny, wrapping a hoof around her neck, "We have a bet then! Whoever produces the most cider in one hour, wins the exclusive right to sell cider in Ponyville!"

Emerald sighed again.

And here he thought his time in Ponyville would be a little more relaxing...

Oh well. He was a fighter, a weapon, at his core anyways.

And weapons were made to be used.

* * *

How did he get roped into this again?

...

Right, Pinkie.

Sometime during their work day, which was marginally slower than yesterday, Pinkie had started talking to him about the contest tomorrow.

While that alone was not what got him to attend the contest, the fact that Applejack had walked in, overheard their conversation, and asked if she could be there for support had been enough to spur Pinkie into forcing him there.

He supposed he didn't really mind.

Although he was curious if Granny Smith was alright. She'd been smelling that same apple for a few minutes now.

Were the Apples sure she wasn't completely senile?

Eh.

Regardless, Pinkie had dragged him to the orchard, where the entire town had gathered waiting, with him being stuck in with Pinkie and her friends.

Twilight had just returned to her little group after her attempt at cheering the Apples up.

"I _really_ hope Applejack knows what she's getting into," he heard her mutter.

"Don't worry, darling," the mare next to her said, "I'm sure Applejack knows what she's doing,"

Emerald focused on the mare.

She was beautiful. That was a fact, rather than an opinion. With a mane and tail of royal purple, a coat of pristine white, and eyes of deep sapphire, the mare certainly couldn't be called anything but. She was obviously a mare who took great pride in her appearance, as he could see the years of effort she put into it. Thin layers of fat over specific areas, a small spread of muscle to others, coupled with the sophisticated air she had about herself only served to give her a more alluring figure and charm. Her eyes were slightly angled, which was a rather uncommon trait among ponies, giving her a slightly exotic look. Coupled with her soft cheeks and the simple curve of her muzzle, she was most certainly a mare that had been in the fantasies of many stallions and probably a few mares as well.

That was Rarity, the Element of Generosity. Having met her once before, he supposed he really shouldn't be surprised at the thought.

Rarity's attempt at cheering up Twilight seemed to fail, as she kept staring at the family in worry. Emerald hummed lightly, eyes roaming the crowd around him.

Seeing as how he couldn't hear the brothers coming just yet, he figured he might as well try something.

Once the two of them arrived, Emerald wouldn't be able to help the Apples anymore unless they specifically asked for him to do so. So, he might as well give them an option while he still could.

Moving past Pinkie and her friends, who paid him just as much attention as he did them, he turned past the fence and walked over to Applejack, who had returned to bucking a punching bag with Applebloom running around with a bucket on her head nearby.

"... So you're really going through with this?" he asked her. His sudden appearance caused her to stop hitting the bag and turn to him. She bit her lip, before nodding.

"Eeyup. What else can we do?" she asked, frowning.

"Not this," he said, causing her to looked at him, confused, "Like I said earlier. They're wanted ponies. For illegal dealings and assault against the Apple Family. All it would take is one word, and you or I could have the Royal Guard down here in minutes if we stressed it enough, and they'll be gone. Unable to bother another Apple. So, again: Are you really going through with this?" he asked.

This was it. His ultimatum. Accepting was a guarantee that her business didn't plummet. Denial, and she would almost certainly fail.

"... Yes,"

Well. That was it, then.

"You will fail,"

"You don't know that,"

She wasn't angry? He'd expected anger, given her pride and love for the family she's apart of.

Was he wrong?

...

No. He was right. He knew how this would end. The question was, what would happen in-between?

"I do know. With total certainty. I've seen machinery like that at work. A single pony can't hope to match that cold efficiency,"

"Well, I suppose it's a good thing that there's more of us, huh?"

He didn't get it. He might've been able to understand her family pride, but how could she hope to match a machine whose entire purpose was to crush apples?

He sighed as he walked back to his previous spot. His head hurt slightly as he tried to understand the mare's confidence. He grit his teeth as the distant sound of the cider machine filling his ears.

It was time.

"Attention everypony!" Mayor Mare shouted once the brothers had finally arrived and taken their place, "The two teams have a single hour to produce cider! The team with the most cider and the end of the hour will be named the sole cider provider for all of Ponyville!" she turned to the field, where the Apples stood, "Are both teams ready?" Applejack looked over her family for a moment, before nodding,

"Ready," she said,

"Ready," came the lazy reply from the brothers, causing Applejack to glare in their direction.

"Very well then," Mayor Mare aid, turning to a brown stallion, who stood beside a large hourglass, "On your marks. Get set. _Go_!"

Upon her signal, the Apples each ran forward to their predetermined stations. Applejack and Applebloom seemed to have teamed up to collect apples, with the elder bucking the trees and the younger catching them from a barrel atop her head. Once a barrel was full, it was tossed over to Granny Smith who, apparently, determined which apples were good through smell. The bad apples were tossed away, while the good ones were thrown onto a ramp, leading to a large wheel being spun by Macintosh, through use of a pulley connected to a treadmill, which crushed and juiced the apples. Said juice was spilled into a barrel, which Mac managed to clap a lid on and replace while still running.

Emerald had to give him some credit, that was some impressive multitasking.

And yet, despite their commendable hard work, it was painfully obvious to see that the Skim and Scam brothers would win.

In the same amount of time it took for the Apples to get one barrel filled, the brothers had six.

Emerald bit his lip, feeling anxious. While having nothing personally invested in this farce of a competition, the fact was he'd fail his job when the Apples lost.

When they lose their rights to sell cider in Ponyville, the same cider that supported their farm, their home, their family, they'd be unable to afford staying in Ponyville.

And who knows what kind of dangers Equestria would be susceptible to, if the Element Bearers were separated by miles?

Emerald was snapped out of his frantic musings by the voice of one Twilight Sparkle,

"Ms. Mayor? Are honorary family members allowed to help in the competition?"

Yes!

That was it!

The sheer amount of ponies assisting each other, assuming they properly positioned themselves to do their work at optimum efficiency would, no doubt, be able to outpace the Skim Scam brothers, if only by a small margin!

This was perfect!

He'd be wrong after all!

"I don't know... Flim, Flam, do you object to this?" Mayor Mare asked the two,

"Who cares? Go ahead!"

"We don't care if the whole Kingdom of Canterlot helps! It won't make a difference,"

Idiots.

"Well, I guess it's okay. Applejack?" she asked, turning to the nervous farmer, who smiled,

"I'd love ta have the rest of my family helpin' out," she said.

Emerald couldn't help but grin. This was perfect! The whole issue would be perfectly resolved without him needing to step in! The Apples would keep their business, the Skim Scammers would be humiliated once more and their business discovered.

Absolutely perfect.

Emerald watched on, as Fluttershy and Pinkie worked with the Apples sisters at the trees, as Rarity helped Granny Smith sort the apples, as Crash pressed with Mac, and as Twilight kept the barrels organized and constantly filling.

The sheer level of teamwork he was baring witness to, reminded hi-

No.

NononononoNONONONO!

Damn it all! Those bastard brothers turned off their fucking quality control!

A string of thestrali curses flew out of his mouth, unbidden, earning him a few concerned looks from amongst the crowd.

The Apples lost. They just didn't know it yet.

The twins were now sucking up entire trees into their machine! The quality of their cider had visibly dropped to zero, but who cares?

This was a competition of quantity, not quality.

There was no winning this for the Apple Family.

He knew, he knew, heknewheknew! But as if to spite him, a small glimmer of hope had sprouted in his chest, only to be viciously burned by reality.

He had to step in. And he knew how he'd do it.

Glancing around at the surrounding ponies, he slunk backwards through the crowd, twisting through the thriving mass of bodies, where he soon emerged at the very back of the crowd. Walking forward a few yards, he grabbed his saddlebag, and dug through it, taking out some parchment, a pencil, and the lighter. He quickly wrote a short message,

~_The wanted con-ponies, Flim and Flam Apple are here in Ponyville as I write this. They are currently engaged in a competition with the Element of Honesty's family that they are certain to win. This cannot happen. We only have around forty minutes before they leave. Hurry. Do not send a return letter._~

Picking up the lighter, he went to send the message, before stopping. Setting it down, he quickly dug through his bag again, and took out the two bottles of cider he hadn't yet sent.

_~P.S The bottles are filled with Sweet Apple Cider. One is for you, and the other is for Wisp._~

Finally feeling satisfied with his messages, he wrapped the paper over the necks of the bottles, and lit it alight. The blue flame ate up the paper, before traveling over the glass as if it, too, was flammable, before disappearing into ash, which then flew off towards the castle.

He glanced around, making sure no one saw that.

Nodding to himself, he snuck back through the crowd, arriving in the spot he once occupied.

Despite knowing the outcome of the match, Emerald still couldn't help but hope.

Perhaps it was the knowledge of the odds against them that had him internally cheering for the Apples. Maybe it was the knowledge that he'd likely do the same in her place if it meant helping his family.

Or maybe he was just getting soft.

Regardless, he watched on, hoping for a small miracle.

Of course, he didn't get one.

And of course, it didn't stop him from wincing at the sight of a teary eyed Applebloom, looking up at her sister and asking,

"W-we lost?"

Yeah, that cut deep.

"Gaww, too bad Apples," Scam said, smiling condescendingly as he and his brother approached,

"Guess you'll have to find a line of work that doesn't fit your names quite so... perfectly," his brother added,

"Now, should we tear down these tacky old buildings and put up new ones, brother of mine?" Scam asked, looking out over Sweet Apple Acres.

"I don't see why not, brother dear! After all, this isn't Sweet Apple Acres anymore! It's-" Skim's cocky attitude and monologue was cut off by a sudden bright light.

"It's _what_ exactly, Mr. Flim and Flam Apple?"

Emerald sighed, idly wondering '_why, just why, did Celestia think to handle this in person_?'.

The crowd gasped, practically scrambling to their stomachs in bows, leaving Emerald as the only one still standing.

Celestia stood, directly in-between the Apples and the brothers, staring down at the two of them with a cool gaze, completely devoid of whatever motherly persona she tended to wear.

"Y-your Highness!" Scam stuttered, his eyes darting around, "Wh-what brings you to this quaint little town?!" he asked, far too loudly to even been considered casual. Celestia glanced at him and his brother for a moment, before letting her gaze drift around, pausing on the sight of the barrels, and the still saddened Apples.

"I heard about the Apples and their Cider Season, and that it had started recently. While normally Luna and I would be much too busy to purchase any. A friend of hers, however, recently sent some to her, along with a message,"

Applejack looked over at Emerald, her eyes open wide at that declaration. While that would normally be fine, it seemed that Twilight had noticed, and was staring at him curiously as well.

It certainly didn't help that he still wasn't bowing.

Damn.

"A m-m-m-message?" Skim asked, his voice matching his shaking body. Rather than say anything, Celestia's horn lit up, before a bright flash revealed that Skim and Scam had just been bound in chains,

"For crimes against the Apple Family, Flim and Flam Apple, you two are hearby under arrest,"

"But you can't-!"

Celestia didn't even bother listening to him, as, with yet another flash, the two con-ponies, as well as their cider machine, vanished, likely to the dungeons.

"Princess?" Twilight asked, walking up to the solar co-ruler, "Why did you...?"

"They were con-ponies Twilight," she answered softly, looking over to the Apples, "I'm sure you've heard a great deal of some trouble your family's been getting into. Well, those two were the cause of it all," she looked away, "I'm... I'm very sorry I wasn't able to have them apprehended before. They proved to be rather slippery," she said, placing a hoof against her chest.

"I-its no trouble at all Princess," Applejack said, albeit a little shakily. Whether that was from nearly losing her farm, or just being in front of the princess was unknown to Emerald. Celestia smiled tenderly at the group, before her eyes raised, landing upon the large mountain of barrels filled with Sweet Apple Cider.

"Well," Celestia cleared her throat, "As it stands, I must return to Canterlot to deal with our new prisoners," she said, before a small, almost mischievous grin flickered on her muzzle, before disappearing, "Although, Luna is being a little selfish with the cider she was sent, so..." a small 'pop' echoed through the still quiet area, revealing a small bag of bits hovering gently in Celestia's magical grasp, "Perhaps I could purchase the first barrel of cider?"

* * *

"You sent the princess a letter,"

It was a statement. There was no question, no curiosity. It was just a piece of the cold, hard, truth.

"Yeah, so?"

"Why?" the apple mare asked, Emerald rolled his eyes,

"Are you really that stupid?" he asked, before gesturing over to the still towering stack of tainted cider barrels, "You would've lost. You _did_ lose. Even if their cider was shit, the fact was they had every right to take the rights and the farm after your fool of a grandmother bet it all away," he said. Applejack grit her teeth at the insult, but he spoke before she could, "Don't deny it. You were terrified back then. I could see the fear in your eyes and the sweat on your brow," Applejack glared at him for a moment longer, before letting out a heavy sigh.

"Yer right," she said, her voice hollow, heavy with defeat, "We woulda lost our farm if it wasn't fer you an' the princess," she muttered. Emerald shrugged,

"Well, you didn't, so forget it,"

"Ferget it?!" Applejack asked incredulously, "You saved mah home! The Apple Family owes ya a debt, big time sugarcube," she said, giving him a firm grin. He stared at her, not amused, before sighing,

"Whatever. Any 'debts' you think you owe me, keep them to yourself," he snapped, before turning and walking off. He growled slightly as he heard Applejack chuckle behind him, but let it go immediately.

He had to head to work anyways.


	8. Hunger Reigns and Stabbing Pains

Pinkie had beaten him to Sugarcube Corner, somehow, and had already started setting up the kitchen for their opening.

Emerald could spot her moving around the kitchen, although she paused every now and then to rub the top of her head, wincing slightly every time she did so.

...

Had catching those apples bruised her head?

It was possible, he supposed. After all, while somewhat insignificant by themselves, having several hundred drop onto your head over the course of an hour, even if it was through a bucket, would likely leave a bump or two.

...

Pinkie was nice. Hyper, but nice. And one of his charges too.

"Hey Pinkie, get over here," he called, catching her attention as he rummaged through his bag.

"What is it Emerald?" she asked, walking through the door, holding a hoof against her head. He motioned her over, walking forward to meet her halfway as he did so. Confused, she did as he asked,

"Lower your head," he ordered. Growing even more confused, she lowered her head down, only to yelp slightly as something cool was placed against her head, only for it to degrade into a soft sigh of relief.

The cold pack Emerald usually kept for inflammation should do just fine against a minor bruise. It was a nice little thing. Enchanted to always remain ice cold, without actually being a block of ice.

"Get some rest. It's probably better if you try not to overexert yourself. It might just be a small bump, but even a little cut can lose someone a leg," he said, firmly pushing her towards the stairs,

"What? I'm totally fine! I can-!"

"Rest, Pinkie," he stated firmly, he didn't need his charge dropping unconscious, "Or else I'll tell the Cakes you were working while injured,"

Pinkie went rigid for a moment, before she suddenly bolted up the stairs.

"That's what I thought," he said smugly.

He turned back to the counter, but froze.

...

Had he really just done that?

Charge or not, it was a damn bruise. He'd once lost multiple limbs at once and still managed to fight off a couple dozen monsters, so what would a bruise do to one of the 'great' Elements of Harmony?

Still...

He supposed it was for the best. He would be working with Pinkie for who knows how long. Getting on her good side would only be an advantage in the long run.

Not like she could drive him crazier than he already was.

He'd fought a dozen different monsters while missing several limbs.

If that didn't qualify him as crazy, he wasn't sure what would.

* * *

Mrs. Cake had been rather annoyed when he told her that Pinkie would be taking the day off, though it had faded when he told her the reason.

"Pinkie's a sweetheart," she had said, "I'm just glad she didn't try to work while she was hurt,"

She didn't know why he found that funny.

As it was, he was manning the counter, once more, but with both Cakes working in the kitchen behind him. Several hours had passed, with customers coming and going at a decent pace, each one giving Emerald a familiar face to memorize.

It was due to this vague familiarity that the small town of Ponyville gave him, that he immediately recognized a new face a few hours later.

The door opened, revealing a dark blue unicorn mare skipping through the door. She had a steel gray mane and tail, and a pair of rose-red eyes. Her mane was done up in tight curls that spilled around her face, framing it in an almost innocent manner. Her cutie mark, a big gray rose, added to the almost child-like image she tried to hold.

It was due to this foalish appearance that he was immediately suspicious of this mare.

"Hello!~" she sang once she reached the counter, locking eyes with the thestral, "I'm Rosary!" she said, smiling widely. He blinked at her cheery attitude, partially praying she didn't meet Pinkie,

"Can I help you?" he asked, studying the mare, she tilted her head and stuck her tongue out as she looked at the sign above his head. He inwardly rolled his eyes.

The mare was trying much too hard to act all innocent.

He'd seen the way her eyes had scanned the room as she skipped in, taking stock of each window and the exits. The only question remaining was simple.

What was she here for?

A new face in town could mean anything. For all he knew, this mare could be innocent and just have a few unusual quirks.

Her eyes flickered over the sign, as well as himself. He kept his facade up, making sure he looked uninterested in her. She gave him a small smirk, obviously meant to be unseen, before shrugging.

"Nope!" she said cheerfully, Emerald raised a brow, keeping up his annoyed disposition,

"Really? Then get out. You're holding up the line," he said, glancing behind the mare, just as the door opened once again. Rosary smiled at him, then spun around and happily trotted out the door.

He sighed once she was gone, taking the order of the pony who'd taken her place.

His thoughts were running wild as he worked.

Who was that mare? What was her purpose here?

Well, that second one was likely more obvious than anything else. The only thing in this town worth searching for, were the Elements of Harmony.

He supposed the most pressing question, in that case, was 'Why?'.

Was she a fan? Did she work for someone who wanted them dead?

Answers were not something he'd have the luxury of getting. Not yet, at least.

"Emerald?" Mrs. Cake spoke from behind him, catching his attention, "Could you check up on Pinkie? She hasn't come down and I'm beginning to worry," she said, frowning. Emerald gave her a shrug,

"Fine. Where's her room?" he asked, she laughed a little,

"You'll know," she said, grinning.

He rolled his eyes at that, but did as was asked. Trading places with Mr. Cake, he made his way up the stairs. The hall contrasted the bakery downstairs, with a darker green floor, and walls and a ceiling of a darker tan. He supposed it was a welcome change, all things considered.

He could hear Pinkie shuffling around in her room, whichever one it was. Following the sound, he moved forward, checking each door and filing them away in his memory.

He stopped at one particular door, painted pink with a variety of balloon stickers on it.

He had a feeling that was her door.

Shaking his head, amused, he gave it a quick knock, before heading in.

Pinkie's room was surprisingly clean. It was painted completely pink, which was expected, but other than a few stray streamers and binders, it was near spotless.

He spotted Pinkie laying on her side, the cold pack still resting atop her mane. There was a far-away look in her eyes, suggesting she was lost in thought.

"Hey," he called, startling the party mare out of her thoughts.

"Oh, hey Emerald," she said, sitting up, holding the pack to her head. Her response lacked the energy she had earlier.

"Everything alright?" he asked, earning a shrug from Pinkie.

"Yeah, why?" she asked, tilting her head,

"You seem... subdued, is all," she frowned,

"Really?" she asked, he nodded, "Huh... I'm just resting like you said," she replied, looking right at him, before smiling, "I know everypony else would be super worried about me, so I'm gonna do everything I can to get better right away! If that means resting and not doing anything, even if it's super boring, then I'll do it! Besides, I promised Dashie I'd watch her do some stunts tomorrow, so I wanna be at my best!"

Emerald stared at her for a moment, before scoffing, though a small grin wormed it's way onto his face,

"You do that Pinkie. I'm sure you'll be-... is something wrong?" he asked. Pinkie was staring at him strangely, but before he could say anything else, her face broke out into a massive grin,

"You smiled!" she said, excitement oozing out of her, the previous statement all but forgotten,

"What?" he asked, confused by her reaction,

"You should smile more often!" she said, ignoring him still, "It looks nice!" she added. Emerald sighed, shaking his head,

"Whatever, Pinkie. Go to sleep, or something," he said, backing out of the room.

He paused outside the closed door, listening to her shuffle around as she lay back down. His thoughts drifted to Rosary.

She was obviously here for the Elements. To walk directly into the establishment known for it's sweets, look over the menu for several seconds, then walk out without even buying anything?

Either she was terrible at her job, or she believed the inhabitants of Ponyville were idiots.

...

Well, they are, but ponies generally were.

She was likely to target Pinkie Pie. He had to admit, without knowledge of himself, she was the least protected.

Fluttershy had all her animals, who'd likely keep her safe. Crash lived in a cloud home, which, unless she had a pegasus accomplice, she couldn't get too. Applejack lived too far from town to be reliably taken away. Plus he was sure he'd seen a little border collie around the farm one or twice during the competition. Twilight lived too deep in town, so any attempt to break in would draw attention from the surrounding houses, same with Rarity.

As it was, Pinkie lived in a bakery with nothing but a pair of earth ponies, one of whom was pregnant, and not only that, but Pinkie was known for being strange and unpredictable. If she disappeared in the middle of the night for some unknown reason, many would likely assume she was up to some of her usual tricks.

He sighed.

He'd have to keep an eye on Sugarcube Corner when night falls.

Twilight was both confused and concerned.

Though, she supposed she was leaning more towards concerned than confused at the moment.

Spike had gone to Rarity's again, leaving her by herself for the day. Normally she was completely fine with this, as Spike's crush was somewhat cute to see. Though she was still a little miffed at Rarity because of that.

Though, her argument that Spike had to learn for himself that the age gap was simply too much between them had cooled her temper ever since, if only sightly.

Anyways, she'd usually be fine with Spike's behavior, however the activity from the competition left her and the girls feeling sore.

In fact, the only ones who didn't seem bothered by it were Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack, though she supposed Applejack and Rainbow not being sore made plenty of sense.

Pinkie Pie, however didn't make sense, so she ignored it for now.

Although she did make a note to herself to research Pinkie's strangeness one day.

Once Spike had heard that she was feeling sore, he, correctly, assumed that Rarity, whom had even _less_ regular exercise than Twilight, was feeling even sorer than her, and had run off to help her, leaving Twilight to deal with her own protesting muscles, alone.

If this was what one day on the apple farm felt like, then her respect for Applejack had just increased drastically.

She'd been out in town, heading over to Davenport's Quill's and Sofa's shop to purchase a new supply-_she just seemed to keep running out!_-when she spotted Emerald.

Emerald was... strange.

She remembered the conversation they'd had where he revealed his plans to send some cider to his sister and to a friend, presumably a mare, named Lulu. Of course, while it was a sweet thought to share such wonderful tasting cider with friends and family, in the end it didn't concern her, and thus she shoved it to the back of her mind while thinking of ways to help out Applejack and her family.

However, when Princess Celestia herself appeared at the competition, she was a little suspicious.

Well, that wasn't true, she mused.

She'd barely kept herself from panicking. After all, the Princess _herself_ had just appeared in Ponyville without any warning whatsoever!

What if she had been unsatisfied with her friendship lessons and had come to take her away and send her back to magical kindergarten?! What if she had thought Twilight wasn't taking her studies seriously, and had her imprisoned?! Or banished?!

Or imprisoned in the place she had been banished too?!

But when she mentioned a friend of Luna's had sent her a bottle of cider, she couldn't help but draw connections between that and what Emerald had said.

'Luna' and 'Lulu' were remarkably similar names, though that was likely just a coincidence.

Not only that, but as a princess, both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would probably have a lot of friends from all over the world. And since Cider Season was such a big event, it wasn't hard to believe that somepony from Canterlot would come down here to buy some and send it to the princesses as a gift, or even an attempted bribe.

What she found suspicious was the message.

During the little celebration after Flim and Flam had been sent away, Applejack had told her and the others about how Emerald had been the one who sent the message to the princess.

That brought up the question: 'How did he get the message to the princess?'.

Predictably, Rainbow Dash had immediately accused him of being a spy.

She was ignored.

The six of them had all brainstormed ways he could possibly have gotten the message to Princess Luna, but the only things they could think of were, A: Lulu was Luna, just by a different name. That had been immediately countered by Twilight, her argument being that Celestia or Luna would have told them if one of their friends was coming to town so that they could have a good impression of herself and her friends.

Their other possibility was that Lulu just so happened to work at the castle, and he'd sent the letter requesting that she get it to the princess, which was far more likely than Emerald and Princess Luna being friends.

But that was still only a theory. It required total confirmation, and seeing Emerald around in town, probably on his lunch break, though he wasn't heading towards any restaurants, was the perfect opportunity to ask!

But just as she was walking over to him, he froze.

She stopped on reflex as well, wondering what had happened to make him freeze like that. His hoof went to his stomach as his face twitched slightly, before his legs gave out and he collapsed.

Her mind raced, unfortunately leaving her body behind.

She stared at the downed stallion for a few moments, before shaking her head, and tuning back in to what was happening.

As it was, she'd spent so long just staring that he'd picked himself back up, looking both annoyed and uncomfortable, and walked off.

"W-wait!" she yelled, causing several ponies to stop and stare, only to go back to what they were doing once they saw her rushing over to the grumpy stallion.

Emerald's ears swiveled to her, followed by his head seconds later.

"What?" he asked, stopping to completely turn to her. He didn't receive an answer, instead he was subjected to a concerned look over once Twilight was closer.

He merely stared at her as she completely looked over him, even going to lift his hooves and wings to get a better look.

She stopped momentarily while looking underneath his left wing, before a voice caused her to leap back,

"Get a room you two!" came a familiar, scratchy voice from above. Twilight and Emerald looked up, spotting Crash hovering above them with a mischievous grin on her face,

"Geez Twilight! With how much you keep yourself stuck in that library, I would've thought you'd keep that kinda thing behind closed doors! BAHAHAHAHA!"

Emerald backed up a step as the laughing mare fell to the ground between him and Twilight.

"Rainbow Dash!" the lavender mare scolded, "I just saw Emerald collapse, and you're making fun of this?!"

Emerald winced slightly at that. It had been a few weeks since he'd last eaten a proper meal. It was annoying, sure, but he had a job to do. How could he possibly take time away from his work for something as pointless as eating?

He could do it when he didn't need his full attention on his work.

"-AHAHAHA- Wait, wait, wait!" Crash sputtered, still having difficulty composing herself, "Oh... oh... oh dear Celestia..." she took a few deep breaths, before standing up, "You... don't you know what you were doing?" she asked, grinning. Twilight tilted her head, confused,

"I was... checking for injuries?" she asked. Crash stared for more a moment, still grinning, before it fell,

"Wait, you actually don't know?" Crash asked, sounding surprised,

"What don't I know?" Twilight asked, now sounding curious,

"You were touching his wings. That's like, super intimate," Crash said, frowning, "Wings are more than just a part of a pegasus's body. They're like, an extension of ourselves, or whatever," she said, "Havin' somepony, anypony, who isn't family touch 'em... it's kinda like makin' out, but with wings," she added, turning a little red.

Twilight's expression had shifted during her explanation, going from innocently curious, to mortified beyond belief, and ended up doing a rather convincing impression of a tomato.

Emerald found it rather amusing, in the end.

Although, he had to admit, Crash was spot on in her explanation. Not only did pegasi wings have a lot of meaning to most pegasi, but they were also extremely sensitive to touch.

It had actually been a point he'd found very fascinating, in truth. When he and the others escaped the Facility, he'd been offered a position in an agency dedicated to hunting and containing monsters that terrorized the populace. Thanks to that job, he'd gotten to work with a lot of different species, including pegasi, some dragons, and griffons.

Out of all of them, pegasi were the only ones who had any connotations with touching wings.

He found it interesting how their wings reacted to the world around them. It had also confused him. Being told that they were as sensitive as they were to touch, he'd assumed, at the time, that having a broken wing was the worst pain a pegasus could live through.

As it turned out, it was about as bad as breaking their leg.

The inherent magic that all pegasi have, which tended to manifest itself in their wings, reacted towards the magic of the other creatures of Equestria upon touch, causing them to only feel sensitive when in physical contact with others.

It was needlessly confusing to the uneducated thestral at the time, especially since it was almost solely limited to pegasi. From what he knew, earth ponies had sensitive frogs, and unicorns had _very_ sensitive horns.

He knew a few unicorn couples who just _loved_ experimenting with that fact. Even gave him some tips a few times, as well as inviting him to join.

He had accepted the tips, but tended to ignore their invitation.

Twilight's face was still red, but her eyes were now constantly darting over to Emerald and back to Crash. Finally it seemed the message had gone through, as her horn glowed, before a bright flash took place, and she reappeared in front of Emerald,

"OhmygoshI'msosorryaboutyourwingsIdidn'tmean-!"

She was promptly shut up by a green hoof,

"It's fine," he said, feeling a quick jolt of pain from his stomach, "... You were just... concerned," he said, the words flowing off his tongue like molasses.

Why was she concerned? Yes, he had collapsed, but no one else around them had spared him a glance.

Was she hoping that by showing him concern, he'd be more willing to give her something?

No...

It just didn't make sense to him. She had to have _something_ to gain from interacting with him. But what? As far as he knew that she knew, he had almost nothing.

"Of course I was concerned! Why'd you just collapse like that?!" she all but shrieked at him, he grimaced,

"It's nothing, jus-"

***GURGLE***

...

_Shit_.

The sound that erupted from his stomach had been more than audible for once, easily reaching Twilight's, and maybe even Crash's, ears.

Glancing at Twilight, Emerald saw the way her eyes were locked onto him, roaming over his form.

How had she not noticed?

The audible growling that came from the stomach of the stallion before her should have meant almost nothing. But a stomach doesn't just growl that loudly, not often at least. Her intellectual curiosity got the better of her, and she had found herself analyzing him out of reflex.

What she found terrified her.

When she had first met Emerald, she had just assumed he was unnaturally thin, naturally. That his physique was just something he'd worked for in order to achieve the perfect body for flying and stunting. But getting a much better look at him now, with her mind completely free to take him in, she realized something.

He was malnourished.

His ribs were just beginning to show themselves, which alone should have tipped off anypony to his state of health. Looking over him, he seemed tired, if the bags under his eyes were any indication.

From what she knew of malnutrition, he shouldn't be able to move around as much as he was. He seemed active, if the muscle he still somehow possessed meant anything. His muscle wasn't deteriorating like it should be. Not only that, but there seemed to be slight, almost unnoticeable shivers racing across his form, as if he was cold despite the mostly sunny weather.

He was obviously a very mature stallion, given the way he moved and spoke, and he seemed decently intelligent, at least more so than most other ponies she'd met outside of Canterlot.

So _why_ was he starving himself?

There couldn't be any other answer to what was happening to him.

From what she knew, he lived alone. So there wasn't anypony who could be forcing him into starving himself. Then again, he moved around a lot. Maybe there was somepony in his life who'd been abusing him and he'd been moving to get away from them!?

That would also explain his oddly guarded behavior.

But if that was true, why wasn't he healthier? Surely if he'd been running for awhile now, he'd at least been able to get SOME food, either through a job or some kind ponies giving him some. With how thin he was, she couldn't imagine he'd have a hard time inciting sympathy in the ponies of Equestria.

The only other option she could think of was that he was purposely starving himself.

But for what reason?

"You just gonna keep staring or...?" he finally asked, getting rather annoyed by the unwavering gaze of the studious mare.

"Wh-why... why are you so malnourished?"

Damn it.

"What makes you think I'm malnourished?" he asked, kicking himself for such a flimsy defense. Predictably, the intelligent mare pounced on it,

"I don't think! I know you are! Just look at you!" she said, poking him in the chest, "You're way too thin for a stallion your age! You look like you're about to collapse, AGAIN, at any second, and you're shivering! When was the last time you ate?!" she demanded, stomping her hoof as she glared at him.

Whether it was his admittedly hunger-addled mind or not, he found the way she was scrunching up her face in anger rather cute.

...

Yeah, it was the hunger.

If he was thinking things like that, now of all times, then he definitely needed to start eating again.

If he didn't, who knows what other random and absurd thoughts would hit him, or even when they would. Oh that'd be just wonderful. Fighting several packs of timberwolves at once, only for some random thought to distract him long enough to suffer injury and potentially fail at his job.

No. He supposed he couldn't let this thing happen anymore.

Though, it likely wouldn't be easy. It'd been so long since he ate, he was honestly rather disinterested in the idea of eating, which he knew was a bad sign of undernourishment.

...

Was he really doing that to himself?

His edge was being dulled by his determination to keep working without pause.

But every weapon needed time to sharpen and be repaired. Otherwise they'd just shatter in battle.

And how could he possibly be a useful weapon if he was too dull to cut through all in his way?

Realizing that the purple unicorn in front of him was still seeking an answer, he decided to tell the truth.

"About two months,"

"_WHAT?!_"

"It's been around two months since I last had a proper meal. I've had an snack or two every second week though," he added idly. Twilight just stared at him, her eye twitching slightly.

Was this stallion insane?!

_Two whole months_ of not eating!? How could anypony possibly have the ability to do that _and_ keep walking around like he had been?!

She remembered a few years ago when her BBBFF, Shining Armor, had just joined the Royal Training Camp before being admitted into the guard. They had been required to go on a trip at one point where they'd be subjected to various conditions to help them get used to their possibilities, as well as weed out those who weren't fit enough to join.

Shining had described, in detail, how horrible he felt when they'd spent two weeks with only a few ration bars to share between the group he'd been in.

She and her parents were horrified when he came back a month later, looking starved half to death.

Her mother, Twilight Velvet, had been more than ready to charge into Canterlot Castle and give the captain a piece of her mind, but Shining had stopped her.

Barely.

But TWO. WHOLE. _MONTHS_?!

"Come on!" she couldn't help but snap, grabbing his hoof and dragging him behind her.

Shining had been lethargic and had almost no appetite when he came back, despite having had a completely empty stomach. Her parents had all but shoved food down his throat at the time, which had only made him sick.

Thankfully, a little research on her part later, and they knew that they had to start small with him, otherwise it would do far more harm than good.

So, it was with that thought in mind, that she brought him to her favourite little restaurant, Horte's Cafe.

Pity they didn't have any hayburgers though, those were her favourite!

...

Didn't Rainbow once mention a nice hayburger joint somewhere in Ponyville?

She'd have to ask later.

Emerald didn't protest her dragging him, so he was either okay with it, or was like Fluttershy.

The latter was much less likely.

The two of them arrived at the cafe a minute later, and Twilight practically threw him into a chair. Sitting down across from him, making sure her eyes never left his form on the off chance he'd bolt at the first opportunity.

Emerald was amused by her actions, as well as just the slightest bit touched.

Even if her concern was false, it was nice to have someone who cared, even if only for a moment.

Obviously, she wanted him to order something now that she had him in a chair at Horte's Cafe.

The determined glare she had set on him reminded him of times both happy and sad.

He could remember his fellow escapees often expressing concern over him whenever he gave away too much of his rations at the Facility. Even at the agency, he'd often skip meals in his rush to get another mission.

It had gotten so bad, in fact, that Drops, Zecora, Aloe, and Lotus had given him several interventions on the subject, with even Celestia appearing at the last one.

He hadn't quite understood their concern, though. Still didn't, in fact.

"Hello there, may I take your orders?" came a female voice, just as a yellow mare walked up to the two of them, her simple red mane and tail put up into a ponytail.

"We'll both have a daisy sandwich," Twilight immediately responded, not allowing Emerald to get a word in. The mare smiled,

"Alright! I'll be right back with your order!" she said, giving the two of them a happy smile.

Once she left, a silent, but tense, air quickly flooded the area between the pony and thestral pair.

The two of them stared at each other, not exchanging words. It seemed that Twilight's earlier determination had faded slightly, given how he wasn't making any moves to rush off. Now she was fidgeting slightly and having difficulty looking him in the eye.

Why was this so awkward?

She just wanted to help him! Whenever she'd helped her friends out in the past it had never really been awkward. Things just fell into place for her and the others, their connection to each other through the Elements of Harmony were probably why everything worked out okay. She was even thinking of writing it all down in a book!

But this?

It was never like this. Sure her friends could be a little over-the-top but in the end, it was okay.

What could have possibly caused Emerald -no- what could possibly cause _anypony_ to do this to themselves?!

Emerald seemed nice enough. He even got along with Pinkie with little issue from the looks of things.

He shivered slightly, but he didn't seem to notice, if his dull gaze meant anything.

Her concern for the pony in front of her only grew. This obviously wasn't the first time he'd suffered from malnutrition. It only made her wonder how long this had to have been going on for him to not even notice what his body was doing to him?

She wanted to help. But she couldn't do it alone. Her experience with Shining told her that.

Pinkie would absolutely love to help, she already knew. Fluttershy was also really nice, she was sure she'd be okay with helping, after a little push or two, of course.

Speaking of Fluttershy, this stallion actually kind of looked like her.

His eyes were similar in shape, and his ears were a bit bigger than normal, but there was a little tuft of fur at the tips. His body shape was also very similar to the shy mare's, almost eerily so. Even his legs were longer than most pegasi, just like Fluttershy!

Were they related?

She suppressed a sudden wince. It occurred to her that she really didn't know too much about her new friends. She knew, of course, that Applejack and Rarity had been born in Ponyville, like Fluttershy and Rainbow had been born in Cloudsdale. But she had _no_ idea where Pinkie had been born!

And she knew that Rarity and Applejack both had siblings, but what about the other girls?

With how shy Fluttershy was, she was probably an only child as well. From what she'd read before, ponies with siblings tended to be louder than other ponies without due to all the competition growing up.

That would certainly help explain Rainbow Dash and Pinkie's personalities.

"Here ya go!" came the kind voice of Butter Rose, the waitress who'd spoken to them earlier. Twilight gave the familiar mare a smile and a 'thank you' as she set the two sandwiches in front of them, "Enjoy, you two lovebirds, you!" Butter added, smiling mischievously as she skipped away.

Twilight's face went red, and she ended up sputtering after the waitress. Emerald chuckled at her, which caused her to level a small glare at him, though the redness still present on her cheeks completely ruined the image.

Looking down at the plate that had been set in front of him, he gave a quick once over of the sandwich. It looked normal, at least, and he couldn't smell any traces of poison in it, so that was a plus.

He gave a minor glance up at the still blushing Twilight, but found her focusing on him more than her own food. Wincing slightly, he picked up the food.

His stomach turned slightly at the thought of eating, but even he knew that it was necessary.

Finally getting annoyed with himself, he took a chunk out of the food and swallowed after copious amounts of chewing. His stomach lurched in pain once it finally had food in it, but it also awakened his dormant appetite, and Emerald found himself one sandwich short in only a few seconds.

Twilight gave him a smug grin when the sandwich disappeared, causing him to cross his hooves in defeat, a light dusting of red appearing on his cheeks.

"... Fine. Happy n-?"

***GURGLE***

Twilight's grin grew, just as she used her magic to lift her plate and sandwich over to him.

It too, disappeared.

"Yes, yes I am," she replied, her grin not faltering in the slightest. He groaned slightly, leaning his head on a hoof,

"Okay, you win... Sparky," he said, grinning at her confused reaction towards the name,

"Sparky...?" she muttered, before shaking her head, "Moving on, why were you malnourished in the first place?" she asked, staring straight into his eyes. Letting his displeasure at the question show, he grunted,

"Now, is _that_ really any of _your_ business?" he questioned, making her flinch,

"Well, no, but-"

"But what? Me being malnourished had nothing to do with you. And besides, I would've fixed it on my own... eventually," Twilight frowned,

"It might not be my business, but I've known somepony who had some issues with malnutrition a long time ago. You've gone a lot longer without eating and... I'm worried," she admitted. Emerald blinked,

"Worried? Why the fuck are you worried about me?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her. She blinked at him, before giving him a gentle smile.

"Because I think we could be friends."

He stared at her, stumped.

Friends?

He inwardly frowned at the thought.

What use were friends? They were just other creatures who'd get in the way. Sure they could be useful for some things, but he was able to handle most of it all by himself.

Then again...

The smile she was giving him seemed so... nice. It struck a small cord in him.

It was too nice.

He had food in his stomach now, so why was her smile affecting him so?

Though... maybe it was because it had been years since someone had smiled at him so kindly. Pinkie was excitable, and everyone was gifted with a mile-wide smile just by being nice.

...

Fine. He supposed it was in his best interest to make peace with the Element Bearers anyways.

"Alright, Sparky... I guess we can be friends," he said, smirking at the massive grin the bookworm was now wearing.

* * *

Sparky had been strangely giddy after he agreed to be friends with her.

He would've expected that kind of behavior from Pinkie, in all honesty.

Regardless, the two of them had split ways after ten minutes, where Emerald had finally headed back to Sugarcube Corner.

Pinkie had come back down a few minutes after his return, and Emerald had taken back the cold pack he'd lent her.

As it was, he hadn't forgotten about Rosary. He had spotted her around town while he was talking with Sparky, looking almost absurdly suspicious. With the way she was looking around as she moved, staring almost obsessively at Sparky when they passed, as well as in the directions of Sugarcube Corner and the Golden Oaks Library.

Yeah, if there were any doubts of her innocence, they had all faded since.

Luna's moon had risen gently into the sky, replacing Celestia's sun hours ago.

After setting up the barrier and checking up on the boundary of the Everfree,Emerald made his way into town to begin his patrol, keeping an eye out as he did so.

His ears twitched atop his head as he moved, seeking even the slightest vibration to pick up on. The eerie silence, however, persisted, leaving him hearing nothing but the sound of his own heartbeat. His hooves crept along the dirt road as he stalked along, keeping close to the leftmost buildings, staying as hidden in the shadows as he could. His spear lay comfortably in it's holster, with the gleaming blade hidden from the light by his wing.

This was his element, where he lived and thrived as the strongest.

**_*CRUNCH*_**

_And nothing could hide from him here_.

Rushing towards the noise, moving with the all the sound of a shadow, Emerald blurred between buildings as he honed in on the general location of the disturbance.

_***RUSTLE***_

It would appear the intruder was clothed, likely by a cloak to preserve their identity.

Whether this potential enemy was Rosary or not meant _nothing_.

Coming to a halt just outside the alleyway right by Sugarcube Corner, Emerald spotted his prey.

Three ponies stood in the middle of the road, staring directly at the front door of the bakery.

Of the three figures, the largest one, and furthest from him, stood about two heads taller than Emerald himself, with the shortest, and closest, standing just under his eye level. All three wore dark cloaks, with hoods shadowing their faces.

Their muzzles, however, were in plain sight, leaving Emerald with no doubt that all three were ponies, as well as confirming their genders, with the two smaller figures being female, and the larger one, male.

"So... is this the place Rosary?" the center figure spoke,

"Yes Midnight-er- I mean, yes Ma'am!" the shortest replied, stuttering slightly.

Well... they're obviously not very smart.

Withholding a sigh, Emerald began creeping towards them, keeping himself hidden from sight.

"Wrecker, be a dear and open the door," Midnight said, gesturing towards the large figure.

"On it," he grunted, his voice strangely high for someone of his size. Emerald tensed, ready to attack, but stopped himself when he spotted something gleaming around their necks.

A strange necklace adorned the necks of the three ponies. A dark blue unicorn head resting atop a crescent moon, with a pair of holes for eyes in the shape of a bat's.

His blood turned to ice for a moment, before a burning heat ignited in his core.

The Nightmare Cult.

A rather unoriginal name, he'd admit, bit it certainly got straight to the point. He'd had to deal with the overzealous group several times before.

The Nightmare Cult, as was obvious by the name, were a cultist group who'd dedicated themselves to the resurrection of Nightmare Moon, claiming that she was the rightful ruler of all of Equestria, and that Celestia and Luna had stolen her throne away.

Those idiots were one of the bigger reasons why Luna hasn't made anymore progress with integrating into modern society since she returned.

Though, she had made mention of a plan later this year, something involving Nightmare Night.

Well, now he knew who was targeting the Bearers. The Cult seemed to have wizened up, as the Elements of Harmony are one of Equestria's strongest defenses against threats.

The other was him and the other thestrals, strangely enough.

Knowing that, he couldn't just outright attack them, as much as he wanted too. They were far too close to the surrounding buildings for him to engage, due to the high likelihood of their offensive magic causing heavy damages to the area.

He'd have to deal with this threat in a more... subtle manner.

Wrecker walked up to the door and, true to his name, wasted no time and completely knocked the door down, no doubt waking the Cakes and Pinkie.

Guess being subtle isn't their forte.

The three of them rushed inside, with Emerald quickly slinking in afterwards.

"Alright, Wrecker, take care of the owners. Rosary, you check the other rooms. I'll take the Element," Midnight ordered. The two of them saluted, before the three of them headed upstairs. Emerald frowned.

One by one it is.

Rosary couldn't help but feel a little giddy!

Finally! They were taking the next step to ensure the Night Mother would finally return and take back the land that belonged to her!

Maybe when she returned, she'd gift Rosary with one of her wonderful nightmares!

Oooooohhhh! The thought alone sent almost orgasmic shivers down her spine!

Midnight Song, their wondrous leader, had finally located the Element Bearers in the backwater town of Ponyville. Of course Midnight would be the only pony capable of capturing one of the Bearers, though, why did _she_ have to get the boring job of checking around the place!?

UGH!

Why couldn't that lug Wrecker do it?!

She sighed. It wasn't like she could just disobey or argue with Midnight, otherwise she'd be put on...

Morning duty.

_Ugh._

Regardless, she pushed her way into the empty room. Painted in baby blues, with a bunch of toys littering the floor, she guessed it was kinda cute. The couple must be expecting some foals.

She went to take a step back, when the whole world went dark.

Wrecker didn't like his job.

In fact, he wasn't sure how he ended up in this silly Cult.

He had a good education, a nice job, and a wonderful wife and foal.

Why was he here again?

...

Right, his wife was an idiot sometimes. Honestly, just because she doesn't like working so early, didn't mean she had to drag him and their foal into some creepy cult just so she could sleep in.

Ugh... oh well. He loved her anyways.

But he felt absolutely terrible about this. A married couple, just like him and Bunsen. They were just stuck in the middle. They didn't _have_ to hurt them, and, hopefully, if he could properly explain the situation, they and their soon-to-be children could get out of this whole thing without any injuries.

He really hoped nothing went wrong with this.

He wrenched their door open, finding a tall, lanky stallion, and a short, pregnant mare huddling together in the corner, looking terrified beyond belief.

It hurt him to see others like that, but he really didn't have a choice.

"He-" he tried to say, but a massive blow to the back of his head removed him from the waking world before he could hope to finish.

The massive body of Wrecker fell to the floor in a dead slump, an almost noticeable bump on the back of his head. Rolling his eyes, he tossed the limp body of Rosary on top of him, before looking to the Cakes.

They were sitting in the corner of their room, completely frozen in place with eyes locked onto him.

He didn't have his disguise active, but he supposed he'd explain tomorrow.

"Stay here," he ordered, before turning towards Pinkie's room, where his final victim had already snuck into.

Rushing towards the open doorway, Emerald spotted Midnight looming above Pinkie, who was snoozing happily on her bed, completely oblivious to the on-going threat.

If it could even be called that.

He burst forward, not wasting any time, and wrapped his hooves around Midnight's neck, and gave a quick pull, causing her to stumble backward,

"Wha-?!"

Bringing a hoof back, he sent it crashing into her face, caving in her muzzle, and sending her into the realm of unconsciousness.

He glanced at Pinkie, before relaxing a little when she remained happily asleep. He gave her a gentle pat on her sleeping head, causing her to smile, before he dragged Midnight down the hall. Stopping to pick up both Rosary and Wrecker, he glanced at the Cakes,

"Follow me. Now," he ordered once more, before dragging the three down into the kitchen. Depositing the three criminals on the floor, Emerald took out a pen and parchment out of his bag and wrote a quick letter to Luna, making sure to emphasize the fact that they were from the Nightmare Cult.

Once he burned the letter and watched it fly off, he turned to the two still scared ponies behind him.

"Alright. First of all. Quit fucking shaking," he snapped, making the two stiffen suddenly, "And second of all," he flicked on the light, revealing his appearance, "It's me," The bakers stared at him, wide-eyed, before Mrs. Cake's shaky voice breached the silence,

"E-emerald?!" she stammered.

"You saved us?!" Mr. Cake added, incredulously. Emerald nodded,

"Yeah, I did. Listen, I'm going to need you two to keep this-" he gestured to the bodies, "-a secret," They blinked,

"What?" Mrs. Cake asked,

"But you saved us! You're a hero Emerald!" he gushed, grinning widely. Emerald frowned,

"No. You _will_ keep quiet about this," he said, already fishing around in his bag.

As he was doing so, a bright cobalt ash trail flew in through an open window, catching the Cakes's attention, before a bright flash blinded them. When the light faded, a letter was left floating in the air, before silently dropping to the ground. Emerald glanced at it, before he continued looking for something.

He finally found it, and pulled out his lunar and solar badges. Damn things got caught on a treasure chest he had in there.

...

Maybe he should reorganize the bag's pocket dimension?

That would probably be a good idea to kill some time on his days off.

He held up the badges so that the two of them had a clear view of the symbols on the front.

"Allow me to repeat myself," he said, his tone taking on a sharp edge, "You will _not_ repeat any of what transpired here tonight without my permission. Do you understand?"

The two of them rapidly nodded their heads, their stunned gazes not leaving his badges.

With that taken care of, he returned his attention to the letter, and picked it up. Flicking it open, he began to read.

~_I shall arrive in five minutes.~_

Well, that was delightfully straight to the point.

A quick shuffling from the cultists caught his attention, and, deciding he might as well, he walked over to them.

It appeared Midnight had woken up from her unconscious state, predictably, as she'd been hit the lightest, out of worry he'd wake Pinkie. Sighing slightly, he raised his hoof over her head, ready to knock her unconscious again, only for her to suddenly spring up, a silver gleam between her teeth.

A spike of pain shot through his chest as a knife was embedded into his skin, just barely missing his rib cage, and he heard Mrs. Cake call his name.

While sudden, the pain did little to deter him from his task, and he swiftly brought his hoof down on the offending mare, albeit a little harder than necessary, and once more sent her into unconsciousness.

Every breath he took sent shocks of pain through his body, but it was nothing he wasn't used to. Glancing down at the brown hilt jutting from his body, Emerald sighed once more, ignoring the increase in pain.

"Well... that sucks," he muttered.

Adjusting his posture to minimize the pain, he rummaged through his bag once again, this time taking out a length of rope. Before he could move on to tying up the culprits, a flash of cobalt light lit up the room behind him for an instant, signaling that Luna had arrived.

"Huh... couldn't have been a few seconds earlier, eh?" he asked, turning to face her nonchalantly, not even acknowledging the knife. Luna blinked as she took in his injured form, with her gaze settling in on the knife's hilt.

"... It would seem W-_I_ can add 'attempted murder' to their charges," she replied evenly, before sighing, rubbing the side of her face with a hoof, "Thou-you, should get to the hospital Emerald," she said. Emerald nodded,

"Yeah. It would raise too many questions if I was stabbed and didn't," he agreed. Luna grimaced, turning her head away from him,

"That's not why I suggested it..." she mumbled, not caring that Emerald heard her.

"Well, regardless. You've got a couple extra prisoners to play with, isn't that nice, Luna?" he asked.

"W-I suppose it is," she said, when her ear twitched, and she finally brought her attention to the Cakes, whom were still in the room, "Ah. I did not see you there," she muttered. She blinked, before straightening her posture, "I hope you two are aware that what transpired here is not-"

"I already handled that," Emerald cut her off, causing Luna to deflate,

"You and Tia never let me explain..." she muttered petulantly, then once more straightened, her horn glowing as she enveloped the cultists in her magic, "Farewell Emerald. As well as the two of you," she added to Cakes, "I wish you well dreams this night," and with a flash of light, the three were left alone in the brightly lit kitchen, the light of which Emerald promptly turned off.

"Well," Emerald began, "You two should head back to bed. I'll be heading to the hospital," he informed them, turning to walk off.

"W-wait!" Mr. Cake called, "W-we can't just let this kinda thing go! Y-you saved us, and you got hurt because of it!"

"That's right dearie," his wife spoke up, "It just wouldn't be right to have you do such a heroic thing and not take the credit. Surely there's _something_ we could do, or say, right?" she asked, looking hopeful.

Emerald scowled at the thought, but didn't let them see.

Take credit? What did they think he was? A model? An actor?

He didn't do this for recognition. If anything, he'd be fine dying without anyone even remembering his name. He was Celestia and Luna's weapon.

Though, he'd admit, there was a small, insignificant part of him that craved the attention, the recognition.

He'd saved Equestria almost three dozen times over in some way! If he wasn't kept such a high-profile secret from the public, no doubt he'd have statues, paintings, stained-glass windows, and who knows what else, done in his honour!

He'd done so much for this country, and what did he get in return?

Money? It couldn't buy him happiness.

Satisfaction? For what, saving a bunch of racist pricks from some mindless monster?

Sometimes, he'd wonder what kind of life he'd have if it wasn't this one.

Would he have real friends? A simple, safe job?

Maybe his name would be different. Maybe he would find love. Happiness.

Maybe he'd be a pony, instead of a thestral.

But he wasn't a pony.

He couldn't just go out and get a real job. He couldn't just play around with his friends. Couldn't find a nice mare and settle down, have some foals, and die knowing that he didn't have a single regret.

He couldn't just listen to Celestia and Luna. He couldn't live in peace. Not with how things were.

He wouldn't do it for the recognition, but he knew, without a doubt, that they'd just crack under the pressure if they didn't come to a compromise.

"Don't go out of your way to talk about it. But if you have to, or are asked, just say that there was an attempted robbery, and I came along and managed to help you two chase them off during my nightly walk, and ended up injured while doing so," Emerald said, "If anything about me not being a pony, or that I work for the princesses comes up, I _can_ and _will_ have you arrested for obstructing my work. Understand?" he asked, raising an eyebrow when they gave him a pair of mock salutes.

They'd obviously been spending too much time with Pinkie.

He turned his disguise back on and headed back out into the moonlit night.


	9. Crash Learns to Read it and Weep!

**The original title didn't fit.  
**

**I find that hilarious, and I don't know why.**

* * *

The hospital, despite having been made aware of his occupation, and being sworn to secrecy by Luna herself, were in quite a tizzy when he waltzed right in with a knife still in his chest.

In hindsight, that may not have been the most tactful thing to do.

Eh, he'd done worse.

He was admitted into his own little double room for the night, with the curtain on his right pulled closed despite not having a patient.

It was a quaint little room. Painted in sky blues with a white tile floor. It certainly gave Emerald a quiet, sterile feeling.

Of course the 'quiet' part of it was ruined when the door was all but kicked open, and several familiar mares trotted into the room. They didn't notice him, on account of the curtain beside him, but he managed to spot them carrying in Crash of all mares. From the looks of things she'd certainly lived up to the nickname, given the bandage wrapped around her wing.

Emerald sighed, fidgeting around slightly, ignoring the sharp pains still in his chest. He'd been bandaged up, similar to Crash, although he was certain his injury was significantly more severe than hers.

He was glad he didn't need stitches, though. Just the thought of those needles they'd need sent shivers down his spine.

Damn his trypanophobia.

"When's she gonna wake up, doc?" the accented voice of Applejack asked, turning to the brown stallion who'd admitted both himself and, apparently, Crash.

"Well, it should only be a few minutes," he said, the sound of paper flipping, likely he was checking the clipboard, "It's only a minor sprain. It's the injury to her head that's keeping her here. Though, with how many crashes she's had over the years, I'm sure she'll be out in a day or two. Like our other patient here," he added under his breath, likely throwing a glance in Emerald's direction.

"Oh, I'm so worried!" the quiet voice of Fluttershy continued, not hearing the doctor's last statement.

"Is her face gonna stay like that?" Pinkie's high pitched voice spoke up from beside Fluttershy's. Emerald blinked. Her face?

Well, according to the doctor, she did hit her head.

A sudden spur of motion, followed by a scratchy groan, signaled Crash's awakening.

"Great! How long am I gonna be stuck here?" Crash asked, sounding oddly desperate,

"That mostly depends on your recovery," Stables said, "but, like I just told your friends, it'll only be a few days at most,"

"A few days! I got things I need to do, Doc!" Like sleep? "You girls gotta get me outta here! I'm gonna climb the walls if you don't!"

"Ooh! Just like a spider! Did the crash give her super spider powers?!" Pinkie asked, turning to Stables at the end.

"No," he deadpanned, "Nor did it give her amazing healing powers. She will be staying here for a few days so we can make sure there's no permanent brain damage," he said.

"A few days?" Crash groaned, "Might as well be a few months. Or a few years!"

"Oh don't be so melodramatic, Rainbow Dash," Stables said, before a blue glow lifted up the clipboard hanging off of Emerald's bed, "It could be much worse. You could've been _stabbed in the chest_ after all," he said, walking over to Emerald's side of the curtain, staring at him deadpan, which caused Emerald to roll his eyes.

"Stabbed? What moron would get themselves stabbed here in Ponyville?" Crash muttered. Emerald saw Stables shake his head, before he set the clipboard down.

"As for you Mr. Skies, you're lucky. The knife didn't hit anywhere vital, so you won't be having an extended stay here at Ponyville General. That being said, it's still a knife wound. Usually, it would take, at most a few weeks, but seeing your recovery so far, I'm inclined to say that you'll be out around the same time as Miss Dash over there, if not tomorrow," he said, jerking his head to the side.

Emerald's only response was a sigh, leading the doctor to chuckle a little.

"Well. Get some rest. I'm sure the girls will leave soon, so you'll hopefully have some peace and quiet. Though with Rainbow Dash as a roommate, I honestly doubt it," Stables said, giving Emerald a cheeky grin, before he turned and left the room.

Emerald deflated slightly at the thought. Honestly, he'd rather just leave now. It's not like the injury would keep him down. He'd pushed through far worse for far longer, a knife wound was really nothing in comparison. And even then, who knows what could happen tonight? Oh, _that'd_ be fun. Having one of the Bearers get killed or taken while he was stuck in the hospital.

But, of course, Luna had a point. If the Cakes ended up telling anyone, which he knew they would, there'd likely be questions from Pinkie as to why he hadn't gone to the hospital. And if Pinkie got involved, it wouldn't take much more to get the other five interested in his business. And how would he explain himself? He couldn't just tell them he'd been through worse. Sparky alone would likely try to find out if her curiosity got strong enough. And, while he most certainly could just tell a bunch of lies, he knew that if he told too many he'd eventually lose track and everything would come crashing down.

No, it would be best if he stuck to telling half-truths at best.

"-roommate!"

The curtain beside him was suddenly drawn back, revealing him to the six mares, with Pinkie being the one to pull the curtain.

"Emerald?" Sparky asked, staring at him incredulously.

"Hey," he said, leaning back against his pillow,

"What are you doing here?" she asked,

"It's a hospital," he snapped, "Why do you think I'm here?" he asked, gesturing to his bandages,

"Oh my, what happened?" Fluttershy said, walking over to him with a look of honest worry on her face. Slightly surprised by her actions, Emerald answered with a smirk,

"I got stabbed in the chest," he said, noting out of the corner of his eye that Crash winced.

"What!?" Sparky shouted, "Why?!" she asked, pushing past Rarity and Pinkie until she was standing beside him. He blinked, before sighing,

"There was an attempted robbery at Sugarcube Corner," he said, recalling the story he'd told the Cakes, "I was on my nightly walk when I spotted some ponies breaking in. I ran in to help, managed to help knock 'em out, but one of them stabbed me in the chest with a knife. I came here afterward,"

"They didn't mention a robbery..." Pinkie muttered, looking concerned,

"Where are those fiends now?" Rarity asked, also walking over to him. He noted that Crash looked annoyed when she saw her friends moving over to him.

What the _hay_ were they doing!?

Yeah sure he got stabbed, but who cares!?

She was gonna be stuck here for a couple days! She should be out there practicing her moves for the competition in a couple weeks! Not stuck in some stuffy hospital! Now her friends were leaving her for some stranger who she was _absolutely certain_ was a spy!

How could he get a letter to the princess otherwise?

Her friends were obviously being fooled. Just look at him!

'O_h, I saved Sugarcube Corner from some robbers and got hurt_.'. How stupid! Did he think they were idiots or something?! Everypony knew that nopony would be dumb enough to take on herself, and her friends, in a fight!

They stopped Nightmare Moon! What was a bunch'a ponies compared to that?

Besides, who'd _want_ to hurt them? They saved Equestria! They were heroes! Sure the princesses wanted to keep it on the down low, but everypony knew who they were!

Now he was tricking her friends _and_ she'd be stuck with him for a couple'a days!

Could this get any worse?!

"That reminds me. How'd you get a letter to the princess anyways?" Sparky asked once he'd finished telling them a false tale about Luna's arrival last night.

"Hmm?" he looked up, finding all five of the mares giving him inquisitive looks, with Crash trying, and failing, to burn a hole through his head, "Oh. I have a younger sister who lives up in Canterlot. I sent the letter to her, and she managed to get it up to the princesses during their respective courts. Why?" he asked with false casualness. Sparky gave him a strained smile as the others looked away with shameful expressions on their faces,

"Oh, we were just curious is all," she said, with an obviously false air of indifference.

"Rainbow Dash thought you were a spy!" Pinkie Pie happily interjected, oblivious to the glares she received from the other mares, "Isn't that _crazy_!?" she asked. Emerald chuckled,

"Definitely. If I was a spy, I'd be a pretty poor one with all this attention on me," he said, internally laughing at himself. Finally fed up with a lack of attention, Crash spoke up,

"Hey! I'm still here you know!" she shouted angrily, causing her friends to look over to her,

"Oh relax, Rainbow Dash," Rarity said, giving her a calm smile, "We're just making conversation is all. Don't tell me your jealous that he's getting all our attention?" she asked teasingly, causing Crash to go red, though he wasn't sure if it was an angry red or an embarrassed red.

"What?! No! I'm WAAAYY too awesome to be jealous of anypony, especially him!" she snapped, "Are you girls gonna help me get outta here or what!?" Rarity frowned at her tone, but Sparky rushed past her before she could speak.

Sparky stopped at the door, where a nurse pushing a book laden cart had just passed, before she turned back to the room, holding a book in her magic. Trotting over to her injured friend with a large smile on her face, she floated it over to her, where it landed softly in Crash's hooves.

"What's this?" she asked, "_Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone_?"

"Hooray, you can read."

"It's about a treasure hunter named Daring Do and her bodyguard, Green Sky, who go around the world searching for its greatest treasures! And it's the first one in the series!" Sparky said, ignoring Emerald, "I own all of them!" she added, grinning widely. Crash tossed the book to the side, conveniently landing right next to Emerald,

"Yeah, no. I _sooo_ don't read," she said, "I'm a world class athlete. Reading's for eggheads like you, Twilight. No offense, but, it's undeniably, unquestionably, uncool."

...

What... the fuck?

Emerald sighed to himself as the girls laughed at Crash. He spared a glance at the book she'd thrown, before he picked it up.

The cover boasted a simple design of a tan pegasus mare with a gray-scale rainbow mane and tail and red eyes hanging onto a vine. Her archeologist's vest clung tightly to her thin frame as she held on. There was an alligator underneath her, looking at though it had just lunged after her.

Of course it was ruined by the black thestral stallion currently pulling on it's tail with his fanged maw. His forest green mane and tail swayed in the wind, though his mane was mostly hidden by a pith helmet that didn't seem to fit him.

Emerald gave a light scoff at the sight of the cover.

'A.K. Yearling' certainly outdid herself with the design. It was almost a pity she had to hide both of their identities.

Yes, both. As it turns out, Celestia had assigned Emerald as a sort of bodyguard for the archeologist-turned-treasure hunting author. Daring, as was her true name, had been rather... against the idea at first, but she had no choice at the beginning, much like himself.

Thankfully, Emerald's plethora of knowledge about the outsides of Equestria, such as the Amarezon Jungle, where the book took place, got her to warm up to him rather quickly.

In comparison to most, at least.

Since then he'd joined her on several of her adventures across the world, some of which he'd spent as a friend, rather than a bodyguard.

...

He wondered when she'd call again, honestly.

After that stunt with the volcano, probably not for a while.

"Come on Rainbow Dash, reading is for everypony," Sparky laughed,

"Yeah, who doesn't like readin' a bang up tale from time to time?" interjected the farm pony,

"It's almost as lovely as silk pajamas on a Sunday morning. Heh," Rarity added, tittering sheepishly at the looks she received.

"Yeah! I _love_ reading, and my head isn't even close to the shape of an egg!" Pinkie gushed,

"Especially after all those apples hit it," Emerald couldn't help but add, earning a laugh from the pink mare.

"Alright everypony!" came a voice from the doorway, where a pale pink nurse stood, "It's time for Rainbow Dash and Mr. Skies to get some rest. You can all come back tomorrow though!" she said, waving each mare goodbye as they passed. Sparky stayed behind for a moment however,

"I think you'd like Daring and Sky, Rainbow. They're a lot like you. Adventurous, fierce, and undeniably, unquestionably, unstoppable!" she said with a wide grin, before she began towards the door. The door shut behind her and the nurse, however Emerald managed to catch Sparky engage the nurse in a conversation.

"Could you make sure the stallion in there, Emerald, eats all his food?"

"Oh, is this about his malnutrition?"

"Yes! I'm sure you understand how serious that is?"

"Of course! I wouldn't be doing my duty as a healthcare provider if I just let somepony starve themselves. Don't worry, myself and the rest of the staff will do our very best!"

Emerald chuckled lightly.

Her concern was genuine, it seemed. To talk to the nurse about that behind closed doors, without the knowledge of his high hearing, was almost definite proof that she actually felt concerned.

It was... nice.

He supposed he could spread that particular sentiment to the other mares as well. Fluttershy had been the first one to approach him and ask if he was alright, and Pinkie, from what he saw, was too busy staring in shock at his bandages to do more than just stand there, even if she managed to snap herself out of it at the end. The only one who didn't express any sort of positive reaction, was Crash.

Well, he'd put that out of mind for now. As of now, he, like Crash, was stuck with nothing to do, for at least a day.

...

_Shit._

* * *

Eight hours.

That was how long he'd had to deal with Crash being an annoying piece of shit.

She'd managed to rope the staff into getting her a rubber ball, which she'd spent about two hours just bouncing it back and forth between herself and the wall. Then another two hours were spent with her trying, and failing, to get Emerald to laugh at her atrocious jokes. Then she played around with her food when dinner came around for an hour. Then the last three were spent in a mixture of her messing with her lamp, and slamming her head against the headboard of her bed.

He _really_ hoped she had brain damage at this point.

And when it was time for lights out, he was hoping she'd just go to sleep so he could sneak out and get to work, consequences be _damned_.

Now he was stuck, in a vain attempt to get some sleep himself as she continued slamming her head against the board. He was about six more hits from snapping at her, regardless of his injuries.

Then, as if Faust herself heard his prayers or, more likely, his curses, she stopped.

Only for her to pick up that damnable book!

"'_Daring Do wasn't having the best day. She wasn't sure how it happened, but she somehow had gotten roped up with some bat-pony bodyguard._'" she read aloud, causing Emerald to twitch, "'_Now she was stuck in some Faust forsaken forest with a busted wing and some annoying company. At least he had bandaged it up, she thought, but now she couldn't fly for a couple days. Days. Might as well be a few months, or even years!_'"

"SHUT! THE FUCK! _UP_!"

Her mouth snapped shut at his yell, just as she recoiled away from him, his seething glare burning into her very soul.

"If you're going to read," he began, his voice low in a deathly whisper, "Then read. Quietly. _Or else_," he finished, snarling at the end.

Feeling satisfied at having cowed Crash for a moment, Emerald allowed himself to flop back into bed.

Forget patrol. He was sure Ponyville would survive one night without him.

* * *

_"Dammit!"_

***CRACK***

_"GAH!"_

_"Hehehehahahaaaa!"_

_"Quit laughing!"_

_"Fat chance! That was fucking funny!"_

_Daring growled at the amused thestral, her eyes promising bloody murder if he didn't shut up. While her attitude certainly needed some adjustment, Emerald could admit that Daring was an interesting pony to be around. Her reactions were certainly funny as well._

_She growled at him, before turning to her bandaged wing and pulling out a few twigs that had gotten lodged in her feathers._

_That hadn't been his intention when he'd pushed that branch out of his face, but, at the same time, it was her fault for following so closely behind him!_

_"It's not my fault you've broken your damn wing," he repeated, as it was the primary reason for Daring's pissy mood, "Ahuizotl's the one who chucked that rock at you. You'd be_ dead_ if it wasn't for me," he said, grinning at her cheekily._

_"This coming from the uninjured thestral," she growled at him, plucking the last leaf from her wings, "Whatever. My fault or not, why are you_ still_ here?!" she snapped. Emerald rolled his eyes,_

_"What, that rock give you brain damage too?" he snarked, "You know as well as I do that Celestia's orders are damn near absolute. She tells me to go with you, and you ain't getting rid of me,"_

_The statement only seemed to further her awful mood, as evident by her heated glare, but it vanished as they finally got moving again, having paused at Daring's shout._

_The Amarezon Jungle was always an interesting place to visit, Emerald mused. Trees taller than any he'd seen in Equestria, plants and animals whose bright colours and animated activity made him feel almost out of place despite the fact that he blended in so well._

_It had actually been rather entertaining to spook Daring a few times during their trip, via disappearing and popping back out in front of her. If anything, it kept her on her toes._

_"If I'm remembering that damn map right, the temple shouldn't be far off from here," Daring muttered, aware he'd hear,_

_"Really? And two months was all it took?" he replied, not bothering to lower his voice, "Hmm, I'd've thought Ahuizotl would've tried a lot harder to drive us off," Daring didn't reply, but she was honestly thinking the same._

_Ahuizotl, the strange creature who'd tried making her life a living Tartarus ever since she managed to force him behind bars. Before his escape, that is. As it was, the creature had been recently hunting for an artifact known as the Sapphire Statue._

_Though, she really didn't care. Princess Celestia had called her in for help, oddly enough. She'd been on plenty of expeditions with her fellow archeologists, and had helped discover some of Equestria's premier artifacts, but this was the very first time she'd been called in. Alone._

_'_This is my chance!_' she had thought. The idea that she could pull away from her peers and make a real name for herself in the scientific community had been a dream!_

_But then she got sent on this trip, and_ not _alone._

_She'd been imagining talking to the locals, searching the sites, and then finding and digging up the statue, not venturing into giant forests seeking some long lost temple, while having to deal with some lunatic hunting the treasure she sought and an aggressive, annoying, ass of a pony-sorry- thestral._

_Though, she'd admit it wasn't all bad. She had fun! Really, she hadn't thought being_ this _hooves-on with the whole thing would be as entertaining as it was! And, perhaps most surprisingly, was the thestral currently behind her._

_While aggressive and somewhat annoying, Emerald had proved to be a highly intelligent stallion. Identifying flora and fauna on sight, as well as providing much needed information regarding them, including weaknesses, dangers, uses, and a small bit of history, which was a skill very few ponies she knew held. Couple that with his skills in hunting, foraging, scouting, fighting, and all around survival, he was, perhaps, the best possible companion she could've asked for on this journey._

_He was also pretty easy on the eyes, but that was more of a bonus than anything._

_If only he was a bit more approachable, they could probably be decent friends._

_So lost in her thoughts, she nearly walked straight off of a cliff, if Emerald hadn't grabbed her tail and snapped her out of it,_

_"Hey! _I_ know you broke your damn wing, but did_ you_ forget?!" he snapped at her,_

_"Wha-?" she stuttered, before looking downward, "AH!" she yelped, hopping back, sending her flank straight into Emerald's face. He grunted, but pushed her off without issue,_

_"Watch it!" he snapped, before directing his gaze forward, "Hmm... well, would you look at that?" he muttered._

_Daring followed his gaze, her eyes widening at the sight. Across the chasm was a large structure, standing higher than the trees surrounding them. Made of dark brown, almost jagged, rock, a fanged face stared back at them, its glowing ruby eyes glinting with a malevolent light._

_"Well, no-"_

_Whatever Emerald had been trying to say was cut off as he whirled around and sent the charging tiger back to the treeline behind them, and audible crack signaling that he'd broken it's jaw._

_"Well, I think we've been found," he muttered, glancing at the felines before them. A large, jet black puma, a tan lynx, a lean cheetah, an unconscious tiger, and... a kitten all stared back at him, snarling and baring their fangs. He frowned._

_Ahuizotl's pets certainly weren't friendly, but it's not like they mattered. A single swipe with his spear and they'd trouble no one anymore. Though Daring was, unfortunately, a cat lover, so she forbade him from doing so, and, as her bodyguard, he'd listen to her, for now._

_Regardless, he could just fly himself and Daring ove-_

_Or... she could do the dumb thing and swing across on a vine. Yeah, that worked._

_Sighing to himself, he followed the mare's poor example and crossed the chasm, but chose to use his wings instead. He landed next to her, causing her to sheepishly laugh at the sight of his extended wings._

_Apparently, she'd forgotten._

_He groaned, this was going to be annoying._

* * *

Emerald groaned a little as he woke.

Odd... his bed felt dif-

Adrenaline shot through his veins and he was up and awake instantly. In fact, the only thing that had prevented him from leaping out of bed was a sharp pain in his chest, causing him to recall the previous day's events.

Right. He was stuck in the hospital because of some insignificant wound in his chest.

He groaned a little, shifting around in the bed as the adrenaline wore down.

Hearing some shuffling, he glanced to the side, finding Crash still reading that Daring Do book from yesterday.

At least she was quiet now.

Returning his attention to himself, he felt... odd. It had been so long since he'd gotten a full night's rest, he'd forgotten what it felt like to be so... refreshed.

In fact... now that he was putting his attention into it, he felt lighter, more awake than usual, which, he knew, was to be expected.

Shame he wouldn't get to feel this good again for a _long_ time...

There was a loud series of knocks on the door, causing both Emerald and Crash to look up, although Crash immediately shoved the book underneath her blankets, for whatever reason.

"Hey Rainbow Dash!" came the unified voices of Sparky and Fluttershy as they walked into the room, "You too Emerald," Sparky added after a moment.

"Oh, of course..." Fluttershy added quietly, giving Emerald a small smile, before hiding behind Twilight.

"Anyway," Sparky began, rolling her eyes at Fluttershy, "We brought your favourite board game, Battleclouds!" she said, levitating a box into the hoof of Crash's bed. Said pegasus looked beyond nervous, carefully nudging the book she'd hidden with her leg.

"You came at a bad time," Emerald interrupted, causing the three to look at him, with Crash doing so almost appreciatively, for some odd reason.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Fluttershy began, "I didn't realize-"

"Why? What's wrong?" Sparky cut her off, throwing her an apologetic look after,

"Crash over there was busy reading that book you gave her. Looked like she was trying to burn a hole through it with how hard she was staring at it. Pretty sure she read all night, too," he said, completely ignoring the furious glare Crash was sending him.

"What?" Sparky asked, looking at the mare in question, "Is that true Rainbow?"

"Wh-whaaaat?" the pegasus asked, laughing nervously as sweat began to form on her brow, "No way! Reading's for eggheads, Twilight. And- h-hey! Fluttershy!" she snapped. While she was busy trying to cover up the book, the shy mare had apparently spotted it and, in her innocent curiosity, grabbed it and took it out, revealing it to the studious unicorn.

"Oh my gosh, Rainbow Dash!" Sparky gushed, happily taking the book in her magic, "You actually _read_ the book!?" she asked. Crash sighed,

"Yeah, alright. I admit it. I'm an egghead," she sighed, glaring at the wall to her left,

"What?" Fluttershy asked,

"You heard me, Shy. An egghead. I like reading okay?! It was just so awesome reading about Daring Do's awesome adventure, how she and Sky traveled through the forest, how they fought amazing monsters, and how cool it was when he straight up punched a tiger in the face!"

"What?" Fluttershy asked in her small voice, "Why would anypony-?"

"I know!" Sparky gushed, unintentionally cutting the shy mare off, "Daring and Sky are such amazing characters! And so realistic too! I really feel like A.K. Yearling based them off of real ponies in her life!" she added, before stopping, suddenly putting a hoof to her chin in thought, "Though, I wonder where she got the idea to use a vampony in the story, and change it so much too."

"A vampony?" Fluttershy asked, directing her gaze to the cover of the book. Emerald payed particularly close attention to her reaction, and found it satisfying. Rather than stare at it in wonder, or even fear, her eyes widened in some minor recognition.

"Oh my," she whispered, her voice going even quieter than usual as she stared.

"Something the matter?" Emerald asked, keeping his voice low as to the not disturb the two fanfillies in the room. Fluttershy jumped slightly, but otherwise didn't react as she turned to him,

"Oh! Um... no, not really."

"Really?" Emerald pressed, "'Cause if I didn't know any better, I might've thought you recognized that thestral," Emerald had to suppress his grin when he saw her eyes go wide when he finished talking.

Fluttershy stared at him as if seeing him for the first time. She gently trotted over to him, her shyness apparently forgotten in lieu of this revelation.

She hopped onto her back legs, leaning her front hooves against his bed as she stared at him, absolutely in awe,

"How do you know about thestrals?" she asked quietly, sounding stupefied, but relieved. He smirked,

"I'm related to a few of them," he said evasively, although she obviously didn't pick up on it if the widening of her eyes meant anything.

"Really!" she asked excitedly, although her voice still didn't raise, "I-I am too! Is one of your parents a thestral too!?... I-if you don't mind me asking, that is," she said, lowering her gaze at the end as she finally regained her senses. Emerald gave her a gentle smile, one much more sincere than most he'd given,

"My... my Father," he admitted, figuring it'd be easier. Fluttershy raised her head, her wide teal eyes glimmering with unshed tears,

"M-mine too," she said, smiling, "I-I never thought I'd meet anyone else who knew about thestrals," she added. Emerald nodded, believing her instantly.

He understood that pain. It was why most thestrals wore disguises in public. Most ponies, for whatever reason, still believed in those idiotic vampony stories from ages ago. Celestia, try as she might, wasn't able to do much about it, but, with Luna's return ponies were beginning to put aside those stories, along with Nightmare Moon. It was still a long way going, however.

But now, now he had a chance to find those answers he'd been hoping for!

"What's his name? If you don't mind," he asked, making sure he kept whatever anticipation he had out of his voice. She blinked at his question, but nodded,

"Oh, right, Mom did say something about clans..." she murmured, "His name was-"

"Alright everypony!" the door burst open, revealing the nurse from the other day, "It's breakfast time for Rainbow Dash and Emerald!" she said happily, "I'm afraid you'll have to leave for now, you two,"

Emerald glared at the nurse, feeling his inner fire heat up in anger, but it faded when Fluttershy spoke,

"Oh, well... I'm sorry. I-I can tell you later, when you get out. My cottage is a-a little bit away f-from Sweet Apple Acres, so Applejack can tell you where... if y-you want," He glanced over at Fluttershy, noting the almost reluctant hope in her eyes, which shined brighter when he nodded,

"I'll be looking forward to it, Shy."

She gave him a small smile as she and Sparky left the room, allowing the nurse to bring in a small tray laden cart, filled with the...

Well, he supposed it was food, of some kind.

* * *

_"So, how should we go about this?" he asked, ignoring the bone that snapped underneath his hoof. Daring jumped at the sound, and ended up glaring at him when she figured out the source,_

_"Obviously we just avoid the traps, grab the treasure, and get out before that Ahuizotl nut finds us again," she answered._

_And she really hoped he didn't, especially not here. With dark brown tiling along the ceiling and walls, she had a bit of a hard time seeing if wasn't for the torch that Emerald had thought to grab._

_She shivered slightly at the feeling of one of the many,_ many_ beetles on the ground crawl up her leg, before she flicked it off._

_She _really_ hoped this was a quick in and out._

_Something under her hoof suddenly gave way, and she found herself being shoved downward, an axe barely scraping the top of her hat as it embedded itself into the wall to her left. Her legs were forced apart when a trap door opened up directly beneath her, and, thankfully, she was fast enough to jump out of the way herself, with Emerald right behind her, though with less panic in his motions._

_Damn his fire resistance._

_She went to move forward, but stopped when a dart grazed her snout. She was forced to duck and jump forward when more of those damn things started firing out of the wall. Her heart pounded as she found herself jumping and rolling forward, avoiding the darts with some help from Emerald now and then._

_She wasn't an athlete, dammit!_

_Finally the darts seemed to end, and she nearly sighed in relief, when Emerald suddenly pulled her tail, just as a spike shot up from the ground, nearly impaling her. Any thoughts on scolding him were further disrupted when he suddenly lifted her onto his back and shot forward._

_Emerald's hooves all but glided across the ground, outrunning the spike's shooting up at them. The door ahead of them had begun to close, but he managed to duck underneath the edge, long before it closed. Finding themselves in another long hall, he sighed._

_"Damn. Hang on tight, Daring,"_

_"What? Wait, no! Are you gonna-?"_

_She didn't get to finish, her words lost as he ran forward once more._

* * *

_Well that was fun._

_He sighed again, tossing Daring off of him when the door shut behind them once more, ignoring her indignant 'Hey!'._

_While he waited for her to get back to her hooves he took the time to inspect the room before them._

_Wide and open, he could plainly see a large pedestal at the other end of the room, where a small sapphire statue sat, resembling a pair of conjoined Anubis. It was nice to look at, he guessed. Emerald frowned, noticing the ground before the treasure was made up of dozens of tiles, each baring a different image._

_Though, he noted that, of the many different images, they were all various types of predators. Except for one._

_Well, he just inadvertently solved the puzzle. Sighing, he took a second glance around the room. The tile floor didn't encompass the entire ground, he could easily shimmy across the wall and not touch it once. Or fly, he could easily fly to the other side, but he had a feeling Daring wouldn't let him._

_Finally, after a few minutes, Daring rejoined him, stopping to his left._

_"Huh, I guess it's the last trap," she muttered, Emerald nodded,_

_"Yep. If those holes in the wall mean anything, then one wrong move and we'd be full of arrows or darts, I'd bet," he added._

_"Lion, eagle, wolf, tiger, rat," Daring muttered, glancing over the closest images, "The rat's the only prey animal, but it can't be_ that easy_, can it?" she asked him. He shrugged,_

_"Let's find out," he responded, giving a nearby rock a kick. It flew forward and landed on a lion tile, which then depressed and caused a bunch of arrows to fire._

_"Well, lion's out. So I doubt it's one of the big animals, leaving the eagle and rat. But all four of those kill rats, or might. And the rat can't kill any of those four. So it's probably the rat,"_

_"Well, then let's go," Daring said, putting one of her hooves on the closest rat tile. She froze for a moment, letting her weight sink in, but when she wasn't dead by arrows, she opened her eyes and gave him a cocky smile._

_Which disappeared when she nearly fell over._

_Glaring at the snickering thestral behind her, Daring jumped forward, landing on the closest rat tile, with Emerald following in her tracks._

_A few more jumps later, and the two found themselves standing before the legendary Sapphire Statue._

_Daring couldn't help but stare at it._

_Then, she promptly grabbed it and took it off of it's pedestal._

_She turned to him, chuckling smugly as she put the statue under her hat._

_"How's that!?" she asked, oblivious to the mechanism behind her reacting to the statue's absence, a small cylinder being pushed upwards from the pedestal, no longer being held down by the statue's weight._

_"I don't know. How's that?" he asked, pointing behind her. She regarded him, confused, but turned just in time to watch the cylinder fall back into the pedestal. The ground beneath them suddenly lurched as the temple began shaking, almost as though the statue's absence triggered an earthquake._

_Stone began to crack away from the ceiling and fall, causing the tile floor behind them to break away, revealing a river of lava rising forth from the depths of the earth._

_Well, Emerald supposed, it certainly explained why the temple looked like it was carved from a mountain._

_Likely because it was._

_While he wasn't too worried, given that it'd been a long time since he'd had a lava bath, Daring wasn't so lucky. She hopped back up onto the pedestal as the lava neared them, with Emerald casually walking upward, ignoring the molten rock covering his hooves._

_The pillars on the sides of the room began falling over due to the quake, and Daring took the first opportunity to jump, with Emerald swimming after her, the lava having reached his neck._

_It felt nice._

_Like a very, very hot bath._

_"Quit playing around Emerald, and help me!" she shouted at him as she ran to the top of a nearby pillar, which had gotten stuck on something,_

_"Says the one who took the damn statue in the first place," he muttered, "Just jump through the skylight!" he shouted, looking to the lone hole in the ceiling. Daring followed his gaze and, with a large intake of breath, jumped for her life, just barely latching on to the rounded edge._

_Emerald swam underneath the hole, allowing the still rising magma to lift him upwards._

_Unfortunately, the sudden expanse of hot air caused a heavy upwards lift to generate from the hole, launching Daring's light frame nearly out of his sight._

_Dammit._

* * *

"Hellooooo, Rainbow Dash!" came the high pitched voice of a familiar baker, just as the door opened, "And helloooo to you too, Emerald!"

Pinkie skipped into the room, followed loosely by Rarity and Applejack. The pink mare skipped over to Crash, who was, seemingly, unaware of the presence of three of her friends.

Rarity, however, wasn't as oblivious.

"Rainbow Dash! Are you reading a book?!" That caught Crash's attention. She yelped in fright, almost throwing the book at Emerald a second time, before recognizing her friends,

"Uh, what?! N-nononono! Of course not!"

"She is. Has been all day, and probably all of last night too," Emerald interjected, earning, yet another, glare from Crash,

"Hehehe, so much fer readin' bein' 'only fer eggheads', huh Dash?" Applejack asked, laughing at the red that crept onto the athlete's face,

"Fine. Twilight and Fluttershy already caught me. Go on, call me an egghead," she muttered, crossing her hooves,

"Now, Rainbow, whatever makes you think we'll do that?" Rarity asked, frowning at her friend,

"Yeah! Just cause you like reading now doesn't mean we'll suddenly all be big meanies!" Pinkie happily added,

"Really?" Crash asked, sounding surprised, "Even after I made fun of it?"

"Eeyup,"

Crash smiled at the three of them, but turned away before they saw it,

"Thanks guys," she muttered, before huffing, "Well, enough sappy stuff, I gotta get back to reading about Daring and Sky!" she said, burying her nose back into her book, effectively ignoring everyone else, causing the girls to laugh.

Emerald closed his eyes and sighed. He really didn't understand ponies at times. Opening them back up, he was greeted by a pair of familiar baby blues,

"Pinkie, get out of my face," he deadpanned, earning a laugh as the excitable filly bounced backwards, giving him some space, although she kept staring at him.

"Pinkie, darling, it's not polite to stare," Rarity gently admonished, to no avail. She sighed at Pinkie's antics, but turned to Emerald, "I trust you're doing all right, dear?" he shrugged.

"Yes, why?" he asked. Applejack spoke,

"It ain't often somethin' like gettin' stabbed happens in Ponyville. Er, well, before Twilight came ta town, I mean," she laughed sheepishly at the end.

"Hmm, she's right, Emerald," Rarity said, "About the stabbing, not about dear Twilight," she clarified, before blinking, "Well, now that she mentions it..." she trailed off.

"The Cakes told me about what happened," Pinkie cut in, her voice a sudden contrast to it's usual peppiness. Emerald glanced back at her, finding that her smile was gone, replaced by a small frown, and her brow was furrowed in thought. The wild bunch of curls she called a mane seemed... deflated, somehow, and it seemed to give the usually happy mare a completely different air about her.

"Okay," Emerald said, noting the way Rarity and Applejack seemed to shift uneasily, "Is there a problem with that?" he asked. Pinkie continued staring at him, but eventually she stood up and walked over to him.

"Thanks," she said, before he was enveloped in a crushing hug by the pink mare. The strength used didn't bother him much, but the amount of affection did.

Especially when he felt her tears start hitting his shoulder.

"Thank you, thank you!" she sobbed, "I-I don't know what I'd do without them!... An-and if those mean ol' robbers took everything then they'd have to l-leave and I'd lose them!"

He fought off the instinct to just push her away and instead wrapped a wing around the crying mare, disregarding the awkward feelings it brought, as well as the way Crash whipped her head away from them, beet red.

It seemed that Rarity and Applejack were just as, if not even more, surprised than he was.

"Uh... you're welcome?" he said, uncertain. He didn't have to deal with sad ponies often. In all honesty, he was likely the reason a lot of ponies cried, rather than the one who made them feel better.

Pinkie didn't let go of him, rather, she seemed to squeeze him a little tighter, as if afraid of letting go. Eventually however, they were interrupted.

"Alright! Dinner time for- oh! I'm not interrupting something, am I?"

"Oh, um, no," Rarity answered for him, "Pinkie's just a little... emotional right now. Come on dear, it's time for us to leave," she said, that last part to Pinkie. Rarity gently placed a hoof on the mare's shoulders, which prompted her to finally let go of Emerald, but not before the puffy-eyed mare gave him one last smile.

It was smaller than her regular smiles, but, for some reason, he felt that it expressed her joy far more than any other ever had.

"Well, that's just precious," the nurse spoke up suddenly, "I suppose the dear will be happy to know that you'll both be checked out tomorrow morning Mr. Skies!" she said. Crash didn't react to the, admittedly good, news, likely still too engrossed in the book to listen properly.

The nurse left her dinner on the counter, while she watched Emerald eat his. Apparently, they were taking Sparky's suggestion seriously.

The knowledge made him feel... content.

For now.

* * *

He sighed as the fresh morning air hit him as he pushed through the hospital doors.

The crisp smell of morning dew helped him relax slightly, but it was quickly erased as a sense of purpose filled his veins.

He'd have to due a few covert patrols during the day to analyze the events of what happened over the past two nights, check in on the Everfree predators and make sure they hadn't begun straying close to town, and check around the homes of the other Bearers. No doubt the Cult had figured Midnight and the other two failed when they didn't return, so it was likely they'd be ready to send more expendable ponies their way.

The only good thing about that, is that they likely didn't know that he existed and was the reason for those three's failure.

He needed to capitalize on that. The next time, if there was a next time, he'd have to capture and interrogate them. Assuming Luna hasn't already, which she likely would.

He headed towards town, intent on starting a small patrol. He'd have to inform the Cakes of his intentions, however. While it might be a cover, and they might now be aware that it was a cover, it was still a job he'd been given, and he would, at least give them a reason for not doing it.

Thankfully, as a cover, it was a part of his real job, so he didn't feel too obligated to do it. Not to the point of going out of his way, at least.

He paused as he entered the market, noting that there wasn't a single pony in sight. Alarm bells began ringing in his head, but he ignored them.

He had the strangest feeling he knew what was happening.

His ears twitched slightly, picking up the vibrations from further in town, and confirming his suspicions. He sighed.

Damn that pink mare.

...

"SURPRISE!"

"Pinkie..."

"Were you surprised!? I hope you were surprised because you didn't look surprised at your last party! Ooh! I'm sorry that I didn't get to say hello at your last party because I was super duper busy trying to make sure everything was _perfect_ and I forgot to say-!" a green hoof cut off the happy mare, courtesy of Emerald himself.

"I get it, Pinkie," he said, sighing. He looked around the room, finding a party very similar to the one that had invaded his home on the first day in town. The only noticeable differences between the two was the fact that ponies hadn't already begun dispersing like last time, all of them looking strangely guilty, and the large banner that read 'Thanks for saving Sugarcube Corner from a bunch of robbers!', rather than the welcoming it had once been.

He glanced back down at the bouncing mare, and took his hoof away.

"Well?" she asked, surprisingly calm given her previous excitement, "What do you think?" He blinked, finding the way she eagerly awaited his response strange, but sighed,

"... Why?" he asked,

"Because you saved the Cakes, duh!" Pinkie replied without hesitation,

"Yeah, but... why?" he asked again, gesturing to the party. Pinkie stopped bouncing, now looking confused,

"'Why' what?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Why would you throw a party just because I helped someone?" he clarified, frowning. She mimicked his expression, before giving him a gentle smile,

"Because everypony in town and I wanted to say thank you!" she explained. He stared at her, uncomprehending, before nodding,

"O-... okay?" he said, still uncertain. Pinkie grinned, before jumping up and turning around,

"Alright! Let's PAARRR_TAAAYYY!_" she shouted, causing the crowd to erupt into cheers.

Emerald stayed rooted to the spot, watching as Pinkie bounced into the crowd, with nary a care in the world. As he did so he felt a certain... warmth in his chest. One he'd really only felt with the creatures from the Facility who'd escaped with him.

One he hadn't felt since.

"You alright Emerald?" came the curious voice of Sparky, prompting sapphire eyes to meet amethyst, "You seem... out of it," she replied, a little more worried.

"I-I'm... I'm fine," he said, not really believing himself. Sparky didn't seem to either,

"You sure?" she asked again, "It looked like you were... confused, I guess," she said, furrowed her brow, "Like you weren't used to being thanked," she added, locking her gaze with his own. He felt tempted to look away, to avert his gaze from the hungering purple orbs that sought to devour his secrets and claim that knowledge for their own. But he didn't.

Twilight was worried. This strange pony had come into town, and, somehow, with every new discovery, another mystery revealed itself, just waiting to be solved. Even now, she knew next to nothing about his stallion, other than he moved around a lot, and was, for some reason or another, prone to malnourishing himself. Now here he was, seemingly uncomfortable with so many ponies wanting to thank him for something.

Just who was Emerald?

"I've been thanked plenty of times... I just... they never... I never felt..." he stuttered, apparently unable to find the proper word. Based on what he was obviously trying to say, Twilight had a feeling she knew the word he was attempting to find,

"Appreciated?" she asked. He blinked at her interruption, but nodded after a moment.

"Yeah... appreciated. I've never really felt... appreciated, before. Not like this anyways," he admitted. Sparky stared at him for a moment longer, before shaking her head,

"Well, you are now," she said honestly, giving him a smile, "Really, the Cakes mean a lot to the ponies here in Ponyville. I haven't been here anywhere near as long as anypony else, and I already can't imagine it without them here. So, thank you,"

Emerald blinked at her response, before a small grin made it's way onto his muzzle,

"Well it's no problem," he replied, walking past her, "It's just what I do,"

* * *

"W-would you like some tea?" the shy mare asked, already walking towards the kitchen,

"That would be lovely Fluttershy," Emerald replied, gently closing the door behind him.

Fluttershy's house was... odd. Bird houses lines the walls, nests hung in the rafters, and pet toys and play areas could be found littering the floor, especially towards the walls.

He guessed it was fairly nice.

He stepped forward, minding the few squirrels and mice that dashed between his hooves.

"So, um... I was hoping... umm..." the mare stuttered as she trotted back into the room, "M-my Dad left when I was a filly, and M-mom d-didn't like talking about him... S-so I don't know much about thestrals..." she trailed off. Emerald nodded,

"So, you want me to tell you about them? Assuming I know more than you," he said, inwardly grinning at the thought of actually teaching someone about his-their species. She gave a shy nod,

"Yeah... if that's okay with you," she muttered. Emerald nodded, smiling,

"Well, alright," he said, before hopping onto the nearby couch, with Fluttershy following his example, at a slower pace, "Well, I guess I'll start with the biggest things. For starters, are you aware of the thestral clans?" he asked. Fluttershy eagerly nodded,

"Oh yes! My dad made sure I knew about them," she said, frowning, "Although, I don't really know why they're so important," she added, fidgeting in place slightly. He hummed,

"Well, the clans are important for a lot of reasons, really," Emerald said, "For starters, Nocturne, the home of the thestrals, is located in the Tramplevanian Mountains. There's always been a lot of inherent difficulties because of that. So, the original leaders decided that it would be best of each clan dedicated themselves to one certain aspect of our society. Some worked as builders, farmers, and teachers. Others worked as guards, hunters, and explorers. Do you understand?" he asked, she nodded, "Good. Now, for the longest time, it stayed that way. And our government is made up of each of those families, with the head of the family working with the other heads to come to big decisions. Over the years the lines between those families have started coming down. Nowadays families that only had hunters might have farmers, or teachers may become guards,"

"A-are there families that take care of animals?" Fluttershy asked as he took a breath,

"Yes," he nodded, "There are also artists, musicians, caretakers, and others that I can't be bothered to mention," he stated. Fluttershy nodded,

"That's fine," she said, before looking away, "Um... do you think my father was a nice thestral?" she asked, Emerald shrugged,

"I don't know. What's his name?" he asked.

"Dusty Skies."

His breath caught in his throat and his blood turned to ice.

Dusty Skies.

That pathetic piece of shit!

Of all the thestrals to be related to, it just _had_ to be his piece of shit uncle?!

He sighed. Well, now that he thought about it, Dusty Skies, while the worst possible parent, was also the most likely.

Most thestrals mate for life. In fact, its become such a strong part of them, that a pair of thestrals actually breaking apart is all but unheard of. Though, that's usually because thestrals only mate with those they have the strongest connection too, so for any thestral to have an unhappy relationship is unlikely.

Dusty Skies, however, is a stallionwhore. Plain and simple.

Honestly, if _he_ was Fluttershy's father, then she probably had about twenty or so siblings she'd likely never meet.

He was a disgrace to the Skies family name, that was probably the one thing that every single Skies member could wholeheartedly agree on.

But disgrace or not, it seemed that Fluttershy is a part of that family, and Skies stick together.

Mostly.

"Is something wrong?" she asked him, breaking him from his thoughts, "I-I didn't say something bad, did I?" her voice quivered, like she was honestly afraid of having offended him. Emerald shook his head,

"No, you didn't Shy. It's just..." he trailed off for a moment, "Dusty Skies is my uncle."

Silence.

Fluttershy stared at him, uncomprehendingly, before her eyes widened suddenly.

"Wh-what?" Emerald chuckled, but there was no mirth,

"Hey, cousin," he joked. She continued staring at him, when her eyes suddenly started watering. A moment passed, and tears began rolling down her cheeks,

"Y-you're... my cousin?" she asked, her voice quieter than usual, he nodded, smiling slightly,

"Yeah. You're a Skies, just like me,"

"I-I'm a... 'Skies'?" he nodded, again.

"Family," he amended.

A moment passed, silent save for the quiet sobs coming from the shy mare before him. He sat there, not sure what to do.

And how would he? He didn't know why she was crying. Was the thought of being related to him that bad?

Before he could ponder any longer, Fluttershy darted forward, wrapping her thin, and surprisingly strong, forelegs around him. She held onto the stunned thestral-in-disguise, quietly crying into his shoulder.

...

What the fuck did he do now?

Carefully, he opened one of his wings and wrapped it around his crying cousin. It seemed like the right thing to do, as her sobs started quieting down.

Finally, after what felt like eternity to the confused stallion, Fluttershy stopped crying.

She didn't let go of him, however, until a few minutes after that.

"I-I'm sorry," she muttered, quietly hopping down from the couch, wiping her eyes with a hoof,

"It's... alright. I suppose it was... something unusual to take in," she shook her head,

"It's not that..." she replied, looking back up at him, her puffy, teal eyes still shining, "It's just... I never really knew anypony from my family. My Mom, my Step-Dad, and my brother... but never anyone from Dusty's side of it. Now... now I have someone. I never had anyone I could talk to about it! Mom couldn't bare to talk, and the others never knew. I couldn't even talk to Rainbow Dash about it because she'd never believe me!" she huffed, suddenly angry, "I had no one to talk to! I couldn't learn anything about him, about anyone!... About me," she lowered her head, breathing a little heavier, "I always thought I was a freak, because Mom never tried talking to me about it. There were some times, growing up, when I did something no other pegasus could. I could see in the dark, I could hear a lot better. I could even eat meat," she admitted, slightly surprising Emerald, "No one helped me, because no one could, or wanted to," she swallowed, before raising her head again, "But now there's you!" she said, her voice becoming stronger as she hopped onto the couch and stared at him hard, "You can help me! You can teach me, help me understand who and what I am!" her eyes began watering again, "P-please! Not even my friends can help..."

Emerald stared back into those watery eyes, stunned.

Before chuckling.

Even someone who seemed so shy, so afraid, could have a fire burning inside, just waiting to burn free.

She truly did have thestral blood in her.

"Of course I'll teach you, cousin,"

* * *

_"So, how'd you end up here?"_

_"I'll tell you later, just help me!"_

_Emerald grinned down at his partner. Somehow, someway, Daring had gotten captured by that fool Ahuizotl, and, within a span of ten minutes, had been tied up in some chamber, and now the walls, lined with spikes, were closing in on her, as spiders and snakes swarmed the area, all the while it was slowly being drenched in quicksand._

_Emerald couldn't help but think Ahuizotl was overcompensating for something._

_Like a brain._

_A moment passed with him just staring at the overly complicated trap, before he chuckled and hopped over to a nearby lever, likely the one that had triggered the, ah, 'clever' trap, and flipped it upward._

_Almost instantly the walls began retracting back and the quicksand was drained into the floor below, allowing Daring the breathing room to tear through the, admittedly weak, bindings holding her._

_"So, about you getting here?"_

_..._

_"Really?" he asked as the two adventurers bolted past rocks and ducked under branches, the sounds of cursing getting quieter behind them, "You just snatch the Statue away and leave?"_

_"Well what did you expect me to do?" the archeologist asked, "Fight him?!"_

_"No, but I was at least assuming you'd have thought of sabotaging some of his gear so he'd be at a disadvantage next time. Assuming there's a next time," Daring gave him a cheeky grin as they ran._

_"Oh come on! This was fun! Hay, I might just write a book about this!"_


	10. Judging the Best Young Fliers!

**This thing did _not_ want to be submitted. I tried like eight times to submit the thing, before the file _finally_ went through.**

**It sucked too, since I'd finished editing the thing, and when it failed I had to _redo_ _every single edit_.**

**Oh well, enjoy this chapter anyways, please!**

* * *

Three weeks had passed since he'd been stabbed, and in those three weeks, he'd slowly grown closer to both Pinkie Pie as well as Fluttershy, whom he'd been teaching about some minor thestrali customs in his free time.

It was... nice.

In fact, he couldn't recall a period before coming to Ponyville that was so...

Peaceful.

There were no issues at night, even in spite of his two-day absence.

Thinking about it now, it was a little suspicious. After all, in three weeks, there had yet to be another attempt on any of the Bearers. Tartarus, those random events that seem to happen every few days hadn't appeared since either!

And to think, he'd spent an entire day just planning on multiple contingency plans for that kind of thing!

Oh well, no plan ever survives first contact with the enemy.

He yawned, his jaw creaking slightly as it stretched. The lack of sleep was catching up with him again. Funny, he'd just been cleared by the Ponyville doctors as having beaten his malnutrition once again, and now he was beginning to suffer from sleep deprivation.

Maybe there was a potion he could brew to help him feel better rested?

Damn, he just reminded himself that he _still_ hadn't visited Zecora _or_ the twins.

He was just digging himself deeper and deeper, huh?

Shaking his head, he quickly jumped out of bed and headed into the restroom, where, after a wonderful shower, he quickly ran through his morning routine.

While it might not seem like it, Emerald took great pride in his ears and fangs, like any self-respecting thestral should.

In fact, the fangs and ears, mostly the ears, were the most treasured part of a thestral's body. Like a pegasi's wings, a unicorn's horn, or an earth pony's hooves, a thestral's ears were the most sensitive and most intimate place they had. It was why he didn't have an issue with Sparky touching his wings almost a month ago.

If she had touched his ears, well, that would be another story _entirely_.

One that would have ended with her in the hospital, if he was being honest.

A quick series of knocks interrupted his thoughts mid-step on the stairway. Frowning slightly, wondering who the hay would be bothering him this far out of town, this early in the morning no less, he jogged over to the door and opened it, revealing the familiar sight of a certain wall-eyed delivery mare.

"Ah, Ditzy. Do I have a package, or are you just saying 'Hi'?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Considering that the princesses, as well as Wisp, were the only ones aware of his current location, and that Ditzy was a very kind mare, the latter wasn't too far out of the question.

Said clumsy mare gave him a bright smile,

"Hi again, Emerald! I've got a letter for ya!" she said brightly, tugging a letter from out of her bag, almost sending the rest flying, "Here ya go!" she added, thrusting it out for him to take, that bright, oblivious smile still stretched across her features. He found himself smiling lightly in return, and took the letter,

"Thanks Ditzy. How's Dinky?" he asked, feeling conversational, her smile widened, somehow,

"She's doing great! My little muffin's such a little smarty, why, I bet she'll make it into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns with no problem!" she gushed, her eyes gleaming at the mention of her pride and joy. Emerald's brow raised in surprise,

"She's aiming to go there?" he asked, stunned when the mare nodded rapidly, "Well, with a mother like you cheering her on, there's no doubt she'll make it," he commented, earning a bright red blush from the gray mare,

"Aw, hush. I just love my little muffin, is all. No matter what she chooses in life I'll cheer her on!... And bake her favourite blueberry muffins!" she said. Emerald's smile dropped slightly at her declaration, but he immediately replaced it,

"That's good, Ditzy. Dinky's lucky to have someone like you," he stated, earning a wide smile,

"Thanks! I appreciate it!" she said, before her eyes drifted, somewhat, to the letter in Emerald's hooves, "Oh horseapples! I gotta go!" she panicked, before jumping into the air and darting away, roughly plowing through a cloud that got in her way as she did so.

Emerald watched the mare rush away, the false smile on his face dropping quickly, and he turned back inside, closing the door behind him.

"... Damn. Still bugs me, huh?" he muttered to himself, then turned his gaze onto the letter, "Well, let's see who's dumb enough to send me a letter," he added, and tore open the letter, before flicking the letter out, catching it in his other hoof.

~_Dear Emerald,_

_Hey bud, it's your old pal, Spitfire! Remember me? 'Course you do. Anyways, it's been a while, hasn't it? Can't wait for the Gala to come around so we can all meet up again like old times! I'm kinda surprised that the tickets haven't been passed around yet, actually._

_But I'm a little pressed for time right now, so I'll get straight to the point._

_You remember the Best Young Fliers Competition a couple months ago, right? Of course not. Some dumbass let a bunch of rouge thunder clouds loose, and it wrecked the Cloudsdale Colosseum. Anyways, we've finally managed to repair the damn thing, and the competition's a couple hours away. I'm sending you this letter because the Wonderbolts and I are supposed to judge this thing, but Soarin, the moron, thought it would be smart to hide the fact he's got the Feather Flu, and most of the others got it too. Now it's just me and Fleetfoot, and we need a third judge. You up for it?_

_Even if you're not, this could be an amazing opportunity for you and me to catch up, you could even bring along Wisp._

_You should be getting a couple V.I.P tickets too, so you can bring whoever you want. Just lemme know, hope you enjoy._

_Spits_

_P.S. Hope you ain't stressing yourself too much again! And you better not be going hungry either! I'll kick your flank if you are!_~

He stared at the letter, the familiar hoofwriting of his old hothead of a friend bringing back some old memories.

Looking back at the envelope, he shook it around, feeling something move around inside. Upending the paper, three silver tickets fell out, each one emblazoned with the Wonderbolts insignia, as well as the words 'Best Young Fliers' in large, gold print, as well as a small lanyard with a card attached reading 'Judge' in black print.

Well, at least something interesting was happening again.

Smirking, he fished around in his saddlebag, which he kept by the door, and brought out a pencil and quickly scrawled an affirmative on the back of the letter, as well as a small request to Luna, before sending it away with the lighter.

It might take him away from his job for a while, but family came before work, even for someone like him.

Hopefully the Cakes won't be too angry.

* * *

"The Best Young Fliers Competition?" Mrs. Cake asked, stacking a layer of cake a top another, which her husband was keeping steady, "Why, I think I remember something about that..." she murmured,

"Oh right!" Mr. Cake began, "Rainbow Dash came in a couple months ago, absolutely furious! She kept repeating something about a flying competition and faulty weather ponies. Was that it?" he asked, returning his attention to the cake they were making when it wobbled dangerously. Emerald nodded, though they weren't paying attention,

"Probably," he said, tossing the rag he was using to the side once he finished with the counter,

"And you want to go?" Mrs. Cake spoke up once more, placing a third, smaller layer a top the large pastry.

"In a sense," Emerald admitted, keeping an eye on the cake they were making, the damn thing was still wobbling, "I've been asked to help judge it, actually,"

"_What?!_" Mr. Cake shouted, unintentionally knocking the cake down, which was quickly caught by Emerald, who gave him the stink-eye along with his wife, "Sorry,"

"A judge?" the pudgy baker asked, "No offense to you, dearie, but, why would somepony want you to judge some little flying contest? Well, aside from... you know," she said, gesturing to his bracelet. He nodded,

"None taken," he said, setting the cake and stand back upright, "But a friend of mine asked for some help. Apparently one of the Wonderbolts caught the Feather Flu and the others contracted it as well, and she needs someone else to take the third seat, and I just so happen to be the first creature she thought of. I'm assuming that, at least. I could've been the last for all I know," he finished.

"Well, I'm not against it, are you Cup?" his wife shook her head,

"Not at all! We've got Pinkie here to help out, and even if something comes up, we've honestly been looking for an excuse to spend some extra time with the foal's room, so it's perfectly alright dearie," she acquiesced. Mr. Cake suddenly shot upright,

"Speaking of spending things, I nearly forgot about your pay for the week," he said, lightly tapping himself on the head, "And here I thought the eyes were the first to go," he joked, trotting passed his wife, and reaching under the counter. Withdrawing a small sack, he tossed it over to the thestral, who caught the small bag with ease.

84 bits, with 2 bits an hour.

He didn't bother counting it, he already knew the Cakes simply didn't have the heart or intention to shortchange him.

Not that it would've mattered, but he didn't let them know that.

"Thanks you two," Emerald replied, grinning lightly, "I'll go break the news to Pinkie, might as well get it out of the way. You two know where she is?" he asked, already turning to the door,

"Twilight came by a little earlier asking for her help with something. Knowing that mare, it probably had something to do with those books of hers," Mrs. Cake joked good-naturedly. He nodded, chuckling,

"Probably. Thanks for the info Mrs. Cake. I'll be back with Pinkie in a bit,"

Closing the door softly behind him, Emerald set off towards Golden Oaks Library.

He let his mind wander as he walked. Predictably, his mind wandered to the three tickets Spits had sent to him. Obviously the badge that came with it would serve as his ticket, so that only left him with the question: Who would those tickets go to?

Wisp was already a choice. No thought or debate would change that decision, so that left two.

Well, he supposed it really wasn't a choice.

Sparky probably wouldn't mind casting a cloudwalking spell on Pinkie for him.

He brought himself out of his musings as he stepped up to the library door, pushing his way inside.

"Hey, Pinkie, Sparky, you here?" he called, easing his way inside,

"Hi Emerald!" came the familiar high-pitched yell. Taking that as an invitation, he quickly walked the rest of the way in and closed the door behind him, before sending his gaze forward.

Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, and Sparky stood before him, with the two unicorns carefully levitating a stack of books above their heads, occasionally sending one into the nearby shelves. The earth duo, however, were stuck taking books from off of the ground, which completely littered the floor, and placing them in, what he assumed was, their proper place.

"... Did a bomb go off in here, or...?" he trailed off, looking around curiously.

"Nope!" Sparky answered in a strangely chipper manner, "The girls were nice enough to offer to help me clean up the mess in the library from my study session over the weekend!" Applejack and Emerald shared a look behind the oblivious mare's back, one of them more amused than the other,

"A... 'study session'? What did you do? Empty the shelves and pick up some random books to read?" Emerald asked.

"Of course not!" the lavender mare replied hotly, "I went down a list I made, systematically going over each and every single book I found necessary and writing down my findings on Starswirl the Bearded's theory on the magical signatures found in everyday plant life!" she added, excitedly.

Rarity added her own stare into the mix, giving the bookworm a trio of deadpanned expressions sent her way, though she remained oblivious.

He sighed,

"Whatever, Sparky," he muttered, before turning to Pinkie, "Anyways, Pinkie, I came by to tell you that I'm heading up to Cloudsdale for the day,"

"Cloudsdale?!" Pinkie asked, zipping over to Emerald, unaware of the wave of books she'd sent cascading over the farm mare, who yelped in distress, "Oooh! Are you heading up there for the Best Young Fliers Competition?!" she asked excitedly, bouncing in his face.

"'Best Young Fliers Competition'?" came the confused voice of Sparky, who'd stopped placing her books away to look at them, "What's that?"

"You really need to get out more, Twilight," Pinkie responded, "Anyways, the Best Young Fliers Competition is a contest that's supposed to pit fliers against other fliers to show off their different flying styles!" she gushed, "Some are super fast! Or even super duper graceful!" she added, hopping into a pose, only to fall over.

"Good thing you're not entering. I don't think Cloudsdale could handle all of your, ah, '_grace_', Pinkie," Emerald joked, earning laughs from the mares, "That being said-" he produced a single silver ticket from under his wing, "-I don't suppose you'd like to go watch?" he added, causing the mares to suddenly gasp. Pinkie froze from her position on the ground, staring up at Emerald, or, rather, the silver ticket, stunned.

Then she exploded upwards in motion, snatching the ticket from his hooves and almost knocking him over when she barreled into his chest in a tight hug.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" she cried, nuzzling her cheek into his chest like a little filly.

"You have an extra ticket to the Best Young Fliers Competition?" Rarity asked, stunned, "But, those have been sold out for months!" she said. Emerald shrugged, pulling out the other two tickets, further stunning the other mares, sans Pinkie who was too busy staring excitedly at hers,

"I have a friend who wanted me to come along. I'm already taking my sister, and Pinkie. I was thinking of giving the other to Fluttershy," he admitted.

Not like it was really important information.

"She already has a ticket," Rarity said, causing Emerald to frown, "Rainbow Dash asked her to go so she could support her for the contest," He clicked his tongue,

"Really?" she nodded, "Damn. Now wh-... hold on... do you girls hear that?" he asked.

It was faint, but steadily growing louder. Something small and moving fast was making its way towards the library. He walked over to the window, aiming for a better vantage point, when he realized what the sound was.

"Get down!" he snapped, ducking underneath the window, just as a blue blur shot through, somehow not hitting anything, before it crashed into the far wall, sending the neatly organized books careening into the air, before gravity took effect and the books fell, blanketing the floor, and the mares along with them.

Well, that was interesting.

Like moles, the mare's heads soon popped back out from their paper ridden prison. Crash unsteadily rose to her hooves, the other girls shakily following her example moments afterwards. Before anyone could start berating the mare for wasting their clean up, Fluttershy flew in through the window, under her own power, unlike the previous entree.

"Rainbow Dash, you rock! Woohoo!" the quiet mare said, her voice barely above a whisper, highly contrasting the excited nature of those words. She noticed the condition of the library, and the ponies in it, a moment later, however, "Oh my! Did my cheering do that?" she asked innocently, looking around with worried eyes. Emerald snorted,

"Oh, I'm so glad you're my cousin," he muttered, before turning to her, "No Shy, your cheering didn't do anything," he assured her, making her nod,

"Oh, good. I was afraid I'd been too loud," she replied, smiling gently.

Emerald nearly doubled over in amusement.

Why was his cousin so adorable?

Damn, never thought he'd ever so much as think that word.

This town was making him soft.

Shit.

"Sorry everypony," Crash said, finally shaking off her dizziness, "That was a truly feeble performance," she groaned,

"Oh it wasn't that bad!" Fluttershy kindly assured the mare, "I thought it was wonderful! I especially liked it when you made those clouds spin!" Crash scoffed,

"Not my performance! I'm talking about yours! That feeble cheering!" she clarified.

"What are you girls arguing about?" Rarity asked the two, causing Fluttershy to frown slightly,

"Were we arguing? I'm sorry," the shy mare apologized unnecessarily. Emerald snorted again, patting the naive mare on the back. Crash groaned,

"Ugh, I wish you girls could come to Cloudsdale and watch me perform in the Best Young Fliers Competition! Fluttershy's good support, but her cheering isn't exactly inspirational,"

"Ooh! Ooh! I'm going Dashie!" Pinkie nearly shouted in excitement, waving the silver ticket in her face, "Isn't it great!? Emerald gave me a ticket!"

"What?!" Crash shouted, before turning to him, "How did _you_ get a ticket to the Best Young Fliers Competition?!"

He blinked.

Was that supposed to be an insult of some kind?

Eh, he'd heard far worse.

"Friend of mine sent it to me, along with two other V.I.P tickets. One of which is for my sister, and the other was supposed to be for Fluttershy here, but I heard she already had one," he said, glancing at the now sheepish looking pegasus.

"Sorry,"

"Well, how the hay is Pinkie supposed to get up to Cloudsdale?! She's not even a pegasus!" Crash insisted, glaring at him. Emerald shrugged,

"Ever heard of magic, Crash?" he asked, "'Cause that stuff's pretty handy,"

She growled at him.

"Oh! I can't wait to see you do a Sonic Rainboom! I've never seen one but I can't help but imagine how awesome it would be!" Pinkie continued prancing about happily,

"What's a 'Sonic Rainboom'?" Sparky asked. Emerald sighed,

"A Sonic Rainboom," Emerald began, catching everyone's attention, "Is a magical phenomona unique to pegasi. When a pegasus gets going fast enough to cause a Sonic Boom, their pegasus magic, if it has the right ratio's of flight, weather, and wind magic, could cause a rainbow to happen at the exact same time, causing a Sonic Rainboom. As it stands, while many pegasi can perform a regular Sonic Boom-" Crash snorted at that, obviously not believing him, "-very few have the right makeup. Many have come close, but to this day, only one has succeeded. Aside from its inventor, Commander Hurricane, no one has _ever_ performed the Sonic Rainboom,"

"Nopony except Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie cut in, grinning widely. Emerald looked at her,

"What?" he asked, before scoffing, "Please. I know a thing or two about rainbows, and I've never heard of anyone else performing a Sonic Rainboom,"

"_You_ know a thing or two about rainbows?" Sparky asked, "What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Emerald fidgeted slightly, before sighing,

"Ever since I saw my first rainbow as a foal, I've been a little... enamored with them," he admitted, "So I did my research on them when I got... the free time," he added.

"Well," Crash began, "to be fair, it was when I was just a little filly,"

"Yeah, but I betcha'll do it again!" Pinkie gushed, "It's gonna be _soo_ amazing! Right?!" Crash swallowed a nervous gulp, but managed to speak,

"A-are you kidding? I-I'm the greatest flier to come out of Cloudsdale! I could do a Sonic Rainboom in my sleep!" she boasted, though the nervous stutter detracted from the overall image in Emerald's opinion,

"Well, with that kind of attitude, you'll definitely win!" Sparky encouraged,

"I hope so!" Crash breathed, "The grand prize is an entire day with the Wonderbolts!" Emerald hid a smirk, "Imagine that! A whole day in the company of the greatest aerial flight team in all of Equestria! It'll be a dream come true!"

"Yay!" came the quiet cheer from the shy mare, causing Emerald to snort again. Crash and the others gave Fluttershy a deadpan stare, though it held more amusement from the others. During the moment of near silence, Emerald heard a faint thud from upstairs.

"Well, anyways. Shy and I have to head up to Cloudsdale. The competition is in a couple hours, and I definitely can't miss it! Hehe," she said, before turning to Fluttershy, "You, on other the other hoof, better keep practicing!" she snapped, before flying out the window she came in from, leaving the five ponies and thestral behind.

Fluttershy sighed and turned to the girls and Emerald, just as an unfamiliar sight made its way down the nearby stairs.

The young drake had soft purple scales, with a light green underbelly and set of spines running down his back, ending at his spade-tipped tail. His large, green reptilian eyes shined with a youthfulness that usually was not present in dragons his age, a testament to his time spent with ponykind.

Emerald frowned slightly as the young drake coughed, earning the attention of the ponies in the room, and unintentionally cutting Fluttershy off before she could speak,

"Hey, uh, Twilight?" the drake spoke, his voice high and coltish, he was probably around school-age, "You got a letter from the princess," he said, showing the lavender mare a rolled up bit of yellow-ish parchment, sealed up by a red ribbon. It glowed with a faint purple light, before it floated over to Sparky,

"Thanks Spike," she said, smiling at the young drake, "It's nice to see you're finally awake," she added, smiling knowingly. He held his claws up in a defensive gesture,

"Can you blame me?" he asked, "You've been studying all weekend! I think I deserve sleeping in today!" he snapped without heat, causing Sparky's cheeks to flush,

"Right, right," she laughed, "Well, uh..."

"Well, we've been working all day too helping out our dear Twilight," Rarity began, seemingly oblivious to the sudden change in the drake's behavior, namely the dopey eyes he was now directing at her, "Could you help us clean this up? I'm afraid Rainbow Dash made a mess of things," she added, fluttering her eyelashes at him.

"O-of course Lady Rarity! I'd be honoured!" the drake sputtered, almost tripping over himself as he began feverishly picking up books.

Sparky threw Rarity a dark look, though it wasn't noticed.

"Thank you Spike," Sparky responded stiffly, obviously displeased, but used to this behavior, much to Emerald's amusement, "Anyways..." she trailed off, opening the letter, "Ahem. '_Dear Twilight Sparkle. It has recently come to my attention that the Best Young Fliers Competition is finally being held after the unfortunate damages caused a few months ago. As you may know, my sister and I will be overseeing the contest as extra judges alongside the Wonderbolts and their guest judge_.'" Emerald grinned, "'_As such, I have noticed that your friend, Rainbow Dash, will be participating. I pulled a few strings and got you and your friends some extra tickets to the performance. I hope to see you there. Sincerely, Princess Celestia. And Princess Luna, whom is currently staring over my shoulder as I write this_.'"

Emerald snickered.

A sudden, sheepish chuckle came from the young drake, who then pulled out three silver tickets,

"Hehe, I, uh, almost forgot about these,"

As Sparky took the tickets from the sheepish drake, Emerald couldn't help but sigh.

Three tickets.

Just enough for Sparky, Applejack, and Rarity.

Obviously, the princess had somehow become aware of Emerald's newfound appreciation for the pink mare.

Luna probably found something in his dreams that tipped her off, and she shared the information with Celestia.

Dammit Luna, she promised not to muck about in his dreams. Now what the fuck was he gonna do with his extra ticket?

He with held a sigh, however. It's not like it really mattered.

Looking back towards the now excited mares, whom were excitedly chattering about the competition. It was likely they wouldn't question the whole thing, merely chalking it up to Celestia's 'wisdom' or some such.

Besides. It's not like it'll hurt anyone. They'll figure it out when they see him judging the contest anyways.

On that subject, Emerald idly wondered if he should be worried about it. After a moment of thought, however, he decided he had no reason too. Being friends/siblings with Spitfire had absolutely nothing to do with his job, so he really didn't have to keep it secret at all. It was more of a preference in the end.

Shrugging, Emerald walked towards the mares,

"This is wonderful!" Fluttershy spoke, "She's practiced the Sonic Rainboom a thousand times! I wasn't sure if my cheering would've been enough for her!" she admitted, relieved,

"Are you kiddin'?" Applejack asked suddenly, "She seemed pretty confident to me. Tootin' her horn louder than a tuba player in a marchin' band!" Emerald rolled his eyes,

"You obviously can't read body language or tone very well," he snarked, catching their attention, "She was stuttering, and her voice lacked any firmness in it. Not to mention, she wouldn't look any of you in the eye," he said. Rarity nodded,

"Exactly! And I've seen and held enough fashion shows to recognize stage fright when I see it!" she stated firmly, before turning to Sparky, "Now, go on! Find a spell that'll get us wingless ponies into Cloudsdale!"

"And dragon," Emerald spoke up suddenly, an idea coming to mind, "I still have an extra ticket, and I might as well give it to Spike here, since he's been listening in the whole time," he reasoned, flicking it over to the young drake.

"Awesome!" he gushed, snatching it out of the air. Sparky threw Emerald an appreciative look, before looking around, scowling slightly,

"Well, how the hay do you expect anypony to find a flight spell in THIS mess?!" she snapped,

"A flight spell?" Pinkie asked, before snatching a book from off the ground and throwing it over to the bookish mare, "Here ya go! Page twenty-seven!"

"How did you do that?" Emerald asked, watching as Sparky's eyes widened in surprise,

"It fell on my face when Rainbow crashed in here! Convenient, huh?!" she said excitedly,

"Yeah. Convenient," he muttered.

"Here it is!" Sparky shouted, holding the book up, "A spell that should allow earth ponies and unicorns to fly for three days," she grimaced suddenly, walking forward, "Ooh, it looks pretty difficult. I'm not sure I could do it for all of us. At least at my current level," she resigned. Emerald shrugged,

"Just use a clou-"

"Well you've got to try!" Rarity encouraged, cutting Emerald off, much to his annoyance, "For Rainbow Dash!"

"Well, if you're gonna ignore me..."

"Well... alright," Sparky agreed, unintentionally ignoring Emerald as well, "But, who'll be the test subject?" she asked, looking around.

The other three mares winced slightly, with Emerald and Fluttershy watching on. Emerald sneered suddenly, looking for a little payback,

"How about Rarity?" he suggested, "It _was_ her idea," he snarked, grinning wickedly. The mare in question paled slightly, despite her white coat, before giving a resigned sigh,

"Well, alright. For Rainbow Dash, I will go first!"

"Okay, everypony, could you step back a little?" Sparky asked, moving a few feet away from the anxiously waiting mare, "I'd rather not have anypony get in the way. It's a pretty complex spell, and who knows what could happen if I screw it up,"

"Way to give us some confidence," Emerald sneered, before grinning a little as the mare flushed in embarrassment, "You'll be fine," he amended, figuring he might as well be a little encouraging as well.

Sparky gulped slightly, before closing her eyes and focusing.

A moment passed, before her horn started glowing a brilliant purple. A pair of electric blue ribbons flew from her horn, and began to wrap themselves around Rarity, lifting her off the ground as they cocooned her. Emerald managed to catch her sending Sparky a worried look, before the ribbons covered her face.

Once Rarity was fully encased in the spell, a small glowing orb emerged from Sparky's horn, emitting a faint aura. It stopped a foot away from the concentrating mare, before flashing brightly, magical sparks arcing outwards, before it suddenly burst, bathing the entire room in a brilliant white light, knocking Sparky backwards, causing her to collide with Emerald, who had closed his eyes and folded his ears in preparation of a loud sound or bright light.

The two of them flew backward, sandwiching him between Sparky and the bookcase he'd been standing in front of.

Twilight opened her eyes, only to have to blink away the spots in her vision. Her head was pounding slightly, though it was debatable if it was from either from the impact or the drain of the spell.

She leaned back slightly, feeling exhausted from the spell. Rather than the somewhat cool feeling of the wall that she'd been expecting, she found herself leaning into something warm.

She adjusted herself, searching for a more comfortable spot to rest, and ended up pressing the side of her face against the warm surface, when she heard something.

_***BA-DUMP* *BA-DUMP***_

She smiled slightly, finding the strange, but constant, sound of the beat rather comforting.

_***BA-DUMP* *BA-DUMP* *BA-DUMP***_

_Huh. That's odd_, she thought, _it kinda sounds like a heartbeat._

"You comfortable there, Sparky?" came an amused voice from just above her, just as a sudden draft passed over her ear, sending almost pleasant shivers down her spine.

Her eyes shot open, before she slowly, almost agonizingly, looked upwards.

And amethyst met sapphire.

She couldn't help but stare for a moment, finding those deep blues almost entrancing. They were so deep, so vast, like the endless sky. She felt a small spark ignite within her as she stared, and she found herself searching hungrily for the answer.

Emerald was... amused.

It seemed that Sparky was a little distracted by something, and was busy staring at him like a particularly interesting new book.

And yet, there was something else residing in those eyes of hers. They shined with unrestrained awe, peering deep into his soul, desperately, and almost reverently, searching for something. Glowing with an almost timid power, he could practically see the tidal wave of magic coursing through this mare's very being. But what struck him the most, was the unrestrained joy floating in those bright eyes.

As if she'd found something that made her happy.

And, yet, he found himself feeling... unsettled.

"You can get off of me, ya know?"

Twilight blinked, slowly coming to her own senses. Once her brain finally began working once more, she turned red and promptly shoved herself away from the thestral, feeling absolutely mortified.

That was _soo_ embarrassing!

Now Emerald probably thought she was some creep, or even worse! A little love-struck filly who couldn't stop staring into somepony's eyes!

Oh, she really hoped she hadn't screwed up the sort-of-friendship she'd managed with him!

She shook her head. No time for that! The wing spell she'd cast on Rarity should have worked, now all she had to... do was...

"Woah..." the word escaped her lips as she finally turned back to her test-_friend_. She meant friend.

Wide butterfly wings, far wider than Rarity was tall, spread outward from her back, glistening with faint dewdrops. They shimmered in the line, shining with so many colours Twilight doubted she could name even half. Large strips of her new wings stood out in greens and blues, and even yellows and pinks, bathing the room in an almost supernatural glow as the light dared filter through the glorious image of those wonderful wings.

"I, uh... I think it worked," she managed dumbly.

* * *

Emerald yawned, his jaw stretching wide, subtle cracks emanating from him, so quiet that even he barely heard.

A giggle caught his attention, bidding him to turn to face the ecstatic unicorn, who performed dainty spins and spirals with the use of her new butterfly wings, once or twice coming dangerously close to the balloon and Sparky, Pinkie, Applejack, and Spike resided in.

Pinkie had, predictably, roped him into making the journey with them as they made their way to Cloudsdale in Sparky's hot air balloon. Not that he minded. It was rather... cute to see the way Sparky suddenly started avoiding his gaze.

Although he wasn't quite as fond of the giddy, knowing grin Pinkie started sending her.

It spelled trouble. Not just for Sparky, but for him as well.

Shame he'd have to deal with it.

"Ya know, Rarity," Emerald began, "Sparky over there said those things were made of morning dew and gossamer. If you end up damaging them and plummeting to your death because of your little tricks, I might just spend too long debating on whether to save you or not to do anything," Emerald threatened easily. Unfortunately, the effect was lost on the happy mare, who merely sent him a wink as she passed by once more,

"Oh don't be so dramatic dear colt," she admonished him, as if he were a child, "You're simply jealous of these absolutely _gorgeous_ wings of mine!" she gushed, staring lovingly at said appendages out of the corner of her eye.

Emerald sighed,

"Yeah, because I'd prefer a pair of dainty little magic twigs over my own damned limbs," he muttered darkly, slowing down his pace, until he came eye to eye with the mares in the balloon's basket. "You know, I was just going to suggest that cloudwalking spell in the beginning, before I was interrupted by that mare," he said, jabbing a hoof at Rarity, before dropping it back down. Applejack sighed,

"I wish ya did, sugarcube. I dunno iffin' I can handle any more of that mare gushin' over those fancy new wings o'hers," the farm mare whispered back at him, as if worried the fashionista would overhear. Sparky sighed, irritably,

"Come on you two," she gently scolded, also keeping her voice down, "I know Rarity's being a bit annoying right now, but this is for Dash!" she said.

"Please," Emerald remarked, not bothering to correct her, "I wouldn't be surprised if Rarity got so caught up in her wings that she forgot all about the competition,"

Faust, for all he knew, she might even end up trying to join the damn thing!

Thankfully, there were procedures for last minute entrees, being that there could be none, so it wasn't much of a worry.

Turning his thoughts away from the nuisances that surrounded him, he picked up his pace.

He wondered if Luna had brought Wisp like he'd asked. Hopefully she did, it would be wonderful to spend time with the little filly again. Shame it had been so long she'd he'd last visited her up in Canterlot.

He idly wondered if there was a way for them to spend more time together.

The rest of the trip to Cloudsdale passed by absurdly quickly, but it wasn't until Rarity decided to fly a little bit ahead of them all, that Emerald started paying attention again.

He gaze flew upward, taking in the large, floating city.

Cloudsdale was a large, floating empire that spanned miles across the sky. Made almost entirely of cloud, it served as the largest collection of flying creatures in all of Equestria. With buildings designed from the old, pre-unification days, Cloudsdale, despite the modern attachments to the city, remained as it always had been. A fortress in the sky, designed to strike down upon its enemies from above, smiting them with lightning.

Shame there wasn't enough colour. You'd think a pegasus city would have more rainbows.

Pity.

"Rarity?! Are you _flying_?!" came a sudden shout, from a familiar voice, prompting Emerald to cease his scan of the city, as well as his critical assessment of Cloudsdale's lack of rainbows.

"I most certainly am!~" the butterfly-mare sang, doing a gentle loop in sky, before floating over to her friends, "Aren't my wings absolutely smashing?! Twilight made them for me, and I just absolutely adore them!" she squealed. Emerald sighed, darting forward and landing roughly on the ground, startling Fluttershy,

"Yeah, you haven't shut up about 'em either," he snarked, before smirking at Crash's stupefied gaze, "Damn, if you think her wings are shocking, just wait 'till the others get here,"

"_Others_?!" Crash asked him, looking in his direction as if he was crazy.

Rather than answer her, Emerald merely smirked and directed her gaze over to a patch of cloud that had begun to swell, before the cloud burst, revealing the balloon that had carried the three mares and dragon all the way there.

"Wow! This is amazing!" Crash shouted, grinning brightly at her friends as the balloon touched down,

"I can't believe you all made it!" Fluttershy added quietly, but no less excited,

"Are you kidding?!" Pinkie asked, "We wouldn't miss this for the world!" she shouted, jumping out of the balloon.

"WAIT!" Crash shouted, her voice laced with honest concern, only for it to turn to befuddlement once she saw, not only Pinkie, but Sparky and Applejack standing on the cloudy surface.

"How did you do that?" she asked as Pinkie cartwheeled passed her, giggling happily,

"Well," Sparky began, "I found a spell that grants a pony temporary wings, but that was too difficult for me to do more than once. Luckily, Emerald knew about a spell that let's ponies walk on clouds!"

"And dragons too!" Spike cut in, looking far too excited to be irritated, Sparky laughed,

"Yeah, and dragons too!"

"Nice! Hehe, I'm real glad you're all here. To be honest, I was beginning to feel just a little bit nervous. Hehe," the athletic mare admitted sheepishly, before brightening up, "Hey! We've got some time before the competition! How about Shy and I give you girls, and guys, a tour 'roud Cloudsdale?" she offered.

"Well now, that sounds mighty fine ta me!"

"I've always wanted to learn more about Cloudsdale!"

"Ooh, a chance to show off these lovely wings of mine? Of course!"

"Wooh! This is gonna be so much FUN!"

"Cool!"

With those excited mutterings, the Ponyvillians all began walking away excitedly, but it was Pinkie who stopped them surprisingly,

"Hold on," she said, uncharacteristically serious, before about-facing abruptly, glaring after Emerald's retreating form, "Emerald! Where are you going?!"

Her yell prompted the other mares, and drake, to look after the thestral, who turned back, grinning cheekily

"I told you gals earlier. I have a sister to meet up with. Besides, my friend'll kill me if I'm late for the competition," he said, giving them all a slight wave with his wing, "I'll see you lot later," he finished, before turning back and walking off into the crowd, leaving the Ponyvillians behind.

Pinkie pouted slightly, before brightening up,

"Oh well! I'm sure he'll be having tons of fun with his sister and friend!" she assured herself, and began hopping in the direction they'd been going previously. Twilight and Applejack shared a somewhat amused look, before following their hyper friend.

Although, Twilight couldn't help but wonder.

Just who was this friend of Emerald's? How did they get, not one, not two, but _three_ tickets, four including his own, to an event that's been sold out for months? Was it the same friend from the Flim and Flam incident? And finally...

What would she be able to learn about Emerald from them?

* * *

Emerald trotted casually amongst the crowd, searching around for any sign of that familiar filly.

From what he knew, Wisp would've snuck away from Luna the moment she heard that he'd arrived in Cloudsdale.

Bless her little heart, that little rebellious side was probably the only thing about her that she'd really gotten from him.

Which, in hindsight, was probably a good thing.

He noticed a jackhammer fall from a couple clouds above him, but disregarded it as an accident a moment later. At least, he would've if it wasn't for a sudden screeching that permeated the air after the hammer hit.

It seemed he was the only one to hear it, as no one else around him so much as twitched in response. Emerald darted forward, zipping through the throng of pegasi, with the occasional griffon, until he finally came to the source of the screech.

His eyes darted around the area, taking in as many details as he could.

It seemed to be a park, with multiple sets of cloudy playground equipment littering the area. It seemed the jackhammer had landed smack dab in the center of the clearing, and, from the looks of it, it hadn't hit anyone.

It didn't stop the foals and parents from looking up worriedly, though.

The screeching reached his ears again, this time from directly above him. Before he could check, he felt a slight, but noticeable, weight settle onto his back. He analyzed its shape and size for a moment, but just before he realized what, or rather who, it was, a voice called out.

"Bolero, come back! Big Sis Luna's gonna be mad if she found out you're scaring ponies again!" came the young, high-pitched squeal of a little filly.

Emerald quickly directed his gaze to its source, finding a familiar face jogging up to him, though with her gaze focused on the weight on his back.

Whisper Moon, or Wisp for short, was a medium-cobalt filly, with a silvery white mane and tail that flowed from her body in gentle waves, a little blue horn peeked through at the top. Her bright orange eyes gleamed cheerfully from behind a pair of silver-framed, rectangular glasses. A bright red heart gleamed upon her flank, the white star in the center denoting her love for practicing her magic.

She to a stop at Emerald's side, pouting adorably up at the figure on his back, yet still didn't realize that her dear older brother stood in front of her.

Emerald gave a light smile, turning to face the creature on his back.

Bolero was a small yellow fruit bat, whose bright yellow colour still, to this day, reminded Emerald of a lemon. His ears jutted upwards from his skull, easily a bit longer than his little head. Small, yet sharp, fangs jutted from his upper lip, gleaming slightly in the sunlight. A pair of bright yellow wings wrapped around his torso as he sat upon Emerald's back, having recognized his owner long before the little filly he'd been living with for the past few years now had.

Bolero screeched lightly at the little filly, who only pouted harder,

"But Bolero! You know that Big Bro Emerald's gonna be here soon!" she challenged the bat. Bolero, the smart little bugger, just stared at her for a moment, before hopping over to rest atop Emerald's head, being mindful of his ears. Predictably, Wisp's eyes trailed after her troublesome pet, but wavered downward slightly when he rested above his perch's face.

Wisp blinked slightly as her gaze met with a familiar pair of amused blues, before she gasped,

"Emerald!" she shouted excitedly, before glomping her dear brother, who laughed at her antics,

"Hey Wisp," he returned the hug easily, and tilted his head, "And hey to you too, Bolero. You haven't been giving little Wisp trouble, right?" He felt the bat rapidly shake his head as he hopped back to his owner's back, just as Wisp dislodged from her brother, looking annoyed,

"He totally has! He always screeches in my ear to wake me up, then he sometimes steals my glasses and makes me chase after him! Big Sis Luna had to a put a spell on 'em to keep 'em from bein' stolen!" Emerald smirked, turned to face the little bat with an amused grin,

"Really now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow when Bolero turned his head away, attempting to look innocent, "Well, I'll deal with you later, bud," Returning his gaze down his his little sister, Emerald grinned, "So, how's life been treating you at the castle?"

"It's been fun!" the filly squeaked, "Rosy's been helping me with my magic since Miss Light left!" she frowned slightly, "I miss Miss Light..." she murmured. Emerald smiled at her gently. He'd never met this 'Miss Light', but whoever she was, she'd helped his little sister grow in her magic capabilities faster than he'd thought possible.

"Well, I'm sure we'll meet her again someday. Then you can spend all your time learning from her again," he replied, cheering up the little filly almost immediately,

"Yeah! Definitely!" Emerald chuckled at her excited manner, before turning,

"Come on Wisp. Let's see if we can't find Spits and get ourselves a little tour of Cloudsdale, hmm?"

"Ooh! I can't wait to see Big Sis Spitfire again!"

* * *

"Well, well, well. Look at what the cat dragged in!"

Emerald chuckled at the sound of the familiar, scratchy voice.

He and Wisp had made it all the way to the Cloudsdale Colosseum, searching for their sister-by-bond, to little avail. Thankfully, it seemed she decided to reveal herself.

Emerald and Wisp both turned to the source of the voice, whom was now walking towards them with her signature cocky grin.

Spitfire was an athletic mare, down to the bone. Her brilliant orange fur did nothing to hide the years of toned muscle that rippled across her form. Her fiery orange mane lie slicked slightly backwards, giving her an air of professionalism. Darker orange eyes gleamed with experience, as well as a darker light that belayed years beyond her age. Her toned legs strutted across the cloudy floor, sending up light puffs of cloud with every step. Her flaming wing of a cutie mark stood proudly atop her also toned flank.

Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts, stopped in front of him and Wisp, only to be nearly knocked over when the excitable filly glomped her as well.

"So, how's the guard treatin' ya?" Spits asked the taller thestral by her side, keeping an eye on little Wisp as she looked around the market with wide eyes.

"Eh, they're fine. Being in both the Elite Solar and Lunar Guard is... actually fairly easy for me," he replied, grinning at his happy little sister, which triggered a new thought, "How's the hunt for your sister going?"

The three of them, four if Bolero was counted, had decided to go for a walk around Cloudsdale, with Spits giving the two of them a small tour of the places she tended to frequent. As it was, plenty of the pegasi, and even the griffons and the, very, rare dragon parted in front of them, likely because of Spits, if the awed gazes they were sending her way meant what Emerald thought they did.

They had to speak in hushed voices to keep others from hearing their conversation, as well as having to tug lightly on Wisp's tail whenever she accidentally strayed too far from them.

"Everything's easy for you, Emm," Spits scoffed, "I'd bet you a thousand bits that you STILL haven't found something you're bad at. As for my sister..." she sighed, "No dice," he frowned at the despondent tone, but shook it off,

"I still don't understand ponies very well, Spits, does that count?" he admitted jokingly, she laughed, his attempt at humor cheering her up rather quickly.

"Oh please! Even I don't understand other ponies very well!" The two of them laughed for a bit, enjoying each other's company.

They lapsed into silence for few minutes, finally making it out of the market.

Emerald was content. Spending time with family, even if it was just two members of it, made him happy. It had been so long since he'd last spent time with his family, his _real_ family.

Sure, Fluttershy and him shared blood. But if there was one thing he understood above all others, it was that blood didn't make you family. It was the bonds you shared with others that made them family.

While he'd immediately give anyone who shared blood with him a chance to forge that bond, it didn't change the fact that he didn't truly consider her family. Not yet, anyways.

He looked over at Spitfire and Wisp, the latter of whom was being regaled with tales about life as a Wonderbolt from the former. He couldn't help the joyful smile lighting up his face at the sight of his precious little sister being happy.

She'd lost so much when she was young, and even more when they finally escaped. It was good to see her happy. It made him happy to know that he played a significant part in that cute little smile on her face.

The moment was slightly ruined when the sound of static filled the air, the source coming form the many intercoms laced throughout the city,

"EXCUSE ME EVERYPONY! THE BEST YOUNG FLIERS COMPETITION WILL BEGIN IN ONE HOUR! NOW'S THE TIME TO MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE CLOUDESSEUM!"

The static continued for a moment, before it cut out.

Emerald sighed irritably at having his little moment of joy ruined.

Being near Wisp made him happy. Thanks to him judging the damn thing, he wouldn't get to spend a lot of time with her, especially when Luna and Celestia had to take her back to the castle.

It was shame he had to move around so much. If he could just stay stuck in one place for an... indeterminate amount... of...

_Ohohoo!~_

He couldn't stop the massive grin threatening to split his face in two. Thankfully he toned it down slightly as he turned to the two mares,

"Well, you heard the pony you two!" he said, his voice was far too chipper for him, but he really didn't care at the moment, "C'mon! We don't wanna be late, now, do we?"

Both Spitfire and Wisp shared a look.

Did they even want to know?

* * *

Twilight sighed, burying her face in her hooves.

Emerald was right. Rarity _did_ get so caught up in those stupid wings of hers that she totally forgot about Rainbow Dash!

Now that mare had somehow charmed her way into entering the competition at the last second, and there was nothing the four of them could do!

Hopefully, everything would turn out all right.

She brought her gaze back up. at least the Colosseum was nice.

Tall pillars spewed from the clouds below, easily towering over any building back in Ponyville, stretching all the way up to the highest point. A series of steps behind her and her friends spiraled throughout the outer ring, giving any non-flight capable creature access to their seats, which Twilight was quite thankful for. Large, cushiony clouds acted as their designated seats, each cloud allowing six ponies to comfortably sit atop them.

In hindsight, it was a good thing Rarity had joined the contest, according to their tickets, they would've been split up into different sections. Thankfully, the tickets Pinkie and Spike got from Emerald were marked in their booth, so they managed to stay together.

Though, she was just the slightest bit nervous as to who their sixth spectator would be, if there was one.

Turning her thoughts away, she glanced up at the Princess's booth, where both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna sat, with a large blue heart adorned with a sun standing proudly behind them, a large statue of an alicorn shadowing them from behind.

She could've sworn she saw Princess Luna throwing a slightly peeved glance back at the sun behind her, but she was certain that was just her imagination.

Just like the small yellow bat resting on the lunar co-ruler's back was likely just a trick of the light.

"So, is there anythin' we can do fer Dash?" Applejack asked behind her,

"Oh, I don't know," Fluttershy responded meekly, "Rarity seemed awfully determined,"

"Well didn't she see how sad she was making Dashie?!" Pinkie snapped, unusually angry.

"Excuse me!" came a small voice form behind the five, cutting off any reply to Pinkie's statement. Twilight and the others turned around, finding a little blue filly staring up at them, "Um, is this booth five? I'm s'pposed to be in booth five!"

"It sure as sugar is!" Applejack responded warmly, previous trepidation forgotten, making room for the little filly to hop onto the cloud with them. She smiled up at Applejack, before jumping up onto the cloud with the older ponies and drake,

"Thank you miss!" she chirped happily, adjusting her glasses with an orange glow of magic.

Twilight stared at the filly, heavy rings of familiarity sounding her head. She looked just like a filly she used to tutor in magic back in Canterlot, but there was no way...

Unless...

"_Whisper_?" she asked, causing the small pony to turn to face her. The two unicorns stared at each other for a moment, before little Whisper gasped,

"Miss Light!" she gushed, jumping up and glomping the stunned mare, "I missed you _so_ much! Why'd ya go?!" she asked sadly, looking up at the mare she was hugging with her big orange eyes.

Twilight's heart lurched slightly at the adorable sight. She had no idea that Whisper had missed her!

She winced internally.

She remembered the day she met Whisper. It had been a regular day back then. She'd woken up, had three cups of coffee, as was her standard back then, and gotten straight into her studies in the library.

Moondancer had come by at some point, but Twilight had, in her mind, politely declined whatever invitation the mare had tried to give her. She'd then become engrossed in her studies, not even realizing that somepony had come into the library to check something out until Spike practically tore the book she'd been reading from her magical grasp.

She had been angry with him, initially, but had calmed slightly when she saw the adorable little filly behind him, looking confused. Back than, Whisper's mane and tail had been significantly shorter, and she was nowhere near as excitable as she appeared now, and, most notably, had lacked a cutie mark back then. She had tried to get her whatever books she needed as quickly as she could, but the filly had found interest in her own research instead.

She'd been greatly annoyed at first, but her prickly behavior didn't faze the filly in the slightest. If anything, her irritated behavior seemed to put Whisper at ease, as if she was used to dealing with somepony of a similar attitude.

She wasn't sure how she'd managed to get her to start showing off some of the spells she'd been researching, and, eventually, the filly asked if she could teach her.

At first, she was stunned. She'd always greatly admired her teacher, and often wished she could give somepony else the exact same joy she always felt with her teacher. The fact that a little filly had been standing in front of her, asking to be taught had made Twilight ecstatic!

So, from that day on, Twilight dutifully, and even happily, began teaching Whisper about magic. She was only ten at the time, and, for some reason, it seemed her magical growth had been stunted by something. But, thanks to Twilight's almost strict lesson plan, her magic began to grow, and, in no time, she was already moving passed the basics into some of the more advanced magicks!

Twilight had always assumed the little filly had just enjoyed the lessons, learning about magic from someone else. It hadn't occurred to her that Whisper liked _her_!

"W-well, the princess needed me to head to Ponyville for a little while, and, well... I just wanted to stay," Twilight finally managed to answer. Those big, watery eyes didn't let up, if anything, they seemed even sadder,

"But you never visited! You didn't even sent a letter! I thought you forgot 'bout me!" she cried. Twilight frowned, her eyes now just a little teary as well,

"I'm sorry!" she gushed, wrapping her own hooves around the filly, "I didn't think you missed me that much," she muttered into her ear. Whisper nuzzled into her chest a little, her own hug tightening,

"'Course I missed ya Miss Light," she murmured.

"Uhh... not that I mean t'interuppt yer reunion, but... who's this Twilight?" Applejack asked, noticeably uncomfortable. Twilight looked over at her for a moment, before realization struck her.

"Oh!" she started, gently setting Whisper back down, "I'm sorry! Ahem, girls, Spike-" she added upon noticing his glare, "-this is Whisper Moon. She's a little filly I used to tutor back in Canterlot,"

"Hi!" Pinkie squealed, her previous anger forgotten in lieu of the new pony in front of her, "I'm Pinkie Pie!" Whisper giggled at her attitude,

"Hi Pinkie! I'm Whisper Moon!" she returned, smiling up at the bigger pony. Pinkie stared at her for a moment, before giggling and snatching up the tiny filly in her hooves,

"Ooh! Aren't you just a little cutie!" she gushed, bringing her into a tight hug. Rather than feel uncomfortable, Whisper just laughed and eagerly returned the hug.

Fluttershy gave the young pony a shy smile from behind Pinkie, becoming just a little more bold when Whisper returned the grin.

Applejack smiled at Whisper once Pinkie put her down, and tipped her hat at her,

"That there's Fluttershy," the farm mare informed her, having noticed Fluttershy's almost greeting, "I'm Applejack. Nice t'meetcha!" she added, holding out her hoof. Whisper smiled at the farm pony, and eagerly shook her hoof,

"Hi Applejack!" the happy pony returned. Applejack smiled a bit brighter at her, before frowning,

"I hope ya don't mind me askin', but where're yer parents? Shouldn't they be here with ya?"

Applejack had been so focused on asking Whisper that, in her mind, extremely important question, that she didn't notice Twilight frantically trying to signal her to shut up.

Whisper looked up at the bigger pony, and tilted her head,

"My parents didn't want me," she answered simply.

Emerald had the sudden urge to beat the shit out of Applejack.

He had no idea why though.

He shook his head, ridding himself of those unnecessary thoughts. The announcer was due to introduce the princesses and the Wonderbolts at any moment now.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance, pulling at the skin-tight blue suit he'd been all but forced into.

Spits had thought it'd be a good idea for him to wear the Wonderbolts uniform, that way he wouldn't stand out as much.

As to why she had an unused Wonderbolt suit with his measurements just lying around, she didn't say.

As it was, the thing was... annoying. It pressed his coat down, a sensation he was entirely unused too, and he found it all too unpleasant.

"_HELLOOO_ EVERYPONY!" came the masculine voice of their announcer, "I'D LIKE EVERYPONY TO GIVE A _BIG_ ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR RULERS, PRINCESS CELESTIA... AND HER SISTER, PRINCESS LUNA!" Emerald growled slightly at the almost dismissal of Luna, but it went unheard over the cacophony of the crowd's roaring, "AND PLEASE WELCOME OUR CELEBRITY JUDGES, AND THEIR GUEST, THEEEEEE _WONDERBOLTS_!"

Taking that as the cue, Emerald, along with Spitfire and some other mare he didn't know, presumably Fleetfoot, launched themselves out from above the arena.

Gliding over the crowd, Emerald found himself rising upwards alongside Spitfire and the other mare. They continued rising upward, before coming together into a tight spiral, before bursting apart in three directions.

The crowd roared, arguably louder than they had for the princesses, and Emerald and the others simply drifted over to their platform, where mulitple cards lie, each with numbers atop them to represent whatever score they gave the contestants.

"NOW, LETS SEE WHO'S GOT THE STUFF TO TAKE HOME THE PRIZE AS THIS YEAR'S _BEST, YOUNG, FLIER_!"

Without any sort of fanfare, the first contestant flew from the curtains down below and began their routine.

* * *

Emerald yawned slightly, dividing his attention between the contest, and keeping an eye on Wisp's seat.

The contestants, while not particularly good by his standards, were decent enough for their purposes.

While Spitfire and the other mare, whom he learned was indeed Fleetfoot, gave somewhat generous sevens, eights, and the occasional nine, Emerald's scoring tended to lean towards fours, fives, and sixes, with two or three ones thrown in for some particularly atrocious routines.

Emerald sighed, glancing down at the roster once the fourteenth pony left the stage. They still had one more to...

Hold on...

"Why is it that the roster says Rainbow Dash is number two, yet she hasn't come out yet?" he asked, turning to face Spits. She looked back at him, confused, before snatching the roster away from him,

"What the hay...? Same thing with number four. I'm pretty sure I heard something about a unicorn with butterfly wings..." she muttered, Emerald blinked,

"What?!" he snapped, tearing the roster back over to himself, and, sure enough, the name 'Rarity' was plastered directly in the number four spot, "How in the name of Tartarus did _she_ get on the list?!" he snarled, "I thought there were rules in place about last minute entrees!?"

Spitfire glared back at the roster, but before she could speak, someone cleared their throat behind them. He turned, finding a tan mare wearing a pink cardigan looking annoyed,

"We got a problem," she said, "Number four wouldn't get outta the bathroom, and number fifteen is bein' slow. Both of them are gonna perform at the same time, what are we gonna do?" she asked, her gaze traveling between the two Wonderbolts and Emerald,

"Well, we might as well judge 'em both at once," Fleetfoot said, shrugging her shoulders, Spits sighed,

"Yeah, we don't really have a choice, do we?"

"Just send them out," Emerald snapped, annoyed. The mare nodded, before jogging off, "I swear, if something bad happens because of this, I'm gonna... I don't even know what I'll do..." he muttered. He felt Spitfire pat his shoulder,

"Hey, look on the bright side. We did get to spend some time together with Wisp today, so it's still a win, right?" He sighed, but before he could respond, the announcer spoke up,

"ALRIGHT EVERYPONY! GET READY FOR OUR FINAL COMPETITOR, NUMBER FIFTEEN!... AND APPARENTLY NUMBER FOUR! Wait is that right...?"

Emerald couldn't help but groan at the sight.

Crash looked like she was a few degrees away from being an ice cube with all of her shaking, and Rarity had completely dressed herself up, looking more like some peacock than a pony. The butterfly wings certainly didn't help the image.

"Ohoho! This is gonna be _gooood_!" he heard Fleetfoot mutter from his right. He sighed once more, just as the music started. He sneered slightly, the sounds of the piano reaching his ears.

Definitely Rarity's choice.

Rarity began her routine, prancing about the sky as if it were some ballroom dance. Crash, on the other hoof, began her routine by swerving through a series of cloud pillars. Whether it was the music throwing her off, or her own nerves, she ended up crashing into one of the pillars and was sent careening off to the side, slamming into one of the Colosseum walls, just underneath one of the platforms, whose inhabitants chose to taunt the chromatic mare using the same moniker as him.

All the while Rarity continued dancing about, seemingly oblivious to the whole thing.

It took her a few moments, but Crash seemed to regain her bearings, and shot out of the arena, going for some nearby clouds. Emerald frowned slightly, watching as she begun spiraling around the clouds, forcing them to spin. A few clouds passed, and a stray tuft smacked her in the face, sending her flying away. The spin caused the cloud to fly off course, and sent it flying back down into the arena. Quickly realizing where it was heading, Emerald couldn't help but grin as the, completely and utterly harmless, projectile flew straight towards dear Sunbutt's head.

She gasped and ducked on reflex, but that didn't stop Luna, as well as Emerald, from laughing aloud at the near miss.

Emerald quickly regained his composure, although it didn't remove the grin on his face, just in time to watch as both Rarity and Crash began ascending. His eyes narrowed and his grin faded as he watched both mares continue rising, much farther than he was sure was necessary, at least for Rarity.

Rarity finally stopped rising, looking visibly strained for anyone with eyesight like his, and spread her wings wide, allowing the sunlight to filter through her wings, bathing a good third of the Colosseum in multicoloured light.

There was just one problem though...

"Those wings are made of gossamer and morning dew! They're gonna burn up!"

Almost right as Sparky finished shouting such, Rarity's wings completely evaporated, leaving the once airborne mare flightless.

She immediately began dropping, her speed increasing with every passing second. Her screams pierced through the strained silence of the audience, still too stunned to make any proper response, leaving Emerald's ears ringing slightly from their pitch.

Seeing Emerald stunned by the sounds, Spitfire immediately signaled Fleetfoot to take off, the two mares shooting straight down towards the falling unicorn.

Emerald shook his head, the ringing in his ears dying down. Recalling what was happening, he leaned over the edge of the booth and peered towards the ground, only for his blood to freeze when he saw that fool of a unicorn flailing around so much she ended up knocking out _both_ Spitfire and Fleetfoot!

Emerald growled and hopped off the edge.

With a single, mighty flap of his wings, Emerald launched straight downwards, going from a dead stop to nearly breaking the sound barrier in one go.

Thanks to the aid of gravity, Emerald ended up speeding downward even faster than he'd intended, but it didn't bother him.

He growled slightly, watching as the three mares below him slowly drifted apart. At the speed he was going, the angle he was currently at, coupled with the rapidly approaching ground, he'd only have time to save one.

He quickly analyzed the ground below, and nearly sighed in relief upon noticing that both Spitfire and Fleetfoot were headed towards some heavily forested areas. The fall would hurt, definitely, and they'd without a doubt break a couple bones, but the trees should break the worst of the fall. They'd survive.

Rarity, on the other hoof, was headed straight towards a clearing, and with nothing to stop her she'd end up a big red splatter mark across the grass.

Her eyes were screwed shut, and she was _still_ screaming her head off. Although he supposed he really couldn't blame her for that.

The air around him began compressing as he neared the sound barrier. The wind screamed passed his ears, tearing over his body. Thankfully, the suit and goggles he'd been given kept his body from feeling the wind tear against his skin, as well as kept his eyes from being dried out by the wind rushing over them.

He huffed at the resistance, and gave a second, powerful flap of his wings...

_And broke through._

A massive explosion rang through the arena as the green thestral shattered the sound barrier, all previous forms of resistance gone in a single instant.

The distance between him and Rarity cut down to nothing in a second. He quickly knocked away one of her flailing hooves, and snatched her up in his hooves. His wings snapped open, catching the torrent of air, causing them to painfully strain against his back, and he felt some of his muscles tear slightly from the sheer force.

But his and Rarity's free-fall came to an almost abrupt stop a moment later.

He groaned slightly, now having to flap his wings despite obviously tearing something in them. Rarity, having realized that she'd been saved, clung tightly to his body, front and hind legs wrapped tightly around him as she shook, but quiet, almost unheard sobs slipped through her lips as she pressed her face against his chest.

He frowned slightly, beginning to ascend. She must have been extremely terrified at the thought of death. He wondered what was going through her head during the whole thing.

Was she recalling good times spent with friends and family?

Was she thinking about all the things she hadn't gotten to do in life?

Or maybe she'd been going over her regrets in life, wondering how she could have possibly made a better decision?

Emerald was brought out of his thoughts by another massive explosion, signaling that someone else had performed a sonic boom. His head snapped up, just in time to witness a solid rainbow shoot passed him, leaving a rainbow contrail behind it.

Yet despite the urge to look down and see what exactly was happening below him, his eyes stayed transfixed on the sight above him.

It was... but... that's... impossible...!

_"No one has ever performed the Sonic Rainboom."_

_"Nopony except Rainbow Dash!"_

_"Well, to be fair, it was when I was just a little filly."_

No...

But that would mean...

His thoughts trailed off.

A giant ring of purest rainbow expanded ever outwards above him. It glowed with every colour he could imagine, and so many more he'd never knew existed. Brilliant waves of colour and light were left in its wake, as shining star-like sparkles flew to the ground, bathing the whole world in a soft light.

It was gorgeous. _Magnificent_. It tugged at his heart and, had he the sense, he likely would have begun cheering at the mere feeling of such a perfect moment.

And yet, despite its grand wonder, its one-of-a-kind charm, it was still a familiar sight.

But, that couldn't be possible. The implications it made, the truths it revealed!

An old feeling in his chest grew. A feeling long laid dormant in his heart, waiting for the right moment to trigger its return.

Tears of joy sprang forth, unannounced, and he felt them trail down his face, running over his cheeks and dripping off his chin.

He didn't didn't know whether he should laugh or cry.

And frankly... he didn't care.

_Because he felt happy._


	11. Running From the Past

_Deep within the vast reaches of the Badlands, life did not exist._

_The sweltering heat bared down on the cracked ground of that wretched wasteland, cooking anything unfortunate enough to cross it alive._

_However, below the surface, a secret lie in wait._

_A massive labyrinth of interconnected walkways and rooms lived below, created without the knowledge of the monarch of Equestria. It had one purpose, and one purpose only._

_To create an army of chimaera._

_A young colt, barely ten years of age lay curled in his cell. He was small, much smaller than most colts his age should've been. His ribs could be seen clearly, his long, spindly legs lay clutched around his growling abdomen, and his quiet, almost nonexistent whimpers echoed lightly through out the area._

_But he would not cry, no matter how many tears he shed. He would not make another sound he could not control._

_He didn't want to be hurt anymore._

_Bruises, dark enough to be seen even through his coat, dotted his body. Bald spots could be found across his small form, the fur and hair having been torn away, either by his captors, or by himself in those moments where pain served as a wonderful distraction to his fear._

_The clinking of many chains echoed whenever he moved, the large iron manacles around his hind legs prevented him from going any further than the walls of his cell._

_He shivered as a cool draft flew over him, followed by the sound of frantic shouting. He curled up even tighter on the dirt floor, hoping beyond hope that whatever it was didn't come his way._

_His cell was dry and empty. The cracked walls of the earth bared dozens upon dozens of marks, each one baring a striking resemblance to a tiny hoof, as if its occupant had hoped to break free from his confines with naught but brute strength. The ceiling, just as earthen as the floor and walls, occasionally shook as loud, rhythmic thumps began resonating throughout the structure. Dust and loose rocks were shaken free with each thump, coating his fearful form, until they finally stopped._

_Then, suddenly, something exploded._

_A massive shock-wave ran through the Facility, causing everything to vibrate dangerously. Large chunks of stone and earth fell from the walls, piping and other machinery coming loose from the force of whatever had caused the massive boom._

_The ceiling of the poor colt's cell cracked, before a massive slab of earth broke and fell. The colt, who had looked up in curious fear, squeaked and jumped away from the impact site, barely clearing the area as the massive block of earth crashed where he had once been, shattering the iron links of his chains._

_Light filtered into his room for the very first time._

_He stared in stunned shock, before his foalish curiosity bade him forward. He hopped onto the rock, and jumped onto two legs, leaning against the hole in the ceiling, and stuck his head out._

_Blue as far as the eyes could see stretched outward. He could see the occasional white puffy things floating in the blue... sky, he remembered it was called. He could feel the warm wind caress his young face, and he tasted the fresh air for the first time in so long._

_But what caught his attention, was the colourful thing flying across the world._

_It looked like a big ring, rushing towards him and his hole. It glowed with every colour he knew, and so many more that he didn't. It flew over his small head, bathing everything he could see in its wonderful glow._

_His Mama had told him about those things. Giant arches of colour that appeared whenever it rained._

_Rainbows._

_It was a rainbow! He'd never seen a rainbow before! It was amazing!_

_But... but it was leaving!_

_He didn't want the big rainbow to go! He needed to see it again!_

_Just as he began to climb free, a loud, angry voice shouted underneath him, and he felt himself getting pulled, painfully, back into his cell._

_Hooves collided against his skull and body, angry voices cursed at him for daring to try an escape. A quick application of magic, and his rock had been put back, the hole had been sealed, and his chains repaired, then he was left alone._

_But he didn't care. He saw a rainbow! He wanted... no, he needed to see another one some day!_

_He'd get out of here, and he'd find another rainbow, and another, and nothing would ever stand in his way!_

_A soft white light lit up the colt's room, originating from his flank._

_The colt did not quite remember what they were called, but he'd later examine the odd mark that appeared on his flank, and found that there was something about the strange white question mark that he liked._

* * *

Emerald's eyes shot open, and, for a moment, he was afraid.

But when his brain finally caught up with his awoken body, he realized that he was safe in his house in Ponyville. He was not back in the Facility, he was not back in his cell.

_His cold, empty cell._

Shaking himself free from his thoughts, Emerald got out of bed and quickly took a shower. An unusually warm one at that.

He sighed as he walked down the stairs into the living room. Ever since the Best Young Fliers Competition he'd been having dreams of times best left forgotten, and it was beginning to get on his nerves.

While last night's dream, a remembrance of the day he earned his cutie mark, wasn't bad, at least by his standards, it certainly got him thinking.

Rainbow Dash, without knowing it, had helped him earn his cutie mark, where he would then go on to save, not only himself, but the lives of all the others who escaped the Facility with him.

He and Rainbow were connected by the Sonic Rainboom she performed as a filly.

He wasn't sure how he felt about it.

Should he... should he tell someone?

It was a story about how he earned his cutie mark, so it was something personal to him. Pinkie and Fluttershy were the only two he could currently imagine telling it too, and even then it was a heavily omitted version.

A sound from upstairs broke him from his thoughts, just in time for his favourite little filly to come running excitedly down the stairs.

"Good morning Emerald!" she squeaked happily, jumping onto one of the stools near the island, right as he walked past to prepare breakfast,

"Morning Wisp," he easily replied, "How was your night?"

"It was great! The bed isn't as comfy as the one's at the castle though," Emerald chuckled,

"Well, _excuse_ me for not asking for the royal suite, princess," he snarked, flipping a couple eggs, "Get your lunch ready. School's starting in ten."

It hadn't taken much convincing on his part to get both Celestia and Luna to agree to let him take care of Wisp again. Since his stay in Ponyville could very well last a few years, it provided the thestral the perfect excuse to ask Wisp to come live with him for a while.

Not only that, but Ponyville was a much nicer environment than Canterlot, especially for a twelve year old like Wisp. After that, all it took was a document made and signed by both the princesses to get Wisp a transfer from Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns down to Ponyville Elementary. Of course, since CSGU offered a much better program for little Wisp, Celestia suggested that she get some tutoring from Sparky once again.

Oh, had _that_ been a shocker. Learning that Sparky was actually 'Miss Light' the whole time?

Yeah, in hindsight he supposed it was obvious. But, at the same time, with how introverted the mare had been, he wasn't all that bothered by not realizing it sooner.

Not like Wisp ever really told him how Miss Light looked.

Not like he asked, so that was fair.

Sparky had been absolutely ecstatic when Emerald asked her to resume tutoring little Wisp, after getting over the shock of _him_ being her older brother. She had been strangely amused by it after, though.

Apparently over the time they'd known each other, Wisp had spent quite a bit of it talking about him and how he was 'The Best Big Brother in all of Equestria!'.

That had made him smile a little.

Regardless of her getting tutored, by arguably the smartest mare this side of Equestria, Emerald thought it would be good for her to attend public school on the side, something that she had been sad about at first, but had brightened up when he told her about a couple foals she could befriend.

Namely Dinky and the Crusaders, seeing as how he really didn't know any other foals in the school.

Bread, tomatoes, and lettuce flew from the pantry and icebox, encased in an orange glow as Emerald finally plated their breakfast. He smirked, seeing his little sister staring at the sandwiches she was making with a cute little look of concentration on her face, complete with her sticking her tongue out slightly.

A little hiss nearly broke her concentration as Bolero finally made himself known, perching himself atop Emerald's head once again.

"Yeah, yeah, I got your breakfast too," he muttered, flicking up a strawberry at the little nuisance.

Wisp finally finished preparing her own lunch, and all but wolfed down her breakfast, before bolting out the door,

"I'mgonnabelatebyeBigBrother!" her little voice squeaked as she ran down the road into town, her saddlebags and lunch floating next to her. Emerald rolled his eyes, glancing up at the little bat still eating his strawberry,

"Foals," he scoffed, before consuming his own food and waltzing out the door. "Go on Bolero, I'm sure Fluttershy's got some friends you can make," he muttered. The bat stared down at him, before screeching in agreement, and took off towards the shy animal lover's home.

He walked along the path towards town. The cool morning air washed over him, bathing him in its fresh, crisp fragrance. Summer had given way to Fall, and with it, the cooler air was more prominent than it had been a few weeks ago.

He could see that the nearby trees had already begun changing colour, symbolizing the changing of the seasons. If he remembered right, the Running of the Leaves would be in a day or two.

The Running of the Leaves was a Ponyville tradition that involved a large-scale race of the residents of the town. Its path was lined throughout the Whitetail Woods, and, like any race, it held prizes for the first ten racers to cross the finish line.

He debated on whether to enter, but eventually left the thought alone.

Emerald sighed, content.

Of course, content he may be, he wasn't just going to let down his guard. A fact evidenced by his nimble side-step, when a dark gray blur crashed into the ground, right where he'd been standing.

Emerald glanced down, giving the pegasus a nonplussed glare.

He had a dark gray coat, light blue mohawk of a mane and tail, and what appeared to be golden eyes. Judging by the length of his legs, he stood a little under Emerald's height, making him about average in that aspect. Emerald could see minor muscle coating the stallion's form, although the way it was spread and built hinted in him going to the gym, rather than build it through more natural means.

"Ugh," he groaned, "Dangit, Ditzy..." the stallion muttered, slowly sitting up, splaying his hind legs out as he rubbed at his head,

"Havin' fun there?" Emerald asked sarcastically, startling the downed pegasus,

"GAHH!" he jumped, nearly leaping away from the thestral, "Jeez! Don't scare a pony like that, dude!"

"Says the one who nearly crashed into me," he snarked. The stallion grimaced,

"Oh, yeah, sorry dude," he said, hopping back onto his hooves, "Weather problem. Our captain, Rainbow Dash took an unscheduled day off today, and now Ditzy's bumped me straight off my cloud, caught me way off guard too,"

"Whatever," Emerald replied uncaringly, already trotting away from the stallion,

"Er, I'm Thunderlane, it was, uh, nice to meet you?" Thunderlane said, although Emerald was already out of sight, which surprised him. "Huh, thought Dash was the only one who did that. Whatever. Ditzy!"

Emerald quickly arrived in town, slowing down his pace once he entered. He cast his gaze around, finding that the ponies seemed rather excited about something. He frowned. What could have possibly happened in the time from him getting up to arriving in town that would get these morons in a good mood?

He sighed, figuring he'd find out when he got to Sugarcube Corner.

If it had anything to do with the Elements, Pinkie would be sure to spill it if he asked.

She was just that trusting.

* * *

"So, any idea about what's got everyone in a good mood today?" Emerald asked as soon as he got behind the counter. Pinkie was already slaving away in the kitchen when he arrived, perks of living where she worked, he guessed. She turned to face him, sliding something into the oven as she did so,

"Totally! Rainbow Dash challenged Applejack to an Iron Pony Competition yesterday!" the hyper mare gushed, pressing her hooves to her cheeks in excitement, "They're setting it all up right now! It's gonna start in a couple hours! AAAHHH! I can't wait!"

"What in the name of Tartarus is an 'Iron Pony Competition'?"

"How can you possibly not know?!" Pinkie asked, horrified, he rolled his eyes,

"Just tell me, dammit."

"The Iron Pony Competition is a series of events designed to test out an earth pony's athleticism against another earth pony," came the familiar voice of Sparky from behind him, punctuated by the sound of the bell going off, "And apparently, they want me to be their judge."

He turned, finding a disgruntled Sparky walking up to him, with a hungry looking drake atop her. She glanced up at him, only to flush slightly and avert her eyes quickly.

"So, Rainbow Dash challenged Applejack to an earth pony competition...? Is she stupid or something?" he asked, "I mean, come on. How the hay are you gonna properly judge that?"

"I know!" Sparky snapped, suddenly stomping her hoof, "As an earth pony, Applejack is a lot stronger and has more endurance than Rainbow Dash, but at the same time, Rainbow Dash has wings, and if there's one thing I know about Rainbow Dash, it's that she hates losing. If I know her as well as I think I do, she might end up using her wings to get an unfair advantage over Applejack," she said, sounding distressed,

"An unfair advantage?" Emerald asked, "But if this is an earth pony based competition, doesn't Applejack already have an advantage over Rainbow?"

"_Exactly!_" Sparky agreed, "If Applejack has that kind of advantage over Rainbow the whole time, is it fair if I say it's cheating to use her wings?! I have no idea how I can fairly judge this kind of thing!" she exclaimed, only to huff and sink to her haunches, "What if I make a mistake? Applejack and Rainbow are both really prideful. If I side with one of them, will that ruin my friendship with the other?" she asked, finally bringing her eyes to his, looking hopeless.

"... You've spent four, five months in this town... learning about friendship... and you have no idea how it works, do you?" Emerald asked after a minute. Sparky winced,

"Well, in my defense I had to spent most of that time working!" she said quickly, "I had to re-arrange the library, clean out the attic and basement, legally transfer from the library in Canterlot to the Golden Oaks, have mine and Spike's things moved, order new books, and then sort them all!... A-anyways, what's your point?"

"Oh come on!" he snapped, causing her to recoil, "It's common sense! One little argument isn't going to ruin an entire friendship! At least not one as dumb as that," she went to protest, but he cut her off, "If you're so worried about not being able to judge it fairly, just tell them. If they can't get over their own stubborn pride to see not only how distraught you are, but how absolutely stupid it is to rely on an earth pony contest to test a pegasus against an earth pony, then it's just not worth it," he paused for a moment, before beginning again, less snappish than before, "Of course, that's only assuming it actually blows up. From what I've seen of Applejack, stubborn pride or not, she's at least fairly reasonable. Except when it's about her family or farm, then she's impossible," he affirmed.

Sparky stared at him for a moment, a little red, before she nodded, albeit hesitantly.

"I... guess you're right. Applejack did say that it was all just for fun," she murmured, before standing, "Yeah. Yeah! I'll go tell them right away! Thanks Emerald!" she said, spinning around.

"Wha- Hey! What about the cupcakes?!" the little drake protested, only to go ignored as Sparky pushed through the door, a bright grin on her face.

A moment passed in Sugarcube Corner in silence, before Emerald turned back to Pinkie, only to jerk away when he noticed she was inches from his face.

"_Sheeee liiiiikes yooouuuuu!~_"

He felt a headache coming on.

* * *

"Pinkie. Shut. Up,"

"Come on Emerald! You and Twilight would be so cute together! I can just tell!"

45\. 46. 47...

Whoever thought counting was a good way to relieve anger needed to be kicked in the face. Then thrown off a cliff.

Ever since Sparky left earlier, Pinkie had been taking every. Single. Chance to pester him about her. 'Didja know hayburgers are Twilight's favourite?', 'I remember Twily said something about dancing under the stars with her special somepony once!', 'Twilight's birthday's coming up in a couple months!', 'Ooh! Twilight would love these cupcakes!'.

And so on and so forth.

Admittedly, the information that Pinkie, somehow, had was... extensive.

He'd learned her birthdate, her favourite foods, colours, genres of books, and even her guilty fantasies about her 'special somepony'. As well as a few of her minor hobbies and even what she sings in the shower.

How Pinkie had even half of that information was lost on him, and he was honestly unsure if he ever wanted to know what she knew about him.

The thought was... terrifying.

But out of everything she'd done, the one thing that really irritated him above all else, was the fact he had no clue what brought it all on in the first place!

"I'm afraid I'll have to agree with Pinkie here, darling," Rarity said from his left, "Twilight's shy, bookish nature just compliments your tough, direct nature wonderfully!" she gushed.

Ah... _that_.

Yes, ever since the Best Young Fliers Competition a few weeks ago, Rarity seemed to have developed some sort of complex with him at its center, though he doubted it was anywhere near that serious. She'd been offering him favours, inviting him to lunches, dinners, and even a movie once or twice, all because she felt he deserved it for saving her life.

It was... uncomfortable.

He'd never had anyone treat him like that, even after he'd saved entire cities, races, and all of Equestria. Even the others from the Facility didn't treat him like that, although he firmly believed that there was a difference, given that everyone from the Facility were bonded as family.

Though, he never really stuck around after saving something, so maybe that was why?

But the last thing he needed right now, was for her to _agree_ with Pinkie's idiotic notion that he and Sparky would ever be a couple!

He turned his gaze upon Fluttershy, who had joined him and the others in their walk, only to find her giving him a small, shy smile.

He groaned.

"Why are you set on us being a couple?" he asked, irritated, "What in this wide world would ever make you think that?" Pinkie opened her mouth, but he cut her off, "Beside Sparky liking me, which I sincerely doubt," She huffed, and frowned at him, as if _he_ was the one being unreasonable, but Rarity spoke instead,

"Well, darling. I'm not certain about Pinkie's motives myself, but, having given it some thought, I personally believe it's the best for both of you," at Emerald's confused glance she continued, "Twilight is a dear, but she's still not the best at friendship. She still has some issues. While I admire the princesses, certainly, Twilight completely idolizes Princess Celestia, and puts impressing her above her own health,"

"She also sometimes ignores the rest of us when it's about the princess, or because she think she's right," Fluttershy interjected, "Like when we had to stop a dragon from covering Equestria in smoke, she didn't notice how scared I was, and kinda ignored it when I told her," she added quietly, turning a little red when the three of them focused on her, but stood her ground.

"Exactly," Rarity continued, not at all angry about being interrupted, "and just look at how you've helped dear Fluttershy! She didn't stutter once throughout that little speech of hers!" she gushed, embarrassing said mare, who then hid her face in her mane, "Well, progress is progress," Emerald frowned,

"So you want us to start dating... just so I can help her own of her own shell?" he asked, irritated, "I'm sure I could do that just by being a friend."

Or a guard. A guard worked.

"Nonono!" she quickly corrected him, "It's just... Pinkie's told us all how you're quite the hard worker-" Emerald glared at Pinkie, who smiled sheepishly, "-and I've spoken to the Cakes myself. According to them, you often stay behind just to clean up, put things away, and generally overwork yourself, and all without asking for more! Twilight is the same. I just think that it would be nice if you both had somepony," she said, smiling softly, "Just imagine it! A long hard day at work, only to come back home to your special somepony, you're both absolutely tired. You light the fireplace, and the two of you cuddle the night away, resting comfortably in the hooves of the pony you love... ooh! It's just _sooo_ romantic!"

A brief image of the scenario she painted with himself and Sparky at the center popped into his head, unbidden, and he found himself getting lost in the thought.

It would be nice, he supposed.

For a moment, a warm feeling settled in his chest, gently washing through his whole body.

In the next instant, the thought had been ruthlessly crushed and thrown aside, and the warmth faded, leaving him feeling strangely cold.

"Whatever. The two... three of you-" he corrected, glancing at Fluttershy, "-can just leave your twisted fantasies to yourselves," he remarked. Pinkie shook her head, looking almost exasperated,

"Oh come on Emerald! Isn't there even a teeny-weeny, itty-bitty, little part of you that likes it?" she asked, raising the pitch of her voice with every word.

The image returned for a moment, completely unmarred, but was once more destroyed.

"Absolutely _not_," he snarled, before picking up his pace, leaving the three nuisances to speed up after him.

He sighed irritably as Sweet Apple Acres came into view.

This 'Iron Pony Competition' was due to begin soon, and Pinkie, with some help from Fluttershy, had convinced him to come along. It certainly helped that all six of the Bearers would be in the same spot, meaning he could do his job without looking too out of place.

Still, he wondered what brought this whole 'Iron Pony Competition' on?

Rainbow hadn't won the Best Young Fliers Competition, as her scores had been pretty low due to her multiple failures, though Emerald had been tempted to just up and give her a ten for that mishap with the cloud. So maybe that was why? She had lost a pegasus competition, and hoped that beating Applejack, of all ponies, at an earth pony competition would be enough to sate her starving ego?

Maybe not. Maybe she was just an idiot. Or maybe it was just her being unaware that the Iron Pony Competition was an earth pony thing, and her pride bade her challenge Applejack to something?

He wouldn't be surprised.

He spotted Sparky up ahead, staring at something out of sight. Spike stood atop her back, talking into a stick like it was a microphone.

"Who are you talking to?" he heard Sparky mutter at the drake, who looked around, before spotting him and the three mares coming up,

"Them!"

The mares quickly picked up the pace and passed him,

"Ooh this is gonna be so much FUN!" Pinkie gushed, almost vibrating in excitement as she stared out over the grounds. Emerald stopped next to her, surveying the set up.

There was a barrel race, a strong pony bell-thing, a sand-pit, and a bunch of other sets likely determined to test...

Something or another.

He could even see an empty scoreboard with the drawings of a pegasus and earth pony on it, signifying the competitors.

Both Applejack and Rainbow were currently finishing setting up the barrels for the race, so he turned to Sparky,

"Alright, have you told them yet?" he asked, she nodded,

"Yeah," she replied, but frowned, "Rainbow just kind of waved me off though. But I'm sure everything'll be just fine. I'll figure out how to work with this," she said, giving him a weak smile. Emerald frowned. He could practically feel the first dredges of anxiety building up in the mare.

He supposed he could try to help.

"Well, she's participating in an earth pony contest. It's only proper that she act as one. Don't you think?" he suggested. Sparky stared at him, before her eyes brightened,

"Of course! Absolutely!" she said, bouncing lightly on her hooves, "Alright girls! And Spike. _And_ Emerald-" she added sheepishly, "Are you ready to start?!"

"Aww yeah!" Rainbow shouted, flapping her wings hard,

"Sure am!" Applejack replied, tipping her hat towards Sparky.

"Alright then," she said, trotting down the hill as the others headed off to the side to watch, "I'll lay down the rules to start-"

"Oh come on Twilight!" Rainbow interjected, sounding aggravated, "We've been setting this thing up for hours! Can't we just start already?" she asked, annoyed. Twilight huffed at the chromatic mare, and shook her head,

"Absolutely not! You girls made me the judge and I'm going to do just that!" she stamped her hoof, "Now, the Iron Pony Competition was meant to pit earth ponies against other earth ponies, so as long as you're participating in this contest, you are going to act like an earth pony, understand Rainbow Dash?" she asked the mare.

Upon hearing that Twilight was going to lay down the rules, which was lame in her opinion, Rainbow Dash had immediately stopped paying attention, her focus entirely on how she'd beat Applejack and prove that she was the most athletic pony of all time!

So when her name was called, she started slightly,

"Huh? What?" she asked, looking over at her purple friend. Twilight was staring at her, hard. Fearing some sort of freakout from the neurotic mare, she quickly replied, "Oh, yeah totally!"

Twilight stared at Rainbow for a minute longer, before nodding and turning her attention to both mares,

"Good. Aside from that, there will be no sabotage of any kind, no playing to the judge's favour, and absolutely no cheating or you'll be disqualified from the event. This goes for both of you. Understand?"

"Eeyup!"

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Can we start now?"

* * *

Emerald hummed lightly as he watched the two mares go at it.

He had to admit, he was fairly impressed with some of what they did. While it was nothing compared to some of the things he'd either done or seen, the fact that they could do what they did was impressive.

Like the barrel race. A solid 17 seconds for Applejack, which exceeded Rainbow's 18. Though he was a little annoyed at the gleam in Dash's eye when Sparky revealed that Applejack had nicked a barrel, and was penalized five seconds, putting her in the lead.

Moving on to the strength test, Rainbow Dash managed to buck hard enough for the chime to hit the bell at the top. Though Applejack's earth pony strength had come through, as she broke the target and caused the chime to shatter the bell and go flying off with a single back leg, leaving Dash to stare, open-mouthed in shock at the strength.

Bronco bucking behaved in a similar manner as the first contest.

Applejack did remarkably well, but Rainbow Dash had ended up doing marginally better, sending Spike, the poor sod, flying off into a nearby tree far quicker than Applejack.

Whatever prestige of fun this contest had started with had soon given way to the two mare's competitive natures, as with each victory in favour of one was quickly matched by the other.

It wasn't until the push up event that things changed.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash were dead even, starting off strong as their push up count moved up into the fifties. It slowed down considerably after that, right up until they hit the nineties.

It was a battle between the two. Sweat dripped off of their brows as they continued on, dead even.

Finally, just as they finished their ninety-ninth push up, it seemed that the two of them would both collapse, stuck at a tie.

Then Rainbow Dash cheated.

"One hundred!" Sparky called,

"YES!" Rainbow shouted, not even bothering to hide the usage of her wings, letting Applejack fall to the ground,

"He-oof, hey! That's downright cheatin'!" Applejack snapped, weakly pushing herself up.

"What?" Dash asked, "No way! I won fair an-"

"The winner is Applejack by disqualification!" Sparky continued, unbidden,

"What!?" Rainbow snapped, "I tota-"

"Rainbow Dash!" Sparky yelled, cutting off the egotistical mare as she turned back from the crowd, "I told you at the very beginning that you _will_ be participating like an earth pony. And earth ponies don't. Have. Wings!"

"What? I didn't... fine," she grumbled, turning away from the two mares, glowering.

Emerald narrowed his eyes at the mare, but didn't bother moving from his spot.

The next nine events continued in almost the exact same manner. Applejack's turn would give good results, and then Rainbow Dash would go ahead and, if it was apparent she wouldn't do as well, used her wings to give herself a boost.

Eventually, it got to the point where Emerald just sighed and got up to leave.

"Hey, where ya goin' Mr. Emerald?" Applebloom asked from beside him, she along with the other two Apples had joined during the first ten events. He shrugged,

"Anywhere but here, Bloom," he responded, hopping down the bleachers, "I can already see who's going to win this damn thing," he added bitterly.

He promptly walked off after that.

After all, what was the point in watching as those two played a game of tug'o'war?

Applejack was leading 14 to five, thanks to Rainbow's cheating. He had a feeling that Rainbow, having cheated or not, would protest having lost and likely rope Applejack into another contest of some sort.

Oh well, he thought, not like it really affected him.

The walk back to town was quiet, a perk of not having Pinkie alongside him. He took a deep breath, it really was quite nice.

Fall was always a nice season. The normally green leaves turning into a myriad of different reds, browns, and oranges. Watching as the wind blew over the land, stripping some of the leaves from their perches, allowing them to fly through the sky, drawing unseen patterns in the air.

Of course, it wouldn't last. Tomorrow would be the Running of the Leaves. Those wonderfully colourful leaves would be forced down from their homes, leaving the once plentiful trees bare and empty.

He idly wondered how that would affect the Apples. Then again, it was entirely possible that they had special privileges that allowed them to keep their leaves so that they could continue to produce their crop.

Still, it was nice to see it while it lasted.

* * *

The Cakes were surprised to see him back as soon as he was. Apparently, they had assumed that Pinkie and her friends had gotten into another one of their little adventures and had dragged him along.

They... weren't wrong.

He told them as much. How Applejack and Rainbow were having some contest, to which they had expressed surprise.

The Iron Pony Competition was actually quite well-known, making him wonder if Rainbow really was an idiot challenging Applejack like she did.

Though, that got him thinking.

What was Applejack doing accepting something like that? She had to have known about it, given how in touch the Apple Family has always been with earth pony traditions. So why would she have accepted a challenge from a pegasus for something almost strictly earth pony?

Maybe her own pride had blinded her for a moment?

Although, didn't Sparky mention something about Applejack merely claiming that it was just 'all in good fun'?

Perhaps that was why. Maybe she didn't anticipate Rainbow taking it so seriously, and chose to go along with it out of the goodness of her heart?

Well, it was an idea, at least.

Eventually, the conversation went from the Iron Pony Competition, to the Running of the Leaves, with the two of them giving him a rather strange suggestion.

"You want me to compete?"

"Yes! I'm sure you'd have fun!" Mrs. Cake chirped, smiling at him, "After all, from what we've seen, you're a very athletic pony, you just don't get to show it. So, why not compete?" she asked, shrugging good naturedly, all the while still whisking. Emerald shook his head,

"I don't know if that's a good idea. For starters, if it's a competition, then Applejack and Rainbow Dash will probably enter as well, especially if Applejack got on Dash's case about her cheating. If today was any indication, who knows what she'd do to win," he reasoned, before continuing a moment later, "And besides, wouldn't it raise suspicion of me? After all, I haven't been known to actively exercise during the day, and many might wonder why I chose to work for you two instead of something more... active," he added. Mr. Cake just chuckled,

"Now now, I don't think anypony'll be thinking like that. Just go on and enter. You're a hard worker, you deserve a chance to relax and just have fun," he said, then continued immediately when he saw Emerald try to speak, "How about this: you enter, and if you win the prize money, you give it to us. That way you can justify it as helpin' us out and not shirking your duties, eh?" he suggested, idly pausing in wiping down the counter.

Emerald blinked, staring at the Cakes for a minute without speaking, before sighing, though a small smile had wormed its way onto his face,

"I guess I can't really argue with that, can I?" he responded in faux exasperation,

"Nope!"

"Well, go on!" Mr. Cake said, giving him a light push, forcing him off of the stool he'd been sitting on, "Go sign up!"

"What?" Emerald asked, "Isn't it tomorrow?" Mrs. Cake grinned,

"Well of course it is, dearie, but you can go down to Town Hall and sign up early,"

"Yes, so go on!" Mr. Cake pushed his wife's suggestion,

"But, I have to wo-"

"_Go!_"

"-rk!"

Well, that was interesting.

He sighed, the Cakes having just shut the bakery door behind him. It was only just after midday and he was already being pushed away from his work.

Well... his sort-of work.

Regardless, he might as well get it all over with.

As he made his way towards Town Hall, he honestly couldn't help but think about... well, everything since his arrival, really.

He'd changed. Not a lot, but just enough for him to notice.

For starters, it had _finally_ occurred to him just how badly his mindset was affecting him. Malnourishment, exhaustion, over-working, no matter how much he denied it he really couldn't help but think it over.

What had caused it all?

Well, that was obvious. The Facility had made him the way he was. Inside and out. The personality he'd developed, the reflexes he'd gained, even his cutie mark, the very thing that currently defined his life, had been gained because he had been in the Facility.

Would he have even seen the rainbow if he hadn't been there?

Well, no point in pursuing those thoughts. They'd likely end up driving him insane if he did.

Town Hall came into sight rather quickly, and he upped his pace. Or he tried to, at least, until he was interrupted,

"Hey Emerald!" came a cheery voice from his left, and a glance showed that Sparky was jogging over to him, she stopped in front of him, panting lightly, before giving him a small frown, "Applebloom mentioned that you left early, you missed the end of the contest," He shrugged in response,

"I bet Rainbow cheated again, and Applejack finally snapped at her, right?" Sparky stared for a moment, but nodded,

"Yeah, pretty much," she replied, before rolling her eyes, "Applejack confronted her about it, and Rainbow tried defending herself,"

"What did she do, claim that no one said anything against her using her wings?" he asked. Sparky blinked, surprised, before nodding,

"Uh, yes actually. How did... well, I guess it _was_ pretty obvious that she wasn't listening," she admitted, giving a sheepish smile. Emerald wove past her and continued towards the Town Hall, but Sparky trudged on alongside him,

"They're planning on entering the Running of the Leaves tomorrow," she added, causing Emerald to frown, "I was actually thinking of entering too."

That surprised him,

"What?" he asked, glancing at her, "You? Entering the Running of the Leaves?" he asked incredulously. Sparky sighed, but kept smiling,

"Yeah, I know. 'Twilight Sparkle; the Ponyville bookworm, entering a race?!'," she gasped, but smiled once more, "I know it's a little odd for somepony like me to enter a race, but..." she frowned, and her pace dropped for a moment, before she picked it back up, this time giving a light grin, "I never did anything like it back in Canterlot. I chose to stay in Ponyville so I wouldn't have to leave my friends, but ever since then I've been experiencing so many new things because of them! I just thought it was time that I took the initiative," she said, a determined gleam in her eyes.

Emerald glanced at her from the corner of his eye. It was a strange thing to see, really.

He'd met Sparky before, back in Canterlot a few times. She always, always had her muzzle deep in a book of some sort. Even when he'd spotted her with her 'friends' every now and again, she never looked up from whatever reading material she had at the time. Always staring down at the pages with that very same look in her eye.

Now, now that look was aimed forward, having been brought on by the thought of spending time with the new friends she'd made.

He wondered if she remembered him, distantly. After all, he'd been stuck guarding her as she read quite often over the last few years. Though, he supposed he really didn't think she did, after all, she hadn't displayed even the slightest sign of recognition when they met again.

"I see," he replied, not taking his eyes off of her for a moment, "... Is that the only reason, though?" he couldn't help but ask. Sparky faltered for a moment, but regained her composure,

"Well..." she gave him a guilty smile, "No. I just wanted to be apart of something in Ponyville, you know?" she asked, her expression softening, "In Canterlot, unicorns of the Royal Guard take care of everything in just a couple hours. Usually I never get the chance to see everything change. So, when I read about the Running of the Leaves, I couldn't help but imagine what it would be like right in the middle of it! All the leaves falling, all those amazing colours, and with me helping make it happen! Eeeheheee! I can't wait!" she squealed, clapping her hooves together.

Emerald couldn't help the light smirk forming on his face once they arrived at Town Hall. It seemed Sparky hadn't noticed just how long she'd been speaking, given the look of surprise on her face when he stopped and pulled the door open for her,

"Oh," she blushed, "did I really talk that long?" she muttered under her breath as she passed him by, he nodded, though she didn't see it,

"Yep," he said, popping the 'P', "But don't worry, I didn't mind," he said, trotting past her suddenly frozen form.

The mare at the front desk was the same as when he first arrived. She was even reading a magazine like last time as well.

"Hey!" he snapped, causing her to jump, "Where do we sign up for the Running of the Leaves?"

* * *

"WELCOME, EVERYPONY, TO THE ANNUAL RUNNING OF THE LEAVES!"

... Pinkie?

"THIS IS PINKIE PIE, YOUR OFFICIAL P-EYE IN THE SKY AND ANNOUNCER!" she called from the hot air balloon.

Emerald tuned her out at one point as she continued to shout into her megaphone.

The Ponyville Park was absolutely covered in confetti. Grass, trees, not even benches and tables were spared from the mess.

Though, he supposed it didn't matter. From what he'd seen, Pinkie would have no issue cleaning it all up herself, so he didn't bother.

The starting line for the Running of the Leaves sat near the park fountain, but most of the ponies had lined up at some other booth, where Mayor Mare and her secretary sat hoofing out number cards.

It took him a minute, be he eventually managed to get in place at the starting line, with a yellow paper emblazoned with the number seven stuck to his flank.

Why couldn't it just be a necklace, or something?

Shaking his head, he pushed that thought out of mind. Now really wasn't the time to care about how and where they stuck something, it was time for a plan.

There were a couple different ways he could go about the race. He could just go all out and win from the start, although it was risky. Given how fanatical Rainbow was about speed she'd likely challenge him to a race if he went all out. At least, she likely would if she ever got over him being friends with Spitfire.

Oh that was funny. Watching as her jaw flopped open and closed like some dying fish was almost as good as Celestia nearly eating a cloud.

Back to the race, where was the fun in just outright winning? It would be best if he simply toned it down.

"Well now, I wasn't expectin' ta see you here Emerald," Applejack walked up to him, having just gotten her number as well, if the eight on her flank meant anything,

"Really now?" he asked, not really caring, "And what makes you say that?"

"Uh, no offense," she began, "but... yer jus' a cashier."

"..." he blinked at her, feeling his eye twitch slightly, "... By any chance, have you forgotten that I was chosen as a substitute Wonderbolt?" he asked, she winced slightly, confirming that she, somehow, had forgotten, "Besides, you're just a farmer," she narrowed her eyes at him,

"Now what's that supposed ta mean?" she asked through clenched teeth, he smirked,

"How would I know?" he asked rhetorically, grinning wickedly, "I'm just a cashier."

"Make way for the Iron Pony!" a scratchy voice interrupted their conversation, bidding both of them to turn to its source, finding Rainbow Dash flaring her wings outward as she strutted through the crowd,

"I think ya mean 'Iron Phony', Dash," Applejack all but growled at the chromatic mare, "You an' I both know ya cheated, even Twilight said so," Dash scoffed, and waved her hoof,

"Oh please, I would've won even without my wings," she bragged,

"Then why use them?" Emerald asked, grinning wickedly. Rainbow stiffened slightly, but apparently chose to ignore him,

"So, Aj, ready to win _second_ place?" she asked, nudging the mare with a hoof. The farmer huffed and knocked away the offending hoof,

"I'm ready for a good, _clean_, race," she pressed,

"Yeah, yeah,"

"You are not allowed to use yer wings!" Applejack snapped suddenly, causing the pegasus to recoil slightly, but she quickly regained her composure,

"Whatever," she scoffed, "I could win this race with both wings tied behind my back!"

Judging by the smirk on Applejack's face, Emerald had a feeling he'd enjoy this.

* * *

"You gave her the idea," Emerald snarked, watching on amused, as Applejack finished tightening a rope around Rainbow's torso, effectively binding her wings to her sides.

"Haha! Trussed up like a turkey!" the apple mare affirmed, stepping back into place, "Somepony get the cranberry sauce,"

"Ha. Ha. Very funny, Aj,"

"Well, now we know we're in for a good, clean race,"

"As clean as having someone tied up can be,"

"ALRIGHTY RACERS, TAKE YOUR POSITIONS!" came Pinkie's amplified voice. Emerald got into a bit of a crouch, ready to take off, but a familiar drake ran in front of him,

"Um, Pinkie?!" he called up to the flying mare,

"Oh hey Spike!" she called back down, waving happily, "What's up? Oh wait, I am!" she giggled at her own joke,

"Uh, yeah, about that... I know you're doing the announcing today, and stuff, um, and I'm sure you'll do a great job, an' all, but, I was just wondering..." he trailed off,

"Mmhmm, what?" the hyper mare asked, seemingly oblivious to the rather obvious question,

"Uhh... nevermind..." he muttered, turning away.

Emerald sighed, annoyed. That hatchling really needed to grow a backbone. Standing back up, he glided over to the hatchling's position,

"Hey Pinkie!" he called up to her, catching her attention, "Catch!"

Ignoring her confused tilt of the head, Emerald grabbed Spike by the head, also ignoring his surprised yelp, and threw him up at Pinkie's balloon. He hung in the air for a moment, looking dazed, before landing right in the basket alongside the pink mare.

"Ooh! Ten points!"

He ignored Pinkie's chatter and headed back into line, idly committing the shocked looks of the townfolk around him to memory.

"Uh... was that really necessary?" Applejack asked from beside him, looking up at Spike and Pinkie, the former of whom still looked a little green from the unscheduled flight,

"Not my fault the hatchling has no spine," he snarked, throwing him a glance, "Who knows? Maybe that little trip will inspire some backbone in 'im."

"Still..." Applejack began, but whatever she was going to say was cut off as the sound of magic being cast from her right caught her attention.

Rainbow, Applejack, and Emerald looked to its source at once, finding an excited looking Sparky eagerly looking over a paper, before it flashed out of existence.

"Twilight?" Applejack asked, "What in tarnation are you doin' up here?"

"I'm racing!" the bookworm answered easily, a bright smile lighting up her face, only for it to drop as Rainbow burst out laughing,

"BAHAHAHAHA!" she doubled over slightly, but managed to stand back up, before elbowing Sparky, "Good one Twilight!"

"I'm not joking!" Twilight said, maintaining a smile, though her strained voice spoke of the thinly veiled irritation behind it,

"What?! But, you're not an athlete, you're a... an egghead!" Rainbow argued,

"I am not an egghead! I'm just well-read," Sparky countered,

"Egghead," Rainbow muttered, but it was obvious that Sparky still heard it. He frowned slightly as he observed.

He could see the way Sparky's eyes fluttered over not only herself, but the other competitors as well. She was constantly fidgeting, her hooves practically unable to stay in one spot for more than a few seconds. Her ears twitched with every motion.

And finally, he saw the way her eyes watered slightly as both Rainbow and Applejack continued taunting her, before they steeled themselves.

He narrowed his eyes at her. That wasn't a conscious effort. The way she straightened herself, the way she suddenly fought the tears that had threatened to spill. She didn't seem to be aware of it, given the way she argued back at them, which meant it was a reflex, completely subconscious.

Things that like only develop through necessity. For her to have a reflex involving putting on a brave face, meant that she'd had years of experience. Given how close she'd always been to Celestia, as well as the social ineptness she often demonstrated, it was entirely likely that she had been the victim of bullying when she was younger.

It certainly explained her lack of social interaction, even with those old friends of hers.

He felt his chest twist in knots at the thought.

Had she been bullied as a foal?

He shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside. He'd just ask Celestia about it later, find out how serious it was, and move accordingly.

"Have you ever even run a race?" Applejack asked, causing Emerald to tune back in, it seemed little time had passed while he was thinking,

"Well, no," she admitted, turning away slightly as both mares starting chortling behind her back, "But I do know a lot about running!"

"And you know this from...?" Rainbow asked, having to contort her face to contain her laughter, which caused Emerald to sneer,

"Books! I've read several on the subject," she confirmed, nodding her head confidently, though there was a slight waver. Predictably, Rainbow broke out laughing again, only this time she ended up falling to her back,

"BAHAHAHA! Wh-what'd you read?! The 'Egghead's Guide to Running'?! AHAHAHA!" she laughed, before scrambling back to her hooves, "Di-did you stretch out your _eye_ muscles to warm up?! AHAHAHA!" she fell back down, "Didja get it?! Eye muscles!"

He watched as Sparky's eyes began watering, but it disappeared when she swallowed the lump in her throat,

"Scoff if you want, but the Running of the Leaves is a Ponyville tradition! And since I'm here to learn, I've decided I should experience it, myself!"

"Well I think that's just dandy Twilight! Good luck!" Applejack said, causing Sparky's eyes to light up, only for them to darken once more when she started snickering,

"Yeah, see you at the finish line!... Tomorrow!"

The two mares began laughing once more, causing Sparky to look away, visibly hurt by their words.

He frowned slightly, feeling an uncomfortable twist in this chest.

Their words really did hurt her, he noticed. She wanted to experience the Running of the Leaves because it was something Canterlot had never offered her, and now that experience is being sullied by the very ponies she called her friends.

Wasn't that strange? He thought that, given their occupations as the Elements of Harmony, or at least as decent ponies, that they would at least understand that berating someone for trying something new was always a bad idea.

From the looks of it, they really didn't understand. He'd have to keep an eye on her, make sure she was doing all right.

And he could start now.

"Good luck Twilight," he said, loud enough to go over the sound of laughter, Sparky looked at him, stunned, "I'm sure you'll do just fine," he added, making sure his voice sounded sincere.

She continued staring at him, even as he got into running position. Even as Pinkie and Spike called for everyone's attention. It was only when Spike shouted 'GO!' that she broke from her thoughts.

The crowd rushed forward, obscuring his vision for a second, before they passed him, leaving him jogging idly behind.

"Emerald?" came the confused voice of Sparky, "What are you doing back here?" He looked over at the mare, finding her staring at him, looking confused and... happy?

"Well, I thought about what you said yesterday," he began, his mind working furiously to connect the false dots, "And I realized that you were right. The Running of the Leaves is a good opportunity to just watch as the seasons change, as well as help out a little bit, you know?"

"Definitely!" she gushed as the two of them continued jogging forward, with Emerald idly tuning back in to Pinkie and Spike's commentary every now and then.

Time passed as the two of them kept moving forward, the only sound being that of Sparky's hooves against the dirt, though it seemed she didn't notice. Finally, she spoke,

"You know, Whitetail Woods is absolutely beautiful in the Fall," she spoke, looking around at the numerous trees, some of which still had some of their leaves,

"Yeah," Emerald responded, glancing around as well, before locking his gaze on her.

She looked... peaceful.

His chest twisted again as he unwittingly stared.

She had a calm, serene smile on her face as she gazed around, her amethyst eyes lighting up at everything that entered her view. He could practically feel the joy radiating off of her as they moved, washing over him like a rock in a stream.

"Did you know that Whitetail Woods has more types of trees than anywhere else in Equestria, other than the Everfree?" Sparky suddenly asked, snapping him from his trance.

She had returned her gaze back to him, looking innocently curious. He blinked, before shaking his head,

"No, no I didn't,"

She grinned brightly, before launching into a detailed explanation as to the many different species of tree in the Whitetail Woods and how to identify them by their leaves.

It was... actually very impressive.

Granted, he already knew how to identify trees by their leaves, but it was... nice hearing her talk.

That uncomfortable knot in his chest had eased, being replaced by a gentle warmth.

Her heart wouldn't stop fluttering. Twilight tried her hardest to ignore it, but ever since she gave Rarity those butterfly wings of hers, she'd been having a very hard time being anywhere near Emerald.

At first, she had assumed that she'd contracted something from him, given the increase in her heartbeat, the shortness of breath, as well as the flushing of her face, as Rarity had been kind enough to point out, but she had to scratch that idea.

Whatever it was that currently ailed her, it only really started acting up near Emerald.

Why? She'd never heard of any disease or ailment of any kind that acted up specifically around somepony else. What made it even stranger was how, right here and now, as she ran side by side with the very stallion that was at the center of her newfound issues, was that she wasn't experiencing those telltale symptoms.

Yes, her heart was beating faster, but she had been jogging for a pretty long distance now. And, yes, her breathing had picked up, but, again, she had been running for quite awhile.

If this was some sort of disease, then wouldn't the symptoms stack a top each other, making running even harder for her than it should've been?

Regardless, she had little idea as to what was wrong with her. Emerald was the very first stallion friend she'd ever had, if you discount her brother and Spike, of course. Maybe it was normal? After all, she didn't have anypony else to compare these strange afflictions with, so it was likely just natural, right?

_Good luck Twilight, I'm sure you'll do just fine._

Those words echoed in her head, and she found herself suddenly unable to speak, which didn't go unnoticed by the perceptive stallion by her side,

"You alright?" he asked, his usually dulled voice laced with concern.

_Concern for her._ The thought caused her stomach to squirm.

He was worried about her, he cared about her health!

Why was she happy about that?

"U-um, yeah! I'm totally fine!" she squeaked. Her face flushed at the high-pitched sound of her voice.

Sweet Celestia it made her sound like she was _still_ going through puberty! What would Emerald think about a grown mare like her still having issues with that kind of thing?!

And why in Celestia's name did she care about that?!

UGH! It was times like this that she just _wished_ she kept in contact with her old foalsitter! Or even her mother!

Okay, maybe not her mother, but still!

"Mmhm?" he mused, staring at her nervous form, "Definitely seems like it," he muttered, but dropped the subject. She sighed inwardly.

Thank goodness, maybe she could still salvage their friendship!

Sparky had clammed up abruptly.

It was actually a little saddening for him, it was... nice listening to her speak at length like that. The lifting tones of her voice projected her sincere joy at sharing knowledge, and the precise pronunciation of every word she spoke helped him understand just how much of a perfectionist this mare was.

In the end, it brought him back to one particularly unpleasant train of thought.

Who would bully Twilight Sparkle, and why?

The why is easy enough to guess. Envy is one particularly good reason. Well, certainly not _good_, but one that was more feasible than others. Dislike is another possibility. She had always been a bit of an outcast from what he knew. Even before attending Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, she had a strong love, almost obsession really, with books. That made her different, and if there was one thing foals didn't understand very well, it was things that were different.

"So, Sparky," Emerald began, sparing the winded mare beside him a glance, "are you, by any chance, regretting entering this whole thing?" he asked, grinning slightly. The tiring mare looked at him, her breathing noticeably heavier than it had been earlier,

"What?!" she said, her voice far too high pitched to be normal, "Of course not! I-I mean, I'm getting to help out with a Ponyville tradition!... And, spend a little time with a friend," she said, adding that last part quietly.

Emerald spared her, yet another, glance.

The sweat was beginning to pour down her face, matting down her fur while giving it an almost alluring shine. That, coupled with her heavy breathing, could have very easily given another stallion the impression that she'd just finished doing something very naughty.

Emerald grinned slightly. It was, admittedly, his fault she was like that.

His job was to protect the Bearers from that which sought to do them harm. That didn't mean he couldn't help improve their health. After all, if they were fit enough to outrun a timberwolf, then that still counted as him doing his job, right?

Either way, he'd been subtly increasing his pace as they ran, making sure to do so while she was busy talking and looking around, so that she didn't notice herself speeding up to keep pace.

Even now, when they had reached what was obviously a mild jog, for him, she had yet to notice.

"H-ugh-hang on... isn'-agh-isn't that Applejack up ahead?" Sparky huffed, looking ahead, confused. Emerald followed her gaze, finding that, almost hidden among leaves of similar colour, the orange mare stood, panting heavily, while staring forward, looking pissed.

Given the obviously upturned rock behind her, it was safe to say she'd tripped over her own hooves.

"I can't believe it!" the farm mare yelled through her exhaustion, stamping a hoof in emphasis. He'd give her credit, she'd been running at full tilt for awhile and she was still going strong.

Earth pony endurance at its finest, he supposed.

"Yeah!" Sparky called, catching the irritated mare's attention, Sparky stopped right beside her, before doubling over, "Hah-hah-ugh..." she shook her head and looked up, "Isn't it beautiful? Agh..." Applejack blinked at her exhausted friend, before gently setting a hoof on her shoulder,

"Twi, are you alright?" she asked, her voice heavily laced with concern, "Ya don't look so good..."

"I'm... I'm fine!" she tried snapping, but it came out as more of a whine, "I just... just need to adjust my strategy..." she huffed. Emerald smirked although it was his customary wicked one,

"Ooooorrrr!~" he sang, "Maybe you were just running with an athletic stallion who got bored with your slow pace and upped it a couple dozen notches?"

Sparky froze, before turning her head, ever so slowly, until she was facing him. She stared him directly in the eye, and one of the hairs in her mane suddenly sprung upwards.

"You...!"

"As fine and dandy as this is," Applejack cut in, "I'm gettin' behind 'cause that darned pegasus went an' cheated again!" she scowled. Ignoring the mentally-deteriorating mare, he glanced at Applejack with a raised eyebrow,

"How?"

"She tripped me!" she snapped, causing Emerald to scoff,

"I know she's hard-headed, but I don't think she looks that much like a rock," he stated, jerking his head back at the upturned stone behind them. Applejack stared at it for a moment, before her eyes widened,

"Aw hayseed! I gotta catch up!" she finally spoke, before darting off towards the herd.

Emerald stared for a moment, before nodding his head. Just as he got ready to move on, he felt a hoof land on his shoulder, prompting him to face the angered expression on Sparky's muzzle. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and her eyes were narrowed, allowing only a thin strip of her purple orbs to shine through. Her lips were puckered in a pout, causing him to notice the rather attractive curve of her muzzle.

She was cute when she was angry.

He'd have to tick her off more often.

* * *

...

Damn, now he was thinking about her.

Oh well, it was probably the sleep deprivation trying to clue him in to the issue, just like it did when he was malnourished, so he ignored it for now.

Sparky was still a little peeved at him for it, but, after a little jab at her level of fitness, she had calmed down and was, apparently, a little touched that he tried helping her.

Honestly, he just thought it would be funny.

While it was, indeed, an honest thought, he had no idea how he could pull it off.

Applejack and Rainbow didn't need it, Rarity would no doubt completely refuse, Fluttershy might, and Pinkie could be a challenge to convince, but...

Eh, it sounded like a way to pass the time without looking too suspicious.

Well, assuming one of them actually agreed.

Sparky had returned to her sightseeing as they jogged, only this time she looked over at him every minute or two, likely to check if he was speeding them up again. He found that funny, but otherwise put it out of mind.

His ear twitched slightly as Pinkie and Spike's voices reached his ear.

Hmm, it seemed in the time since they last saw her, Applejack had managed to catch up to Rainbow Dash, although the other competitors were nowhere in sight.

Well, that's what happened if the average pony ran all out from the very start. Honestly, he'd've thought that there was at least one other pony who understood the term, 'pace yourself'. As it was, it seemed Sparky was the only one who did, unsurprisingly.

A spur of movement ahead of them caught his attention, with Sparky remaining unaware of it. He frowned slightly at the sight of Rainbow lying on the ground, a large tree stump behind her.

Does no one look where they're going anymore?

"Ugh! I don't believe it! Applejack tripped me!"

... Who was she talking to?

"You're an idiot," he snapped, causing her to jump and whirl around as he and Sparky caught up,

"Emerald!" Sparky huffed next to him, making him shrug before she continued, "Anyway... don't you ponies look where you're going? You tripped on a stump! See?"

"Oh I see! A big cheater is what I see!" Rainbow snapped, completely ignoring Sparky,

"There aren't any mirrors around you, moron," Emerald snarled, "And after the giant fuss she made about _you_ cheating, you honestly believe she's gonna do the same?"

"This is just a game, Rainbow Dash, remember that," Sparky added, jogging past her, with Emerald following behind. It didn't take long for Rainbow to quit pouting, as evidenced by the rainbow blur that passed them by a moment later.

"..." Emerald sighed, "How can you be friends with that moron?" he couldn't help but ask,

"Who, Rainbow?" Sparky inquired, before continuing at his nod, "Well, she's not that bad, when you get to know her," she defended. Emerald just raised an eyebrow at that, not believing her. She fidgeted, then sighed,

"I know she can be a little... arrogant... and selfish... and rude and insensitive. And I know that she tends to ignore other ponies in favour of herself pretty often, but... she's a good friend," Sparky finished, smiling weakly, "And she's loyal... most of the time,"

He blinked at that statement.

Even she wasn't sure?

He sighed, but shook the thought from his head,

"Whatever. Let's just keep going,"

* * *

They hadn't spoken much after that. Not that Emerald minded, he was fully content to just watching the scenery around them in silence.

Sparky, however, was visibly struggling to try and make conversation once more. If the 'Ah''s and 'Um''s every now and again were any indication, she found the silence somewhat uncomfortable.

He found that odd. Wouldn't a mare who was completely enamored with reading in peace, enjoy silence just as much? Then again, with friends like her own, it wasn't out of the question that she'd simply gotten used to interruptions, and, as such, had become more comfortable with making conversation than before.

"... I'm sorry about Rainbow Dash," Sparky suddenly said, catching him somewhat off guard. He glanced at her, finding that her gaze had been lowered to the ground as they ran,

"What do you mean?" he asked after a minute, she fidgeted slightly, but raised her head somewhat,

"I had a few issues with Rainbow when I first met her too," she admitted, sending him a guilty smile, "So I understand just how... annoying she can be," she sighed, "When I first met Rainbow Dash, I didn't exactly have the best first impression of her. I had been in Ponyville during the Summer Sun Celebration a couple months ago, and it was my job to make sure everything was going fine. So when I saw that the sky was still cloudy when it was supposed to be clear, I had been _v__ery_ annoyed with the pegasus in charge, who just so happened to be Rainbow Dash. Not only that, but she had knocked me into a mud puddle after crashing into me, and then dried me using some tornado she made. She cleared the sky after that, after I goaded her into it. After that, she accused me a being a spy of all things when I knew about Nightmare Moon," she said, before adding in an angry whisper, "Despite the fact that it was a foal's story that _everypony_ should've known about," she then sighed, "And after _that_, she helped save me from falling off a cliff... only to start bragging about it for nearly an hour afterwards," she trailed off after that, a nostalgic look in her eye, before she snapped out of it, "So... yeah. I know how annoying Rainbow can be, and I know that she isn't very good with first impressions. But she's a good pony, deep down, so... could you please not hold it against her?" she pleaded.

Emerald was silent when she finished, but there was a frown on his face instead.

A moment passed, before he sighed,

"Fine," he stated, surprising her, "It's not like I'll see her too often anyways," he added, secretly wishing that were true. Sparky smiled at him,

"Great!" she chirped, obviously quite happy. Emerald raised an eyebrow at her behavior,

"You seem oddly happy about that, Sparky," he noted aloud. She looked at him, before seemingly noticing her behavior, which she promptly stopped, but not without turning a little red. She laughed sheepishly,

"Sorry," she apologized, "I'm just glad I helped my friends a little," she admitted. Emerald blinked at that.

Friends?

Well, he supposed it _would_ make it easier to keep an eye on her, so he didn't object.

Once again, they lapsed into silence, only this time Sparky seemed okay with it, since she was happily looking around once more.

It wasn't until they spotted Rainbow Dash cackling to herself at the fork in the road past the waterfall that either of them spoke,

"Rainbow Dash?" Sparky began, "What are you doing? Not that Whitetail Woods isn't lovely, but I thought you'd be running ahead?" she asked. Rainbow scoffed,

"Hehe, don't worry, I'm sure to win now!" she bragged, Emerald frowned,

"Even though everyone else just passed you?" he snarked, pointing towards the large mob of ponies ahead.

Apparently, they all got their second wind.

"What!?" she cried, before turning her head and spotting the ponies, "Aw horseapples! See ya!" she yelled, before darting off.

He and Sparky exchanged glances, before she shrugged and moved on.

* * *

"You know, Sparky," Emerald began, glancing at her from the corner of his eye, "you really need to get in better shape," he commented idly.

Twilight threw him a dark look from the second place podium, still catching her breath.

A few minutes after they ran into Rainbow Dash, they'd both heard Pinkie announce that the racers were getting close, and she had, foolishly, challenged him to see who'd do better, before sprinting past him.

She had regretted that decision, slightly.

While, yes, she was absolutely exhausted from the run, she couldn't help but puff out her chest in pride when Princess Celestia herself placed the second place medal around her neck. Oh she'd just about peed herself from the excitement!

Thankfully she hadn't. She would've died from the embarrassment if she had!

As much as wanted to be annoyed with him, she couldn't help but admit that he was probably the only reason she'd managed to come second. From the very beginning, her plan was to just sprint to the finish, while still preserving some energy so she wouldn't collapse at the end.

But the sight of Emerald passing her with almost insulting ease, throwing her a cheeky grin as he did so, just ignited something in her. Something that begged, no, _demanded_ that she push herself harder, that she impress the stallion by her side, even as he passed the finish line and won first place.

She could see him now, looking at her with a smirk and raised brow from his podium above her, and she couldn't help but preen under his gaze, feeling far more accomplished than she probably should've.

Emerald chuckled. Sparky had certainly surprised him. He expected her to fall significantly behind him, even if he wasn't running at full speed. But no, she kept up, if just barely, and actually won second, right behind him.

From the grin Celestia was giving her, he wasn't the only one impressed. But even as she moved on from the exhausted mare, going over to congratulate him, and award him with the first place medal, he recalled his earlier thoughts.

"We need to talk," he muttered, allowing her to slip the medal around his neck. Celestia blinked in surprise, but gave a subtle nod,

"Alright. In a moment," she said, before stepping back and clearing her throat, "Congratulations, Emerald Skies, on winning first place in this year's Running of the Leaves!" she announced, smiling widely, "As promised, here is the first place award," she said, before three bags appeared in her grip with a flash, and the largest of the three flew over to him, "Two hundreds bits! And to the second place winner, Twilight Sparkle, I award, one hundred bits! And last, but certainly not least, our third place winner, Ditzy Doo, I award, fifty bits!" she called, the last two bags floating over to their respective winners.

The sounds of fighting, however, drew everyone's attention to the finish, where he could see Rainbow Dash and Applejack had just crossed.

Finally, the two separated. Both mares looked worse for wear, with their frazzled manes and dirty coats. He could even spot a few leaves sticking out from their tails as well.

"I won!" Rainbow shouted excitedly, but Applejack growled,

"No, I won!"

"I won!"

"You tied!" came Spike's voice from above, interrupting their argument,

""Wa-_tied_!?"" the two mares chorused, stunned,

"For first?" Applejack asked,

"For last!" Pinkie said cheerfully,

""_Last_?!""

"W-well then, who won?!" Rainbow cried. Sparky walked up to the two mares, looking a little smug, and cleared her throat,

"Ahem," the two turned to her, before their eyes bugged out,

"_You_?!" Sparky giggled a little, and shook her head,

"Oh no, I came in second. Which is amazing, especially since I've never run a race before," she said, though her breathing was still a little quick.

"But-but how?!" Applejack asked,

"You were running so slow! You just looked at the scenery!"

"Exactly," Sparky said sagely, "I paced myself, just like my book said. And when everypony else was exhausted, we sprinted to the finish!" she explained.

"Bu-but... wait, 'we'?" Rainbow asked,

"You were runnin' with Emerald!" Applejack exclaimed, "But, if you came in second then... did he-?"

"Win?" Emerald finally said from behind them, causing both mares to whirl around to face him, he tapped his first place medal, "Absolutely. Not bad for someone who's 'just a cashier', huh Applejack?" he remarked, sneering slightly. Applejack sighed,

"I... I guess yer right. Our behavior was plum awful, wasn't it?" she asked, Rainbow nodded,

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it?"

"Indeed," Celestia cut in, stunning the two mares, who had, somehow, not noticed her until then, "And it certainly sounds like an important lesson was learned here as well."

"P-princess Celestia?!" Rainbow stuttered, bowing,

"What are you doin' here?!" Applejack continued. Celestia laughed lightly,

"Well, Autumn is my favourite season," she began, "And I happened to have some time to spare, so I came down to enjoy the Running of the Leaves,"

"W-we're sorry ya had to see our poor sportsmanship, Princess," Applejack said, Celestia merely smiled at them softly,

"That's fine, Applejack. Nearly anypony can get caught up in the excitement of competition," she said.

"And as long as you remember that friendship is more important than the competition," Twilight added, "then everything will be just fine!"

"I couldn't have said it better, Twilight," Celestia praised, causing the little teacher's pet to gush, "However," she continued, "because you two were so busy tricking each other, a lot of the trees in Ponyville still have their leaves," she pointed out, gesturing to the nearby woods.

It was true. A good quarter of the trees on the track still had a chunk of their leaves remaining. It was... rather ugly to look at. For the most part, the trees had been stripped bare, leaving tan branches to jut out from above the treeline, but every here and there, splotches of reds, browns, or yellows could be seen, standing out amongst the bark.

"Well, I'm sure we can fix that, right Dash?" Applejack asked, smirking,

"Heh, totally! I need to stretch my legs anyways! Come on!" the pegasus cheered, before darting back down the track, with the farmer close behind.

Emerald watched for a moment as they ran off, until they disappeared from sight.

"Well then, everypony!" Celestia called, catching everyone's attention, "Let's not let that put a damper on things, we still have our winners to celebrate!" she said. The Ponyvillians cheered at her words, nearly deafening the sole thestral in the area.

He quickly made his way over to the side as everyone began to celebrate the ending of the Running of the Leaves, with Celestia following him a few minutes later.

"Alright, Emerald, what is it?" she asked, furrowing her brow in concern. Emerald frowned as he looked up at her, his eyes darting over to Sparky, who hadn't noticed him speaking with her mentor yet,

"... Are you aware that Spar-Twilight exhibits some signs of past bullying?"

Celestia stiffened suddenly, before her gaze darted over to her student. She stared at her, seemingly searching for the signs, before her eyes widened. She let out a heavy sigh, and looked back at him.

Emerald was stunned at the look on her face when he met her eye once more. She looked... tired. Her visible eye was lidded slightly, and there was a deep frown on her muzzle. There was even signs of a few wrinkles on her normally youthful face.

"Yes, Twilight used to be bullied, back at my school," she admitted, "When our lessons first began, she was always excited to learn new things. She would ask question after question about pretty much anything," she said fondly, before frowning, "Then one day she just went quiet. I hadn't thought much of it, of course, just that she was beginning to adjust, or had read something in one of her books that made her act that way," her frown deepened, "It wasn't until I found her crying her eyes out in the Royal Library that I realized what was wrong. But I talked to her about it, and had the bullies she mentioned punished for their actions, and made sure they knew how wrong bullying was," she said, and her tone and expression softened, "She was better after that, but she wasn't the same. I hoped that she would talk to me about it, but she never did," she met his eyes once more, having looked away in shame at some point, "She had always been a shy filly, but after that, she was never able to go up in front of her classmates again, not even with my help,"

Emerald frowned. It wasn't serious, he could see. It really only seemed to affect her if she was being made fun of or teased, as evident by her reactions back at the beginning of the race. She associates it with the experience, and it seemed to trigger some minor panic. What she needed was a positive source of the teasing to counteract the trauma.

Although, it might not actually be the teasing that affects her. The most likely possibility, now that he was actually giving it some thought, was that the teasing had given her some confidence issues that she had simply never gotten over. After all, she wanted to join in a race when she'd never done one, and, instead of providing support, her friends had teased for it. It's entirely possible that, rather than have some sort of foalhood trauma connected to teasing, it could easily be that she merely had some confidence problems, or even issues with self-esteem.

Emerald gave a hard sigh, catching Celestia's attention, before relaying his revelation.

"I see..." the solar mare lamented, "... of course. I never had her visit a therapist. I was always too afraid that she'd think something was wrong with her if I did. But now, if I even suggest such a thing, she'd likely try to diagnose herself while inadvertently ignoring my suggestions," she sighed. Emerald nodded,

"Most likely," he agreed, "So what am I gonna do about it?" he asked, already aware she'd ask him to handle it. To her credit, the solar co-ruler flushed a little at the prediction, and even looked the slightest bit guilty,

"Well. I'm sure everything will be fine. As long as her friends support her, everything should settle itself," she said. Emerald blinked, before sighing,

"Her friends were teasing her earlier today because she joined the Running of the Leaves," he deadpanned, causing Celestia's expression to drop with a sigh.

"I see... well, then I suppose I'll have to ask you to support her whenever the need arises," she said, wincing slightly, "I... apologize for tasking you with so much," she said, looking away from him.

He frowned. It almost sounded like she was apologizing for more than just this town. But that was ridiculous. What reason would she have for apologizing to him? He was her tool, her weapon. He was just doing what he was made to do, after all.

"Riiiight," he said, before shaking his head, "Regardless, I have to go get ready for my patrol," he added with a frown. He turned away from the solar co-ruler and began the trek home, completely unaware of the guilty grimace that the solar princess was wearing as she watched him leave.


	12. Minor Issues in Showbusiness

As it turned out, the Cakes had absolutely _no_ intention of taking the prize money.

The moment he hoofed it over to them, they started going on and on about the overtime he'd done, overtime he knew he didn't have, and then gave it right back.

He didn't know whether to be a little pissed about that or not.

Regardless, it had been a few days since the Running of the Leaves, and Emerald had yet to start helping Sparky with her trauma.

Not that he was feeling particularly obligated to start. This was a small town, and the likelihood of her having to go up in front of everyone was slim. And besides, Celestia had a point. Her friends would likely take care of the whole thing long before he could.

_But, you're not an athlete, you're a... an egghead!_

_Yeah, see you at the finish line!... Tomorrow!_

_Dammit Rainbow..._

He growled, accidentally spewing out fire over the food he was cooking, not that he cared. Wisp's breakfast had already been made, some burnt food wouldn't kill him.

"What's wrong Emerald?" came the small, but familiar, voice from behind him. He turned, finding Wisp staring at him from her seat, looking worried. He shook his head,

"Nothing much Wisp. Just some... things someone said to someone else," he replied vaguely, she pouted at his answer, but it vanished when he placed her food in front of her,

"Were they being a bully?" she asked innocently as she took a bite of her eggs,

"... Yes," he finally replied, "And I... I need to help the pony with their confidence issues, but I'm not sure I'm the right one for the job," he admitted.

It was rare that he'd any sort of problem with his job. It was usually 'Go in, do this, get out', and that worked for him. It was one of the reasons he'd gotten so good at so many things. He had to learn fast, and learn well. It would mean failure otherwise.

And he didn't do failure.

But this was a little different than that. For starters, this was about a pony, a member of a species he had a difficult time really understanding. Things that were trivial and meaningless to him could be massive social taboos to them. An example being Sparky's little faux pas with his wings. They didn't mean much to him, unlike pegasi who treasured them. He'd rather not do or say anything that could be considered something else to them, and mess up tremendously.

"Well why wouldn't ya be?" she asked, "I mean, you're the greatest thestral I know!" she chirped. He chuckled at her enthusiasm,

"Thanks for the confidence, Wisp. But still. I'm not exactly the best when it comes to emotional support,"

"Are you kidding?!" Wisp yelled, "You helped everybody back at the Facility!" she said passionately, before turning somber, "I dunno if we would'a made it out without you,"

The somewhat chipper mood died abruptly at that. Names and faces he'd never see again filtered through his mind, and with each one a pang of guilt struck his heart.

If only he'd been a little faster, a little bit stronger he could've-!

No. What's done, is _done_. He couldn't save everyone, so he saved who he could.

"I dunno, Wisp," he spoke up, "I'm sure Sapphire or Trixie would've gotten you out. Those two always did have a good head on their shoulders. Unlike Spits or Will. Star would've been the best option, but I don't think her trust issues would've let her," he mused.

"No," she stated firmly, causing him to glance her in surprise. Her face was set in a firm frown, trying to appear stern but failing adorably, "You were the best leader we had! The best we could'a asked for!" she insisted, "The rainbows you kept tellin' us about gave us all hope, Emerald. We all would'a died if it wasn't for you,"

Emerald stared at his little sister for a minute, before a soft, guilty laugh left him. His vision blurred slightly, but he didn't mind. Moving over to Wisp, he gently wrapped her in his hooves and pulled her close,

"... Thanks, Wisp," he breathed, "I... I really needed to hear that," he confessed, before pulling away. He glanced down, finding the little filly beaming up at him brightly, her smile practically glowing, even in the morning light.

He was lucky to have such a sweet little sister.

* * *

Scratch that, his sister was a demon.

A small, cuddly, and adorable little demon.

But a demon nonetheless.

It was Saturday, and because it was a Saturday, she wanted to spend _all_ day with him, despite the fact that he had to work Saturdays.

So here he was, sitting behind the counter of Sugarcube Corner while his cute little demon happily drank a chocolate milkshake, which she had somehow tempted out of him.

Faust, she had him wrapped around her tiny hoof!

... He could live with that, he supposed.

He sighed, raising his head from his hoof rest. Oh well, it wasn't like he was the only one. Pinkie absolutely adored her as well, and it had taken copious amounts of pushing, cursing, and the occasional threat just to get her back in the kitchen, and away from the little filly she was showering with attention.

"I hope you're happy," he snarked at the filly in front of him, to which she responded with a bright grin, before going back to her treat. The tinkling of a bell caught his attention, and he swiftly turned his attention to his new customer, only to jerk up in surprise.

"Trixie?" The name caught Wisp's attention as well, and she turned around, and gasped happily,

"Big Sis Trixie!" she shouted gleefully as she set down her shake, before running over to the mare and glomping her.

Emerald stared in surprise at the mare, even as she happily hugged the little filly back.

She had grown since he'd last seen her. Her sky blue coat was immaculately brushed down, causing it to appear as smooth as silk. Her two tone silver-blue mane and tail glimmered brightly in the light, even as some of it curled down into her face. Her purple eyes shined with unrestrained glee as she moved her gaze from the excited filly up to him. A bright wand shimmered on her flank, a trail of magical dust glittering beneath it.

Sitting atop her head, with a sky blue horn sticking out from underneath, was a royal purple hat dotted by white stars, and a cape of the same make rested atop her back.

Trixie Lulamoon, a familiar face, stared back at him.

And damn, he forgot just how much she and Wisp looked alike. Really, just lighten Wisp's coat a few shades and he wouldn't be surprised if they were actually blood related!

His eyes roamed across her familiar form. She had certainly taken care of herself in the past few years. For a unicorn like herself, it was very impressive to see the tightly packed muscle coating her entire form. Although, Emerald had the distinct impression that the muscle that had grown the most, was one that he, and every non-unicorn, would never be able to truly see.

Trixie smiled brightly at him, her pearly white teeth looked almost unnatural, likely having been assisted through magical means.

"Emm!" she cried happily, her deeper voice ringing with untold maturity, even if none of it was shown as she skipped over to him and wrapped him into a hug, "Oohhhh! It's _sooo_ good to see you two again!" she chirped, before letting go of the stallion, who smirked back at her enthusiasm, "How long has it been?" she asked. Emerald chuckled,

"About five years, I think. What brings you to Ponyville of all places?" he asked, getting straight to the point. Trixie laughed a little,

"Well, I'm a traveling magician!" she gushed, smiling brightly, "I just got out of Manehatten, took a couple looks at my map, and thought 'why not?'! I've already got my stage ready, and I'll be giving out flyers before performing tomorrow," she said, before leveling a glare at him, "Though, I didn't think I'd find _you_ of all creatures here," she stated, the unasked 'Why are you here?' rather obvious. Emerald rolled his eyes, but deigned to answer,

"I'm working," he said, although the unamused glare Trixie sent him made him smirk,

"I can see that," she muttered, "Why are you in Ponyville? I know you Emm, you wouldn't be anywhere without a reason,"

"I'm working," he repeated, his ear flicking backwards slightly. Trixie's eyes caught the motion instantly, and she nodded,

"Alright. Never took you for a baker though,"

"There's a lot of things a lot of ponies don't take me for," he responded, nodding sagely, although Trixie just scoffed, amused.

"Whatcha been doin' since we left Big Sis Trixie?" Wisp's little voice cut in, catching their attention, "I've been practicin' my magic ever since!" she said, puffing out her chest proudly. Trixie smiled,

"Really!? That's wonderful!" she gushed excitedly, "But like I said, I've been traveling all over Equestria since the Facility!"

"Ever been out?" Emerald asked, she shook her head, but paused, then nodded,

"A little, yeah, but it was only for a couple days," she admitted, "There were some zebras who were looking for some entertainment, and they ended up hiring me," she scowled, "I left when I realized the 'entertainment' was something I wasn't comfortable with," she lowered her voice so that only Emerald could hear, "Do I really look like a prostitute, or were they just stupid?"

Emerald snorted, but tried to reign in his laughter. Trixie leveled another glare at him, and he ended up failing.

Deep guffaws left him breathless as he laughed. He tried in vain to stifle the sounds with a hoof, but it only ended up making it worse, especially with Trixie giving him such an unamused stare. The sound of the bell above the door ringing barely registered to him in his bout of laughter.

Eventually he managed to compose himself, and returned his attention to Trixie, who was staring at him blankly.

"Are you done, yet?" she asked. He chuckled a little, but nodded,

"Sure, why not? And no, by the way, you don't,"

"Could'a fooled me," she responded darkly. Emerald smirked, before waltzing back behind the counter,

"Whatever, Trix. You gonna order, or what?" he asked. Trixie rolled her eyes,

"Just get me a damn shake. Strawberry," she snapped lightly. He nodded, and turned to the window,

"You get that, Pinkie?" he asked,

"Totally!" came the excited response, before the pink mare's head popped up, "One strawberry shake, comin' ri-!" she froze when her eyes caught sight of Trixie, and she gasped, "Ohmygosh!"

She made to rush out of the kitchen, but a green hoof caught her just before she disappeared,

"Oh no!" he snapped, pulling her back into position, "You're not leaving me by myself today!"

"But-but what about the you-know-what?!" Pinkie pleaded, looking back at him with big, watery eyes,

"You can do that tomorrow when we don't have to work!" he countered, "Now, get back to work!"

Pinkie slinked back into the kitchen. Having sufficiently cowed Pinkie, he turned back, finally noticing that there was another in the room with them.

Standing behind Trixie, Sparky was glowering at the back of the mare's head, seemingly unaware of Emerald's newfound gaze. He glared back at the mare, letting a low growl emit from his throat.

Sparky blinked, before noticing his glare. She paled slightly, and shrunk away, looking both mortified, and somewhat confused.

Twilight's heart had nearly froze.

_That... that look..._

She couldn't bring herself to move. The icy glare pierced through her, and the sheer animosity in his eyes made her want to shrink in on herself and hide away! She wanted to run! To get away! She wanted to do _something, anything_ to get rid of that horrible glare!

The feelings went away at the same moment Emerald turned his cool gaze away from her, and her heart resumed it's frantic beating.

_What... what was that?!_

Ever since the Running of the Leaves a few days ago, Twilight had been in high spirits!

In fact, her good mood seemed to translate over to her magical studies, as every single spell she'd been trying had been a magnificent success! Even Spike had been affected by her chipper mood, as he had been excitedly helping her out with those same spells.

The two of them had been out and about in town, with Spike gushing about the twenty-fifth successful spell she had performed today alone, when she got an idea.

She had been doing so well for the past few days, and her friends had all seemed happy as well whenever they came by to visit. The only pony she hadn't seen since was Emerald. She thought that, maybe it was time for her to give him a little visit and see how he was doing?

Maybe she'd even tell him about those spells of hers!

Oh she could just imagine it! He'd smile at her and say, 'I knew you could do it, Twilight.', and then he'd invite her out to lunch and then-

That had stopped her. Not only was she letting her overactive imagination get to her, but her own hunger was beginning to distract her.

Although, she couldn't deny the fact that the idea of Emerald inviting her to lunch was rather appealing.

Obviously it was because the two of them were good friends, in fact maybe she could invite all of their friends out with them!

Oddly enough, that thought didn't appeal to her as much.

Regardless, she and Spike had just arrived at Sugarcube Corner, and had even pushed through the door, when she heard it.

Deep, musical laughter met her ears. It wasn't loud, but it wasn't exactly quiet either. It's strong, musical quality sunk through her ears and into her mind, sending pleasant sensations throughout her body. Somehow she knew whose laughter it was, despite having never heard it before, and her thoughts were only proven true when she spotted Emerald, a wide grin splitting his face as he threw his head back and laughed.

That was when she spotted the other mare in the room.

For a moment, she didn't quite comprehend what was happening, but, after a moment, a conclusion struck her.

This mare, whom she had never seen before, had somehow made Emerald laugh.

She narrowed her eyes at this mare. Who was she? What was her connection with Emerald?

How in the name of Tartarus had she made him laugh?!

The thought circled through her head. This mare had made Emerald laugh. Something that she, herself had never heard. A few chuckles and snickers sure, but never a strong laugh like this one.

She felt a strange feeling flutter in her chest. It wasn't pleasant.

Of course, before she could ponder further on it, she had noticed Emerald's glare.

_Dammit Sparky._

He had only thrown her a small glare, before he had abruptly cut it off. It wouldn't do to glare at his charge like he had. Unfortunately, she had noticed him and had promptly froze in place.

He supposed she couldn't be blamed for that reaction. Ponies were herbivores, so a carnivore, or omnivore like himself, would naturally set off their fight or flight instincts if they hit the right buttons, even if he didn't currently look like one.

Hopefully she'd either forget about, or disregard, the whole thing.

Regardless, if Sparky had noticed, then it wasn't a surprise that Trixie did as well.

She turned to face whoever it was that had invoked such a strong reaction from the normally unflappable thestral, mentally preparing herself to face some sort of atrocious scum of the earth, only to come face to face with a rather cute, but meek, looking mare.

Twilight Sparkle and Trixie Lulamoon each blinked at each other, both confused by the other mare, although for very different reasons.

This was the mare that pissed Emerald off? Trixie couldn't help but wonder what she could have possibly done to offend the thestral behind her.

Even back at the Facility, Emerald had always been calm and collected. Granted it was entirely forced at the time, and the only way he'd been able to keep it up for so long was his own fear, as well as his almost obsession with rainbows at the time.

Looking back on it now, it was actually kind of funny to think that such a strong willed stallion had such a deep adoration of something that was generally seen as a little filly's daydream. Of course no one from the Facility would ever make fun of him for it.

Twilight, however, couldn't help but admire the mare through her confusion.

She was beautiful, that much was almost _painfully_ obvious. Her mane, which was being parted by a rather long horn, gently curved around her face, almost drawing Twilight's eyes in. Her eyes were more ovular than most ponies, giving her an exotic sense of beauty, which was further bolstered by a set of thick eyelashes that fluttered attractively. Her muzzle was curved elegantly, and her plump lips sat, curved into a light frown. Her neck was of average length, leading downward to a body that wouldn't look out of place in one of those magazines that Rarity owned. Thin, but muscular legs supported a well proportioned body, where a thin waist almost teasingly expanded into a set of flanks a decent bit below what most ponies would consider big.

Twilight couldn't help but compare this mare to herself, and felt that she came up short.

"Hey," the mare suddenly spoke. Even her voice was attractive! A set of deep feminine tones that almost caressed the ear flowed from her lips.

Twilight inwardly cursed.

Why was it that every mare she knew was so much more attractive than her?!

And why did she suddenly care so much?!

"Y-yeah?" she stuttered, the mare narrowed her eyes at her,

"What's your issue with Emm?" she asked, "'Cause he only ever glares at someone like that when he's real pissed off,"

"I didn't like the look she'd been giving you, Trix," Emerald stated. 'Trix' looked back at him for a moment, before bringing her gaze back to Twilight, looking a little angry,

"And just _why_ exactly were you giving me a look, Short-Horn?" she asked, idly flicking Twilight's horn with a bit of magic.

Twilight flinched back at the insult. Distant voices echoed in the back of her mind echoing out,

_Lookit Twi-Lame over here!_

_Is the little Teacher's Pet gonna start crying?_

_Lookit Twi-Cry! What a baby!_

_Friendless loser!_

_Bet she got that doll because she couldn't make any real friends._

The old, but never fading memories rose up to the surface, flashing before her now blurring eyes.

She barely had time to see the suddenly worried expressions of the two ponies in front of her, before she teleported away in a bright flash of light.

"... Well," Emerald began, his voice breaking the silence, "That was... bad,"

"Is she gonna be okay?" Wisp asked, looking up at the two older ponies. Emerald sighed, as Trixie continued staring out the door, with a somewhat guilty expression on her face.

Damn. It was a little worse than he thought.

Emerald inwardly cursed. It looked like her confidence wasn't the only thing that needed work on.

"If I knew calling her 'Short-Horn' would've done that, I would've thought up something else..." he heard Trixie mutter, "Who was that mare, anyways?" Emerald groaned,

"That was Twilight Sparkle. She's..." he trailed off, trying to think of an adequate term to describe her, "... an acquaintance," he conceded after a moment.

"She's my magic tutor!" Wisp supplied, getting Emerald to nod,

"Yeah, from Canterlot," he added. Trixie winced at the revelation,

"Aww, jeez. I hope I didn't ruin that for you," she said, rubbing the back of her head, "I should apologize, right?" Emerald shook his head,

"Don't worry. Sparky isn't the kind of pony to give up on Wisp just because of something you said," he replied, but paused, before adding, "Well, I don't think so, at least. As for the apology..." he trailed off, a sudden thought cropping into his head, "Why don't we go out and do that now?" he suggested. Trixie sighed,

"Lead the way," Emerald nodded and stepped out from behind the counter,

"Alright Pinkie, you heard all that, right?"

"Yep!" came the chipper voice, just as the familiar pink head popped into the window, "Don't worry! I'll let the Cakes know if they ask!"

"Thank you," he responded, "Come on," he added, jerking his head to the door.

"You seem to get along with her," Trixie noted as they made their way into the streets, Emerald shrugged,

"Hard not to," he admitted, frowning slightly, "She'd just keep annoying me otherwise, I'd bet," she laughed,

"She seems like the kind of pony to do that," she grinned at him, but it fell after a moment, "So, what's the plan for this apology?" Emerald scoffed,

"Oh please, that'll be easy. Just tell her you're sorry and explain. That's not why I wanted to get you alone," he said, lowering his voice, "I need your help with something,"

Trixie's relaxed gait stiffened suddenly,

"What do you need?" she asked,

"You said you were performing tomorrow, right?" she nodded, "What will you be doing?"

"Illusory magic," she responded immediately, "As well as some older sleight of hoof tricks, stuff earth ponies could easily do. Then I was going to wrap it with some transmutations, then take requests. Why?"

"Will you be needing volunteers for any of it?"

"Yes, why, you wanna go up?" she asked, the hardened tone lightening slightly. He shook his head,

"No. Whenever you need a volunteer, get Sparky up there,"

"Is that apart of the apology?" she asked, now completely relaxed again, he paused for a moment, before nodding,

"If you want to think of it like that, then yes. The main reason I'm asking is because Sparky has some confidence issues due to bullying as a filly. Of course it seems she's also bad with some teasing, as you revealed earlier," Trixie winced, "By having her go up and help with your tricks, hopefully it'll start building her confidence up, since most of the attention won't be on her. It's a bit of a big step, I'll admit, but it's better than nothing,"

Trixie nodded, but bit her lip. She threw a sidelong glance at the thestral by her side.

Why would he want to help someone out like that? He was a very selfless stallion, she knew that, even if he'd deny it, but that was really only towards someone he liked. It was possible that he liked this 'Twilight', but with how he was glaring at her earlier, it must be a new thing. Still...

"Why do you want to help her so badly?" she asked. Emerald was quiet for a moment, before giving a deep sigh,

"Honestly? It's my job,"

She blinked, confused. Job? She knew that Emerald was the Champion, which was a position second only to the princesses themselves, as Princess Celestia was kind enough to send herself, as well as the others, the occasional update about Emerald, likely because the sacrificial fool would keep himself too busy to do so himself. But, did that mean that the princess had assigned him as the bodyguard to some random mare?

No. She wouldn't do that, so it meant that this 'Twilight Sparkle' was someone of significance. But who?

Well, she wasn't just going to ask! If she was important enough for the princess to assign Emerald of all creatures to protect her, then she'd find out sooner or later, regardless if she tried to or not.

"Well... alright," she agreed, "So... about that apology?"

* * *

Emerald blinked.

Then blinked again.

Okay, he wasn't seeing things then.

The apology between Trixie and Sparky had gone swell, as he thought it would. At first, it seemed like Sparky held a grudge towards her, but, oddly enough, after he made a side comment about his sister being a decent pony, she warmed up to her right away.

He'd left the two in peace after that, and ended up in _this_ position.

A pair of familiar, bright baby blue eyes peered back into his from above him, shining with worry.

"Are you okay Emerald?" the owner of said eyes asked him,

"... Pinkie,"

"Yeah?"

"Get. Off,"

Rather than wait for the order to process, Emerald placed his hind legs against her stomach and forcefully kicked her off of him, though he made sure to restrain from causing any harm.

"Wheee!"

He succeeded.

He stood back up, wiping away some dirt that gathered on his coat at the same time. Just as he was about to snap at Pinkie for running into him, she spoke,

"Found you!" Pinkie squealed,

"Whatever. What are you doing?" Pinkie grinned,

"Well, Mr. and Mrs. Cake woke up a couple minutes ago and saw that you were gone. I told them that you had to go to Twilight's for a little bit, so they asked me to go out and find you so we can can all be there for Mrs. Cake's shots and baby update!"

"... And, they asked you to do that... why?" Pinkie's smile turned a little nervous,

"Weeeellll... I may or may not have told them I would and ran out the door..." Emerald stared for a moment, but sighed,

"Whatever, Pinkie. Good luck going by yourself," he snarked. Pinkie pouted,

"But Emerald! I told the Cakes you'd go with us!"

"Well, too bad. We'd have to be present when they get these shots, and I refuse to be in the same room as a needle unless I absolutely have to!" he snapped, causing Pinkie to flinch.

Pinkie frowned at Emerald, sadly watching on as he turned away from her and walked off.

Well, she guessed that she really should've expected that kind of reaction from him.

Pinkie knew a lot of ponies, and she meant a lot a lot! But, she'd never met anypony like Emerald. He was a bit mean, and he acted like he really didn't care sometimes, but Pinkie could tell he did.

After all, he listened to her whenever she lost track of what she was saying and went on a bit of a rant. She'd never heard him call her weird, or odd, or anything. Not only that, but he never got annoyed whenever she was just playing around, and even went along with it sometimes!

Sure he got annoyed with her sometimes, but that was usually when she was pestering him.

She didn't know if anypony knew how much that meant to her.

Nopony knew this, but Pinkie has always had a hard time making friends. [i]Real[/i] friends. The kind that you can tell anything to and never have to be afraid of what they'd think.

She felt that Emerald was that kind of friend. The kind that you have to work to befriend, but when you do, you never have to be afraid again.

So, it hurt her to hear him refuse to do something with her. But there was something else.

_I refuse to be in the same room as a needle unless I absolutely have to!_

Pinkie's frown deepened. Was Emerald afraid of needles?

It was... kinda silly, she supposed. But just because she thought it was little silly, didn't mean Emerald did.

Maybe she could help him get over it?

* * *

"So, Twilight," the blue unicorn began, idly taking a sip of her tea, "Care to explain the whole 'glaring at me' thing now?" The unicorn in question winced slightly, and looked away.

Twilight genuinely felt bad about glaring at her, and it seemed that Trixie certainly didn't appreciate it. Honestly, she was fairly certain she would be peeved too if she learned that somepony she'd never met before was caught glaring at her for seemingly no reason.

But as it was, even Twilight wasn't entirely sure why she'd been glaring at her. Nor was she certain of the reason of her lingering hostility when when she had come by to apologize for calling her 'Short-Horn'.

"Well... I... I'm not really sure why, to be honest,"

"You... don't know?" Trixie asked, straightening up in her seat. Twilight had, once the two of them had warmed up to each other, been kind enough to prepare some tea for them to drink while they both relaxed on the library's only bit of furniture on the ground floor, something that Trixie had pointed out, much to Twilight's embarrassment.

As it was, the small distance made it very easy for Trixie to notice the look of genuine confusion that played across the lavender mare's face,

"I have no idea, at all. Originally I thought that maybe I had contracted some disease I'd never heard of, but after a few days worth of research I couldn't find a single thing that matched my symptoms. After that I assumed that there was some sort of spell that somepony had cast on me, but after thirty scanning spells I couldn't find a single thing wrong with me! Not even the seeking spells could trace my symptoms back to whatever caused them! It's infuriating! I know that the answer is here somewhere, but I just! Can't! Find it!" Twilight snapped, her frantic motions sending her immaculately styled mane into a frizzy mess.

Her now frizzy mane, coupled with her heavy breathing and rapidly darting eyes gave the lavender mare a distinctly manic look.

"Woah! Calm down!" she snapped, using her magic to slap the mare back to her senses. Twilight pouted, rubbing her now stinging cheek with her own magic,

"Sorry," she muttered, "It's just... it's so frustrating! I [i]want[/i] to know what's wrong but I don't understand it at all! I _need_ to know what's wrong with me, and why it only ever happens around Emerald!"

Trixie froze for a moment, but regained her composure,

"What, exactly, happens around Emerald?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at the angered mare. Twilight waved a hoof at her, almost dismissively, but answered in a distracted tone,

"My body temperature and heart rate go up, I find myself continuously distracted and it's difficult to think straight," she turned to Trixie, looking less distracted, "It's... terrifying actually. I can't think straight when he's around, and it's worse when I'm alone with him. Thinking is all I'm good at, and for me to lose it like it's nothing..." she took a deep breath, "And, and what's even worse? I don't dislike it. I can't stand the thought of not being able to think, but for some reason I enjoy being around him, so I can't even bring myself to just outright avoid him until I figure this out!"

Trixie stared at her, absolutely stunned. If she was telling the truth, and she doubted she was lying, then Twilight here likely had developed a bit of a crush on Emerald in the time he's been here, which was almost two months if she was right.

That was... actually kind funny, now that she was thinking about it. The thought that somebody, anybody, had developed feelings for the thestral she saw as a brother was both heartwarming, and highly amusing. It would be good for Emerald if he had a marefriend, give him something, or someone, to focus on and maybe even break him of that sacrificial habit of his.

Of course, that kind of thing had to be taken slowly, very slowly in fact.

"When did these... 'symptoms' start appearing?" she asked.

"Well... I guess it was after I gave Rarity a pair of fake wings so she could go up to Cloudsdale with us to watch the Best Young Fliers Competition. There was some magical displacement, which blew us all back and I ended up crashing into Emerald," Twilight turned a faint red, obviously recalling the incident.

That... faintly sounded like some romance novel she'd read once. A pair of ponies brought together by a magical accident, and ended up falling in love due to the aftermath.

Thankfully, this wasn't that, so Trixie wouldn't have to deal with the obvious headache that it would have brought.

"Well... maybe you'll figure it out if you spend _more_ time with Emerald? Ever think of that?" Trixie suggested playfully. Twilight either didn't catch her tone, or didn't recognize its meaning as she only titled her head in thought,

"Spend more time with...?" she stared off into space for a moment, her cheeks turning a much darker red as she did so, "I suppose that could work... I'd be able to get an up close account of him, find out if maybe he's doing something to me on purpose," she murmured, "Get an accurate reading of my symptoms and see if prolonged exposure changes anything..." she nodded, "Yes. Yes! That could definitely work!" she gushed, but froze, "Wait. Confronting him about this could raise suspicion. If he's actually doing something to me then..." she trailed off, before grinning, looking almost... deranged, "Yes... I'll have to observe him from a distance. I can record his behavior and find out what causes what reaction," Trixie blinked at the mare's sudden rambling, being unable to do anything but watch as a notepad levitated over to Twilight, which she furiously scribbled into, muttering about 'observing the subject' and something called 'Emerus Skius'.

"That's... that's not what I was-"

"This is perfect!" Twilight gushed, cutting Trixie off, "I can't believe I didn't think of this before!" she squealed excitedly, before lunging at the stunned mare, and proceeded to give her a rather bonecrushing hug, "Ooohhh! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

Had she just made a terrible mistake?

* * *

The rest of his day had been spent with him constantly looking over his shoulder.

For whatever reason, he felt as though he would be in constant danger for the next few days, and it was setting him on edge.

The worst part was that he had absolutely no idea what would happen! Meaning that he was stuck guessing, and if there was one thing he knew, it was that the anticipation was often worse than whatever was to come.

He sighed. Whatever, he'd just wait until whatever it was revealed itself before he did anything about it, on the off chance he was just being paranoid.

The night had passed by slowly. Whether that was because of this newfound paranoia, or sheer boredom he didn't know.

One thing of note, however, was Trixie's wagon. Parked directly beside his house, by his insistence, she was practically living with him and Wisp now, at least until she headed out to her next town in a couple days.

She had even been cheeky enough to give the two of a pair of signed flyers for her show, which she had asked him to put up during his rounds, as she had to prepare the stage for the show. It wasn't much of an issue, and it gave him something else to do, so he agreed quite easily.

She had even roped not only himself, but Wisp as well, into helping sell tickets. At ten bits a piece for adults, and five for foals, he and Wisp were to sit outside Town Hall and sell tickets while Trixie worked on getting a place to set up the stage from the Mayor.

He only hoped it would be well worth it.

* * *

"Come one, come all!" came the amplified voice of the little filly from atop a small crate, "_'The Amazing Trixie'_ has arrived in Ponyville for two nights only! Come get your tickets before they're all sold out!" she called happily through her little megaphone.

Emerald sighed softly, but grinned as he hoofed around tickets and put away bits.

He sat behind a purple booth, where a sign hung above him, emblazoned with the moniker, '_The Amazing Trixie!_'. A single poster for her show hung off to his side, depicting Trixie wearing her showmare's garb, standing confidently atop a stage, horn aglow as bright burst of lights lit up the world below.

Wisp was out the street a few feet away from him, standing a top a small crate they'd found, with a megaphone, shouting into the masses to draw even more attention to the booth he sat behind, which already stood out due to it's colour.

Apparently, Trixie had a good reputation around Equestria, one that he had, somehow, never heard of before.

Although, in his defense, he hadn't spent much time in Equestria over the past six years, so he couldn't be blamed too heavily.

A lot of ponies seemed very excited to see her perform tonight, although two young colts in particular, whose names he didn't know, seemed a bit too enthusiastic to see her show.

Given the way they nearly fainted when he hoofed them their tickets, he honestly didn't want to know just why they were so enthusiastic.

"'_The Amazing Trixie_'?" came a familiar accented voice, prompting him to look up. Rarity waltzed up to the booth, her eyes firmly planted on the words above him, "Oh my, it seems somepony is a bit full of herself," she stated.

"It's a stage name, moron," Emerald snapped, causing the mare to jolt in surprise,

"Goodness! Whatever is the matter?"

"My sister isn't full of herself," he snarled, "Besides, if you're friends with Rainbow Dash, I would've imagined you wouldn't care," Rarity blanched at his statement, but quickly regained her composure,

"Well, yes, Rainbow is a little much at times, but-... your sister?" she asked, he nodded,

"Yes, my sister, Trixie Lulamoon. She's a showmare, and calling herself '_The Amazing Trixie_' does wonders for selling tickets, which support her. Much like your dresses support you," he snapped. Rarity winced at his tone and dropped her gaze to the ground. She took a deep breath, and looked back up at him,

"I-I see... of course, I suppose I was too judgmental. I've never even met the mare. I apologize for my assumptions," she said, giving him a faint smile, "And you do have a point. Anypony who can deal with Rainbow Dash shouldn't have an issue with anypony else of a similar... attitude."

"You gonna buy a ticket?" he asked, completely shrugging off her apology, "It'll give you a chance to see Trixie in action, and you can make your judgement then," Rarity glanced down at the box of tickets he was gesturing towards, and gave a good natured chuckle,

"Well, I suppose I don't really have a choice, do I?" she asked, smiling, before gently levitating her bits over to him, which he exchanged with a single, silver ticket,

"Enjoy the show," he said, grinning.

"I'm sure I'll have an opinion of it," she responded, "Have a nice day, Emerald,"

He bid her goodbye and returned to his work, feeling slightly accomplished for no reason other than having averted whatever confrontation that would've occurred between Rarity and Trixie, because he was fairly certain there would've been one given her attitude upon seeing the stage name.

Now hopefully, that was all he had to deal with.

* * *

"Welcome everybody, to _The Amazing Trixie's_ Magic Show! Where I, _The Amazing Trixie_, will dazzle you all with magical delights, the likes of which you'll never forget!"

She was theatrical, that was for sure.

Emerald chuckled lightly from his position at the front of the crowd, with Wisp giggling next to him.

They had completely sold out the tickets, much to his surprise, and it certainly showed. It looked like the entire town had turned up to Town Hall, where Mayor Mare had given Trixie permission to set up. It wasn't so packed that everyone was brushing up against someone else, but it certainly wasn't roomy.

As it was, Trixie, with a little help from himself, had set up her stage, which was an addition to her wagon, complete with a large red curtain, and sizable wooden floor.

She stood atop her stage, her hat sitting snugly on top her head, and her cape flowing behind her, likely due to a spell of some sort. A confident grin stretched across her muzzle, her eyes scanning the crowd with a brilliant gleam in them.

This was where she belonged.

Standing on stage, watching over a crowd of adoring and expectant fans, just waiting for her show to start.

Old memories filtered through her mind, of broken ponies staring back at her, eyes devoid of life, with her doing her absolute best to bring some sort of shine back to them. It had been hard, almost impossible, but, with a little help, she had done it! Those broken, empty eyes shined once again, perhaps not as bright as they used to be, or ever would be again, but it had been a start.

It had taught her the joy of bringing a smile to someone else's face, it had shown her that she could do so much for someone, just by making them happy. It was a feeling she cherished with all her heart, one that had been all but engraved onto her very soul.

That wonderful joy had brought that same light back to her own eyes, and the princess of all ponies had helped her bring it to others all across Equestria.

"Great, _another_ Rainbow Dash,"

Does no one in this town understand the meaning of 'advertising'?

Trixie sighed mentally, but kept up her smile. This was the town that had earned the moniker, '_Friendliest Place in Equestria!_'? Her show had literally _just_ started, and ponies were already writing her off as some sort of braggart with no inherent skill!

There wasn't a doubt in her mind that the pony who had spoken, an orange earth pony mare with a trio of apples for a cutie mark, was an idiot. The cutie mark, accent, and attitude practically screamed at Trixie that she was a member of the Apple Family, a family well known for their hardworking nature, as well as their pride in their crop.

Knowing that, she couldn't help but feel insulted by the little hypocrite. She'd met dozens of Apples, and each and every single one constantly bragged about their apples being the absolute best in _all_ of Equestria, even though she knew that none of them had actually done some sort of research on the matter.

In her opinion, a little town called Hardline, run by minotaurs, grew apples that were _far_ better than theirs.

Regardless, there was little doubt that this Apple did the same thing with her crop, and yet here she was, judging another pony for doing the exact same thing, but on a smaller scale, as Trixie never advertised that she was the best, just good.

She ignored it, of course, and began her show.

* * *

Twilight was nervous.

Trixie had proven to be a wonderful conversationalist, as well as a good friend in the short amount of time they'd gotten to know each other, even if she had quieted down after Twilight's revelation.

She and Spike had arrived at the show, a little surprised at the sheer turnout that her performance had gotten. But the surprise faded rather quickly, and the two of them snuck through the crowd, hunting for their friends.

It didn't take long to find them all at the front of the crowd, though she noticed that Fluttershy and Pinkie weren't in the crowd. Fluttershy not being here didn't really surprise her, but Pinkie's absence... actually made a little sense, now that she thought about it.

She was probably still working.

Regardless of her friend's absences, she spotted Emerald and took the empty spot on his left, his right being occupied by little Wisp. She quietly went about analyzing him, watching for every minute movement in an attempt to pin down his attitude.

It was times like this that was glad she'd spent a few months learning about pony body language as a foal, even if it was almost useless against anything that wasn't a pony.

Once she got a good look at his body language, which apparently indicated exhaustion, though he didn't look the slightest bit tired, she stopped, now eagerly waiting for her new friend's show to begin, when Applejack spoke.

"Great, _another_ Rainbow Dash,"

Was it really that bad to be talented at magic? Twilight felt the first dredges of panic flare up inside of her, but she forced it back down and spoke,

"Th-there's nothing wrong with being talented at magic, i-is there?"

Of course there wasn't! Trixie wasn't even bragging about whatever talent she had! O-obviously Applejack just had the wrong impres-

"'Course not," her judgemental friend began, "'Cept when somepony goes 'round showin' it off like a schoolfilly with a pair of fancy new ribbons!" she snapped angrily.

"Well well well!" came the strained voice of Trixie from atop the stage, "It seems we've got a naysayer in the audience! I suppose I'll have to do something about that, won't I?" she asked, before looking up and scanning the crowd, "Could I have a volunteer?"

Twilight shrunk away, but a stray hoof caught her before she managed to hide. Startled, her eyes shot over to the hoof's owner, finding that Emerald of all ponies was the one stopping her,

"What are you-?"

"You there! The purple unicorn!" Twilight froze at the call, before slowly, almost agonizingly, turning her head up towards the blue showmare.

Trixie was pointing directly at her, wearing a confident, but supportive, grin. She gently waved her up, but Twilight couldn't bring herself to move.

Trixie wanted her... _on stage?!_

No! There was absolutely _no way_ she'd ever go up on stage! What if she messed up, or did something stupid?! Everypony in town would laugh at her and she'd never, _ever_ be able to show her face around town again! She'd be stuck inside the library, locking herself up and preventing anypony from ever seeing her again!

And even if she didn't mess up, what about Applejack!? She had made it clear that she didn't like Trixie showing off her magic, even if she wasn't doing such a thing. What would she think about Twilight doing the same thing!? She'd yell at her, scream at her and then she'd end up losing one of her best friends! Not only that, but because they'd stopped being friends, the Elements of Harmony would probably stop working and then all of Equestria would be doomed. _Doomed_!

She didn't want any of her friends thinking she was some sort of showoff!

"Go on." Her mind went still, the simple phrase giving her complete pause. She glanced over at the stallion who'd spoken, and was now giving her an annoyed look, "You're just helping her with a trick. Not actually performing, you know? Everything will be fine, no one will judge you,"

H-how did he...?

No. He was-he was right! She'd just be helping with a trick, not doing one. All the magic would be Trixie, and she'd just be standing there... everypony looking up at her... expecting her to...

Oh sweet Celestia if this went on she might just wet herself!

Nevertheless, Emerald's confidence in her did help. She walked up onto the stage, trying desperately to ignore the way her legs were shaking. There was a flash of light, and a large, rectangular box suddenly appeared on stage. A little magic application, and the front suddenly swung open, revealing a hollow interior,

"Very well! Now, would my lovely little assistant please step inside the box?" Trixie asked. Twilight blushed lightly, but quickly trotted inside.

The door closed behind her, and she felt a spell wash over her. It was like being doused in ice water just after hopping out of a hot shower, and it took all it had in her to keep from yelping at the sensation.

Even then, she was sure a small squeak escaped her.

Emerald sighed in relief.

Sparky had, thankfully, been rather easy to convince, much to his surprise. But still, that look on her face...

It was terror, pure and utter _terror._

It had been so bad, in fact, that he had the urge to tell Trixie to fuck off, even though the whole thing had been his idea. Even now, the slightest twinge of guilt floated around in his chest, annoying him with its persistent pulling.

He'd make it up to her, someday.

If he remembered.

The sound of a door closing caused his attention to return to the performance. A few moments ago, Trixie had conjured up some large, purple box decorated with blue stars onto stage and had Sparky go in it.

"Watch and be amazed, as I, _The Amazing Trixie_, do... _this_!" she announced. A bright flash of light, one significantly brighter than when she had conjured the box on stage, later, and a large, pony-sized cutlass was revealed, floating in the air beside her.

It was made completely of magic. That he could see. The cutlass was bright pink, the exact colour of Trixie's magic. He could see faint swirls traveling across its large form, even as it tapered off to a fine point.

Despite it lacking any sort of depth, likely because it couldn't cast a shadow, Emerald had a distinct feeling that it was just as sharp, if not sharper, than any steel weapon he owned.

And she went ahead and demonstrated its sharpness, by cutting the box, and Sparky, in half horizontally.

Despite knowing how the trick worked, as Trixie had happily told him all about it, Emerald's heart lurched at the sight of his charge seemingly split in two. Judging by the scream and cries from ponies around it, he wasn't the only one affected.

"She killed her!"

"Everypony run, before she gets us too!"

_"The horror, the horror!"_

Completely ignoring the screams of the ponies around her, Trixie dismissed the magical blade, and lifted the upper half of the box, and opened it.

The ponies around him cringed and looked away, as if fearing the sight of a bloody corpse that they obviously expected to see, not bothering to notice the lack of blood dripping from the box.

"Um... what's going on?"

Sparky looked out amongst the crowd, seemingly unaware of her lack of a lower body. Her voice caused everyone in the crowd to look up at her in shock.

"Hey Sparky, does anything, ah... feel a little numb?" Emerald couldn't help but ask, ignoring Rainbow slug him in the leg, as well as the way she started shaking it in pain.

"Uh, no, why?"

"Ya might wanna look down."

She blinked at him, confused, but did as he asked. She looked down, but seemingly didn't register the lack of a lower body, instead focusing on the bottom of the box she was in,

"What are you... _Trixie, what did you do_?!" the lavender mare screeched, trying in vain to turn to the unicorn in question. Trixie just grinned innocently and closed the box door, muffling the sound of Sparky's yelling.

"And now, for my next trick!" she cried, seemingly ignoring the enraged unicorn in her grasp, she gently replaced the box a top its lower half, before it glowed, and the door swung open once again.

Sparky was panting heavily, completely red-faced from all her yelling a moment ago. She perked up when the door opened, and suddenly marched out, before whirling to face the showmare,

"What were you thinking!? You cut me in half! How are you going to... put me... back..." Sparky's yelling started to calm down once she noticed that she was, in fact, in one piece. Sparky spent almost five minutes, just standing there and going over her body, carefully prodding along the line in which she'd been cut, before finally looking back at Trixie, "... Warn me next time..." he heard her mutter, before she slunk offstage and went back over to the seat to his left.

Choosing to ignore the rest of Trixie's show, he turned to the victimized mare.

"So, you feelin' okay?" he asked, "I can't imagine you appreciated the whole, 'being cut in half' thing."

Most wouldn't.

He never had.

Sparky licked her lips and glanced at him,

"The spell... I didn't feel a thing," she muttered, looking away shyly, "I still wish she told me before doing it..." Emerald chuckled,

"Why would she do that?" he asked, grinning slyly, "If she did, then we wouldn't've gotten to see you react like you did," Sparky threw a glare at him, but she was interrupted before she could say anything,

"Oh yeah?! Well then, '_The Amazing Trixie_'," Crash yelled, drawing everyone's attention to the stage, where she stood, glaring at Trixie, who looked absolutely furious, "Wanna bet?!"

"Fine!" Trixie snapped, "Anything you can do, I can do better!" she snarled,

"Deal!" Crash returned. Trixie's glare intensified, and she huffed,

"Tomorrow night. Same time, same place. Now get off of my stage!" she snarled, grabbing Rainbow in her magical grasp and tossing her none too gently off to the side.

"Tomorrow?!" Crash intoned, barely catching herself before hitting the ground, "What, you too scared to take me on now?!" she challenged, grinning victoriously, as if certain that her taunt would work.

She was wrong.

Trixie growled and sent the mare a scathing look,

"I don't care who you think you are," Trixie began dangerously, her tone sharp as a razor, "But these ponies paid to see my show. They paid me to entertain them, and I'm not going to let some pathetic little braggart who can't stand not being in the spotlight ruin that for them!"

Silence.

Trixie continued staring down the brash imbecile, the only audible sounds echoing through the town being that of her own heavy breathing.

And then, the stomping started.

Of course, it had been Wisp who started it, since Emerald was unable to. Her hooves pounded against the ground, creating a quiet, but rhythmic beat that soon had others joining in beside her.

On and on that continued until the entire plaza was cheering happily for Trixie. The only one that remained was Crash, who looked mutinous at this point. Predictably, she went to open her trap, only for an ethereal ball-gag to form around it, cutting off all of her attempts at communication. An instant later, a pair of glowing, pink chains twirling into existence from Trixie's horn, wrapped around the legs of the startled Crash, leaving her lying on the ground, hogtied.

Even Applejack, who had been one of the ones against Trixie, laughed at that.

Trixie gave a self-satisfied huff, grinning cockily as she looked back over the crowd.

This was, indeed, _exactly_ where she belonged.

* * *

"I loved the glowing lights, they looked just like little fireflies..."

"It was nice, but poofin' up that lion cage an' tamin' it? That was a hoot!"

"I have to disagree, Applejack. That trick with those diamonds was absolutely marvelous!"

Trixie's show had gone perfectly, Crash notwithstanding.

Once they had migrated over to Sugarcube Corner, the four mares, three, since Crash was busy pouting in the corner, were excitedly chattering about their favored moments amongst her performance, with Trixie sitting at a stool next to Emerald, looking smug.

"How about you Emerald?" Sparky asked, "What was your favourite part?" Emerald glanced back at her, grinning slightly at the whip cream mustache her milkshake had given her, although he didn't comment on it,

"Hooves down, when Trixie tied up Crash like some perverted toy."

Said chromatic mare sputtered from her spot in the corner, whereas Trixie just laughed it off,

"Oh please, she's not good enough to be my toy," she snarked good-naturedly,

"What?!" Crash snapped, zooming right up to the showmare, who was glaring defiantly, "You think I'm not good enough?! Please! I could-!"

"_Girls!_" Sparky shouted from her table, causing the closest mares to flinch, "Quit fighting!" she snapped. Crash growled, but back off, going back to her corner to continue pouting.

"What the hay's wrong with you two anyways?" Emerald couldn't help but ask, idly glancing at the clock, only to hide a grimace. Trixie shrugged,

"I don't know. A foal in the audience asked me if I had met any scary monsters, and I told them about the time with the Ursa Major," she said.

"Ursa Major?" Applejack asked, Emerald groaned, but Sparky beat him to the punch,

"An Ursa Major is a giant astral bear a bit smaller than Canterlot Castle. I read about them in '_Magical Monsters and You!_'!" she said proudly, before frowning, "They're supposed to be one of the most dangerous creatures out there. Their size and innate resistance to magic makes them absolutely terrifying! Nothing short of an alicorn like the princesses can banish one successfully!" she cried,

"Yeah!" Crash suddenly snapped from the corner, "And there's no _way_ she did that either!" she yelled, pointing a hoof at the showmare and nearly shaking in rage. Trixie rolled her eyes,

"I never said I banished an Ursa Major," she snapped, "I only said that I ran it off. They're nocturnal. I just threw a bunch of light spells at it, and it left. I was just lucky it was curious and not angry," she added, frowning in worry, "Almost nothing can stop an angry Major."

Was that why he was called to Puffington for damage control a few years ago?

Damn.

Crash growled once she finished speaking,

"No way! You can't just come into town and start spouting lies like that!"

"I'm not lying. And besides, it's my job to impress. You're just jealous of all the attention I got during my show,"

"Oh please! I'm the best flyer in all of Equestria! I can get a crowd _WAAAYYY_ bigger than yours in ten seconds flat!" Trixie scoffed,

"You? The best flyer in Equestria? HA! Try telling that to Spitfire! I'm sure my sister would just _love_ to hear about some no name pegasus claiming to be better than her!" she laughed, then shook her head, "Please. To be the best, you have to beat the second best. If you can't beat Spitfire, then you don't stand a chance against the only one better than her."

Emerald withheld a sigh at that. It was painfully obvious, to him at least, what Trixie was implying. As it was, he was _not_ a better flyer than Spits. Yes, he was faster and could fly for much longer, but, unlike her, he didn't have the practice or skill to pull off all those stunts. He could, if he _really_ tried, but he didn't have the inherent skill and talent that she, and even Crash, had.

Crash blinked and stared at Trixie in confusion.

"Better than Spitfire?" she asked, "What the hay are you talking about? She's the Captain of the Wonderbolts!" she suddenly gushed, "The best flight team in the world! And she's the best out of all of them, how could anypony be better than her?!"

Emerald sighed, even as Trixie and the other mares, stared at the fanfillying mare. It wasn't until one of the mares, Applejack specifically, stopped gawking at Crash and stood up, that everyone else finally did the same.

"Well, all. As fun as tonight was, I gotta get back ta the farm. But before I go," she said, then directed her gaze to Trixie, "I jus' wanna say sorry. I thought ya were like Rainbow. All talk," Crash's shout of 'I am _not_ all talk!' went ignored, "But ya proved me wrong," she finished, smiling. Trixie smiled back,

"I'm glad I impressed," she said, "It's always nice."

"Yeah, well, Applejack's right," Emerald began, glancing back at the clock, "It's pretty late. We should all get home," he said, standing, "I don't know about you all, but I'm looking forward to watching Rainbow get her flank kicked," That sparked a reaction from the angered mare, but she went ignored.

"I suppose you're right. Have a nice night everypony," Sparky replied, horn a glow, before she teleported away. Applejack scoffed,

"I swear, that mare uses magic fer everythin'," she said. Rarity tittered,

"Well, I'm sure she'll learn her lesson when Spring comes along," Applejack rolled her eyes,

"_If_ Spring comes. If it's anythin' like last year, we're gonna be a week late."

Emerald groaned on the inside.

* * *

The turnout was much the same as before.

Ponies piling into the Town Square, all eager for an exciting show. The only difference, was that Emerald and Wisp were not apart of it.

Instead, the thestral and his little sister found them selves sitting outside of a familiar wagon, where the sounds of motion could be heard echoing from inside.

Emerald sighed,

"I still don't know why you agreed to this. She's a pegasus and you're a unicorn. There's no way a fair competition can come from this," he snarked.

It was like the Iron Pony Competition all over again!

He thanked his lucky stars that Sparky hadn't gotten roped into the contest against Trixie, unlike Rarity. After yesterday's performance, he was pretty sure that she would've had a panic attack if Rainbow asked her.

On the other hoof, he was surprised that she hadn't.

Either she was a much better friend than he'd thought, or she was just a total moron.

The sound of something shattering drew his attention, just as the wagon door opened, revealing a frazzled looking Trixie.

"... Em, why did I agree to this again?"

"Because you're a prideful moron,"

"... That sounds about right."

He chuckled at the admittance, but didn't say anything. Wisp looked up at the older mare, and tilted her head,

"Why'd you need my help anyways? You're an amazing magician, Big Sis Trixie! Nobody can beat you!" she gushed, beaming. Trixie flushed slightly and looked away, embarrassed,

"I'm not the best Wisp. Besides, it's customary for unicorn duels to have seconds. Even though this _isn't_ a unicorn duel," she said, muttering that second part under her breath. She sighed, then turned to Emerald, "You think I should go easy on her? I was the one with the idea after all," Emerald shook his head,

"Don't bother. 'Anything you can do, I can do better' is a unicorn challenge. If Rainbow is dumb enough to just blindly accept any challenge if her pride's on the line, then she deserves to get knocked down a couple pegs," Trixie grimaced,

"I get that, really, but I still feel kinda bad for practically cheating her into a loss," she admitted, only for Emerald to shrug in response,

"If it makes you feel better, she recently challenged an earth pony to an Iron Pony Competition, and lost pretty badly because she kept cheating. Once she realizes how bad it feels to get cheated, I'm sure her pride will take a drop, making my job a little easier."

Trixie laughed a bit, hopping down the steps to the spot in front of him,

"How the hay is that helping you?" she asked, though she was grinning, likely already having an idea,

"Her pride is her weakness. If she sees anything, and I mean anything, that she thinks challenges that, she'll take it head on without regard for the safety of herself or others. If her pride is shot, then she's less likely to do that."

"And you think this little 'duel' will wreck her pride?"

"A competitive mare like her? Losing?" he asked, before laughing, "Without a doubt."

* * *

Well...

It seems things have changed.

Emerald scowled slightly at the sight of Rainbow sitting below the stage, glaring at Trixie, even as she and Wisp faced Rarity and Sparky.

"What. The fuck. Do you think you're doing?" he snarled at the egotistical mare, causing her to flinch away from him.

"What do you mean 'What am I doing?'!?" she snapped, only to shy away at his glare, "Twilight told me about the whole 'Anything you can do' challenge," she muttered, crossing her forelegs in a stubborn pout, "Said it wasn't fair for a pegasus to face a unicorn."

"Like a pegasus against an earth pony?" he asked sardonically. She twitched,

"Yes," she growled through clenched teeth, "So Rarity and I convinced her to go up instead," she continued regardless.

His eyes flickered up to the mare in question, taking in her minute shaking, even as she tried in vain to hide behind Rarity without looking conspicuous. The pristine mare in front of her kept looking back, seemingly getting more worried with every glance.

He sighed in minor relief. She was the second, meaning that she wouldn't have to stand up unless... Trixie... beat...

_Shit._

An irritated sigh escaped him. This was too much for the poor mare, and it certainly didn't help that a crowd was slowly forming as the four stood a top Trixie's stage. If this continued, he wouldn't be too surprised if the poor mare ended up wetting herself from fear.

He made an internal vow to _not_ laugh if that happened.

Even he had a limit.

"Are we really doing this?" he heard Trixie ask, and he snapped his attention back to the stage, "Twilight looks like she's gonna faint," Rarity sighed,

"Well, I'd love not to, really, but..." she trailed off, sending a discreet glance towards the still fuming Rainbow, who had yet to remove her glare from the showpony. She growled,

"Great," Trixie muttered, but sighed, "Oh well. Let's get-"

**_GRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!_**

**_Agony._**

No other word could ever hope to encompass the sheer _pain_ that echoed through his very being, even as his he felt his eardrums burst in an instant. _Pain_ rocketed through his skull, burning white hot and causing his vision to blur, even as the sudden loss of equilibrium threw him to the ground.

He watched through blurred eyes as colours and shapes streaked across his vision, frantically rushing every which way. The ground started to tremble, with every quake coming directly after another, as if something much too large for this world had appeared and was stomping its way towards them.

And through all that, he couldn't hear anymore.

He couldn't hear the screaming, the roaring, and the frightened calls of his name as he tumbled to the ground.

A deep seated, almost instinctual fear lit up his mind, screaming and screeching at him to run, to fight, to do anything other than just sit there!

Yet he couldn't. He could do naught but fling himself around aimlessly, trying in vain to stand up once more, to draw a weapon, to do anything to prepare himself for the foe that had appeared in his town!

Finally, he managed to turn himself to face the direction in which the-_burningsearing_-roar had come from.

**Big.**

That was the first word to come to his disoriented mind. The creature before him was large, standing head and shoulders above the nearby houses, it stared down at all of the minuscule little ants before it, glaring at them with red and yellow eyes of burning hate.

Muscle clearly defined it's form, poorly hidden from the world beneath it's ethereal blue fur. Every breath sent cascades of power through it's body, pumping gallons upon gallons of the live-giving liquid that ran through its body. A set of teeth, each one as wide and as tall as a pony, gleamed in it's maw as it growled. The sheer force behind such an action sent vibrations running down his spine and, even without his hearing, there was no doubt about the sheer anger it must have radiated.

Emerald ignored the warm wetness that was beginning to coat his head, even as more of his own life-giving blood flowed from his ears, instead focusing all of his attention on the large blue star adorning the creatures head.

An Ursa Minor.

And it. Was. _Mad_.

The monster-_for what else could it be?_-roared at them, the force behind its bellowing cry ripped at the winds and pushed them all back, sending the disoriented Emerald tumbling up, onto, and even over the stage.

Stars danced across his vision as his head collided with the ground, his limp body falling to the ground like a puppet without it's strings.

As his vision swam and blackened, only one thought had the strength to ripple through his mind.

_How had he not noticed the bear's approach?_

Trixie's heart hammered in her chest, even though she maintained a calm expression on her face as she dipped and dodged around the Ursa's persistent swipes.

Emerald had been taken out almost instantly thanks to this thing's roar, and she couldn't help the guilt that fluttered through her.

Her stage was her home. It was where she performed, slept, and lived for the past few years, and if she learned one thing, it was that her fans could be _loud_! So, there was a long lasting dampening spell around her stage. It didn't remove sound, as that was never smart, but merely took it, and reduced its volume. This way if someone ever needed to speak with her, she'd at least be able to hear it if they tried hard enough.

Unfortunately, the sheer strength behind the Ursa's roar had been enough to completely overload her spell and cause it to fail. If she had bothered to remove the spell for the night, then he would have absolutely heard the Ursa's approach and had everyone evacuate the town before leaving to either fight or drive the astral bear off himself.

But because of her, he'd been taken out. His balance was obviously shot, and, even if it hadn't been, the agony the roar caused him, as evident by the expression he wore as his ears started to bleed, would've likely kept him from doing much.

Even with his pain tolerance, which she freely admitted was higher than her own, he likely wouldn't have been able to recover from that for at least a few minutes.

And so that left her, and a bunch of screaming morons, to face the bear alone.

It was angry, so firing some light spells at it wouldn't drive it away, if anything it would only piss it off more, so that option was out.

Judging by the colour of the star on it's head, it was still pretty young, likely still in the stage where it had a lot of energy to spend, so waiting it out was not an option either.

Granted it was young, so... what was a trick she could use on a bear cub to lead it away or even lull it to sleep?

Her thoughts were cut off as a gentle flute began to play. She faltered in her motions, but it seemed the Ursa had as well, leaving her to quickly compose herself and teleport out of harm's reach.

She looked around for the source of the music, when she spotted Twilight.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she watched the shy bookworm's horn light up like a star. Her teeth were clenched and eyes were screwed shut as she worked her magic. Trixie could see the beads of sweat forming on the other unicorn's brow as her breathing sped up.

Part of Trixie couldn't help but be proud at the sight of the mare pushing herself so hard, but it was quickly washed away by panic when Twilight's horn started to flicker.

When it comes to magic, two things must be taken into account. Control and Strength.

Without control, the spell would end up doing whatever it wanted, and could very well explode. Without strength, then the spell can't even get started.

However, most tend to assume that strength of mind and magic are all that are needed to cast a spell. While yes, most unicorns can manage very well by just studying a lot and making sure their mind was strong, they tended to ignore their body.

Strength of mind, and strength of body were both key factors in performing magic.

A strong mind exercises control and flow. But a strong body creates power and endurance. It's possible to do magic with only one, but it's either difficult or completely exhausting.

Trixie's body was trained as far as she could get it, allowing her magic a vast reservoir of power that she could tap into with ease. And she rarely ever experienced magical exhaustion, in fact she rarely ever got winded from her magic.

However, her control wasn't the best. Illusions and small entertainment spells like the ones she does for her show came naturally to her, thanks to her cutie mark, but, not only that, those spells required very little control. It was why she was so good at offensive spells, a talent she discovered in the Facility.

It seemed that Twilight, on the other hoof, had the opposite problem. Her control was through the roof, and it was likely that, and that alone, that had her so successful with so many spells, if what she had told Trixie was true. She was good at multitasking, and her magic was fluid, doing exactly what she wanted, when she wanted, and it showed.

Her strength and endurance, not so much.

The amount of power necessary for a lullaby spell, as well as whatever else she might be doing, was pushing her far past her limit, and the flickering of her horn was evidence that she was about to fail.

A light bulb suddenly went off in Trixie's head, and she smiled.

Twilight had the control and she had the power.

If they combined the two...

Twilight jumped in shock as the foreign magic washed over her own, the feeling of another pony's magic signature almost caressing her own, sending strange, unpleasant shivers into her horn.

She risked a glance to the side, and her spell nearly came undone due to her shock when she saw Trixie standing almost nonchalantly by her side.

"T-Trixie?" she asked through grit teeth, "What are you...?" Trixie sent her a sly grin,

"I'm helping. What does it look like?" she asked, before the pink glow surrounding her horn brightened, and a new wave of energy suddenly washed over her.

Trixie watched in minor amusement when Twilight's eyes went glossy for an instant as her magic funneled through the spell alongside Twilight's.

For a moment, Twilight was mesmerized. The vast sea of magic that Trixie had washed over her, and, for an instant, she could _see_.

_A vast ocean of pink energy, calm yet lurid, drifted endlessly. Yet underneath this calm surface, the energy**-contortedspiraledlashedout**-attacked anything it could reach. She could feel this foreign energy wrap itself around her being, pushing itself into her own pool of magic, empowering it beyond anything she could've done on her own._

The sleepy Minor finally succumbed to the lull of the song, beginning to tip over. Right before it could land on the nearby house, whose sole occupant was curled up in terror, the combined magic of Trixie and Twilight gently caught the sleeping bear.

Trixie could see in her mind's eye a large water tower as their magic reached out towards it. A vague sensation traveled through the magic, and a sense of understanding washed through her.

She nearly laughed aloud as they worked, gently dumping the tower's load into the nearby pond, and a laugh _did_ escape her when Twilight directed the now empty tower over towards a large red barn, likely where some cows were resting.

Their cries of alarm might've made her feel guilty, if Twilight's reason for doing so was anything other than getting rid of the Minor.

Finally, they took the now oversized baby bottle, as well as the Minor itself, and, to Trixie's immense amusement, they began to carry it out of town, as it suckled on the bottle like the baby it was.

A couple minutes passed with the two of them gently carrying it farther and farther into the forest, with the milk it was drinking disappearing at a rapid pace. Finally, they set it down just outside of a large cave, where they took the empty bottle from the sleeping cub and quickly brought it back to town.

Once the tower had been successfully brought back, cleaned, filled, and replaced, a task that was much more draining than Trixie would've liked, they broke the spell.

Trixie let out a soft sigh as her magic returned to her. It wasn't a good feeling, giving her magic away. It felt like a cold, empty hole had been burrowed into her being, not painful, just uncomfortable.

A soft thump broke her form her thoughts, and she turned to find her new friend laying on the ground, having fallen unconscious. Trixie sighed, but gave the mare a fond smile.

To have exhausted herself into unconsciousness just to save some ponies she likely didn't know very well. Trixie let a laugh escape her.

She and Emerald would definitely get along in the future.


	13. Ticket Travesty

Two weeks had passed since the night of the Ursa Minor 'attack', and Emerald's hearing had finally returned to it's normal state.

It had been probably the most annoying two weeks he'd had to live through, however.

Everywhere he went, ponies kept throwing him pitying looks, whether that was because of the story of the Ursa knocking him unconscious, or the bandages that had been wrapped around his head, he really didn't care.

But that, that wasn't the worst thing. No, it was him living with the idea that _he nearly failed_!

How could he possibly fail like he did?! His entire purpose was to fight! He wasn't supposed to be caught off guard, sound dampening spell or not!

And most of all, he certainly wasn't supposed to black out because of some pathetic pain!

It tore at his _pride_ to know that he'd been bested that night, even if unintentionally and with everything stacked against him.

He needed to train more, to get stronger, faster, _better_. The fact that he couldn't, pissed him off beyond all measure, and it was likely that palpable anger that caused everyone in town to mercifully leave him alone after a few days.

Well, almost everyone.

Pinkie and Fluttershy, of course, didn't leave him be for more than a few hours at a time. Pinkie because she wanted to keep his spirits up, and Fluttershy because she believed she understood the pain he had been in, still under the impression that he was a half-breed like her.

Unfortunately for him, while half-breeds did have heightened hearing, it wasn't as strong as a pure-blood's. But her concern was appreciated.

Bon-Bon had come by once or twice to make sure he was fine, being more informed about his hearing than even Fluttershy. Lyra had come along both times, preventing the two of them from openly speaking with each other.

Rainbow Dash, unsurprisingly, didn't drop by at all, for whatever reason. Rarity and Applejack, however, had.

Rarity's appearance hadn't surprised him, given her fixation on him, but Applejack had been a bit of a shocker. It hadn't lasted long, as she had been there just to give her condolences, but given that she had a farm to help run, it was pleasant regardless.

However, the ones who had visited him the most were both surprising, and yet, entirely expected.

Sparky had kept him the most company during his stay in the hospital, as she had apparently, with the help of Trixie, been the one to get rid of the Ursa Minor. However, the strain of doing so, along with the integration of Trixie's magic, had knocked her unconscious in the process.

The first few days had been awkward, as the two of them had been admitted to the same room, but eventually things smoothed out, especially after his hearing recovered.

Although Emerald noticed Twilight seemed to be taking a lot of notes during their stay, but whenever he asked, she would only respond that it was for a study about the intricacies of inter-magical connections between unicorns of similar and dissimilar types.

Given the amount of stuttering and her avoidance of eye contact, he didn't believe it for a second, but eventually gave in, figuring he'd know if it ever became an issue.

Trixie and Wisp tended to visit together, with Wisp happily recounting her day, and even started gushing about the few lessons Trixie had deigned to give her, much to Sparky's chagrin.

The competitive glint that had appeared in the two unicorn's eyes had nearly gotten a sigh from the thestral, but he left it alone, knowing that he really couldn't do much to stop it.

It was Wisp's problem now.

But, now that his hearing was back up to snuff and he was no longer in the hospital, he could get to work on his, and now Trixie's, training.

He supposed it was a good thing Trixie had decided to stay in Ponyville after the Minor. He wasn't sure of the reasoning behind that decision, but he figured it had something to do with her newfound rivalry with Sparky.

First things first, they needed a location.

It was a rather obvious choice. There was a large clearing back behind his house, hidden a little ways into the Everfree. Close enough to town to keep most animals away, but far enough away that most ponies wouldn't even think of entering. Now all he had to do was set up the damned obstacle course he was hoping to order from Luna, after getting permission from the mayor, of course.

Contrary to popular belief, most guard training programs don't consist of repetitive motions, patrols, and light sparring. The whole point of the guard training is to get the participants in the best shape possible, and if there was one thing that he found admirable about the guards, it was that they understood that things like weight training did not cross over into fighting shape.

The obstacle courses were designed to increase their level of fitness, allowing them higher endurance, faster speeds, greater flexibility, and so on.

It was made even more effective with the introduction of timing and weights. While at first used to measure their level of progress, the times they score on the course, as well as the level of weight they were wearing, are now used as a sort of contest, with bragging rights being the prize.

He wondered how Trixie would do.

* * *

Emerald sighed, resting his head on the counter.

Business at Sugarcube Corner had been surprisingly slow the whole morning and even well into the afternoon. Granted, customers didn't come in one right after the other, not unless it was a special occasion, but they at least had one pony every fifteen minutes or so.

It's been around eight hours since opening, and they had _one_.

With the downpour scheduled for later, he supposed it wasn't much of a surprise after all.

"Still no customers?" the motherly voice of Mrs. Cake echoed from behind him. He grunted, but straightened up,

"Nope," he replied, not even turning around to answer, "But it's not that surprising, now is it?" she laughed,

"Well, I guess not. Boy, I hope Pinkie's doin' fine with those deliveries. If she's any later she might get caught out there," He took immediate notice of the worry in her tone, and sighed,

"I'm sure she'll be fine, Mrs. Cake. Pinkie's a big filly, she can take care of herself. Most of the time," he said, adding that last part under his breath.

"Still..."

They lapsed into silence after that. But even so, Emerald's superior hearing caught her constant shuffling around, and the vibrations filtering through the air kept informing him of her periodic glances back out towards the front door, and it was beginning to get on his nerves.

Finally, it was too much, and he slammed his hooves on the counter, startling the motherly mare,

"Enough is enough!" he snapped, turning to face her, "If you're truly so worried about Pinkie, I'll head out and grab her myself!"

"Could you?"

He withheld a growl, but only barely. He gave Mrs. Cake a stiff nod, and proceeded around the counter and out the door.

Once the door closed behind, he sighed in relief.

Ever since being let out of the hospital, he'd been feeling unusually aggressive, although he chalked it up to a build up of stress. After all, he'd spent two weeks without going to work, just waiting for something to happen while he was out, only for nothing to happen.

Honestly, it was like the town was _mocking him!_

Random chance situations putting him in the hospital, making him fret over the town's protection night after night, only for nothing to happen! Combine that with a lack of training, and his stress just kept building, and building until he'd be ready to fucking _explode!_

Did he do something in a past life to make Faust hate him or something?!

Was there some sort of higher being who took pleasure at his misfortune, as if he was naught but a character in some story?!

Damn, the stress was making him think weird thoughts.

He quickly shook it away, only regretting it slightly due to an oncoming headache.

"Hey Emerald!" a coltish voice suddenly called from above, he glanced upward, finding the familiar gray pegasus,

"Oh, hey Ditzy," he responded lazily, "If you're here for a muffin, don't let me stop you," he added, casually waving a hoof towards the door behind him. The wall-eyed mare giggled at his lackluster response, but shook her head,

"I'd like too, but I can't! I'm on duty!" she exclaimed proudly, hooves on her hips, before reaching into her bag, sticking her tongue out as she did so, "And speakin' of duty! Here ya go!" she said, finally pulling out a single, red envelope, with the words 'Personal Delivery' stamped on it in gold ink. Raising an eyebrow in confusion, Emerald hesitantly took the scarlet envelope from the mailmare,

"Thanks Ditzy," he said, glancing back up at her, only to find that she was already flying away, swerving dangerously close to the nearby buildings, all the while humming some song to herself.

Emerald sighed, but a chuckle ended up mixing itself in. Had it been anyone else, he might've been offended at their lack of manners, but he knew Ditzy meant well. She was dedicated to her job and nothing would stop her from completing it. Just like him.

Turning his attention to the little package he'd received, he inspected it carefully, even holding it up to the light, using his superior vision to peer at the contents slightly.

Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he calmly tore the seal and dumped the contents into his waiting hoof. A single, folded letter landed in his hoof, but he could tell that there was something folded within the letter itself.

He flipped open the letter, taking note of the two golden tickets sitting on the parchment, and read.

_~Hear ye, hear ye!_

_Her Grand Royal Highness, Princess Luna of Equestria, is proud to announce this year's Grand Galloping Gala, to be held in the luxurious and magnificent capital city of Canterlot on the twenty-first day of November!_

_Her Grand Royal Highness, Princess Luna also cordially extends an invitation to one Lord Emerald Skies of Nocturne, Trusted Advisor to Princesses Celestia and Luna of Equestria, and Champion of the Royal Army, plus one guest._

_Sincerely, Princess Luna of Equestria.~_

Dammit Luna.

Emerald let out a groan, before quickly stuffing the letter and tickets underneath his wing, making a note to put them in his bag later.

Part of him was annoyed that the invitation was sent by letter, but given that most of them were mailed en mass, he couldn't do anything about that. The majority, however, was irritated that he'd gotten one _at all_.

The Grand Galloping Gala. Nearly everyone in Canterlot would lead you to believe that it was the highest of honors, and that only the best of the best could ever hope of receiving a ticket, let alone two. They'd claim it was where only the classiest, the most well-mannered, the most important of important ponies in all of Equestria would attend.

All of that was nothing but bullshit.

Celestia would never say it to her little ponies, but she made no effort to hide her disdain towards the event with Emerald, going so far as to pace around her study, ranting about the numerous Gala's she's attended and just how much she wished _something_ would happen to cancel the whole thing. Luna, having not attended one in a thousand years, wasn't able to give much of an opinion on them, as the Gala's from her time were more for political figures to meet up and even test their fighting capabilities with each other to determine whether they'd support the other or not.

The look of despair on her face when she learned that she couldn't bring her armor and weapon to the Gala had been priceless, however.

Almost as good as the look on her face when she realized she didn't even _have_ her weapon and armor anymore!

That had been a good day.

But now he was stuck going to the damned thing.

Sure, going to the Gala was completely voluntary for anyone involved, after all, things happen, and sometimes there wasn't much anyone could do about it. But he knew, short of him suddenly catching a fatal disease, he was going to be dragged there by Celestia herself, just so she didn't suffer alone.

Actually, if he had a fatal disease, she might just visit him in hopes of catching it _herself_ if it meant avoiding the Gala.

Regardless, he was stuck, and there was no point in sulking about it. Right now, he had a pink pony to find.

* * *

If Emerald was remembering right, Granny Smith had Macintosh order some cupcakes for the Crusaders, who apparently wanted to try their hooves at getting a pastry decorating cutie mark. It was likely that Pinkie had already left the farm by the time he'd get there, but at least the Apples might be able to point him in her direction.

On a side note, the town was about as busy as it usually was, scheduled downpour or not, so he no longer had any idea why Sugarcube Corner was lacking business.

Maybe it was because of him?

Meh.

He arrived at Sweet Apple Acres a few minutes later, although the orchard was surprisingly silent. He would've figured either Mac or Applejack would be hard at work, kicking trees left and right.

Well, he supposed it made sense that they'd be on break at this time. That, and the weather schedule wouldn't really let them continue.

He ventured further into the orchard, ears standing at attention, trying to catch the sound of, well, anything at the moment.

It wasn't necessary as, a few moments later, he spotted an apple laying on the ground.

He frowned. From what he knew, the Apples wouldn't let one of their crop go to waste, so why...?

His thoughts trailed off as he looked up, finding another apple, and then another, and another, until it appeared that there was an honest to Faust trail of the damn things leading further into the field, and, at the very edge of his vision before him, he could spot two small dots, which were getting steadily smaller.

Having found his potential lead, Emerald quickly jogged after them.

Once he got closer, he managed to identify the dots as Applejack and Sparky, with the hatchling riding atop the latter's back. It also served to reveal the source of the apple trail as the little drake's tossing while he rummaged through a basket of apple's hanging from the side of his steed.

"-is lunchtime, all this hard work is making me hungry!" he managed to catch the tail end of whatever conversation the two mares were having, and couldn't help but interject, as well as announce his presence,

"Hard work?" he called, slowing down, the two mares jumped, and turned to face him as he approached, "I'm not sure we have the same definition of hard work, Sparky," the mare in question just sent him an annoyed glare, but the drake spoke up before she could,

"I know, right?" he asked, only to sheepishly grin when he noticed Sparky's dark look aimed at him,

"Oh please, Spike!" she snapped, "You've been lounging on my back all morning while Applejack and I worked!"

"Exactly, you guys were taking _sooo_ long that I missed snack time!" he retorted.

_***GURGLE***_

As if on cue, there was a sudden, loud growl emanating from Sparky's stomach, who blushed in response,

"Speaking of missing snack time," Emerald snarked, causing her to blush harder, but he turned his attention to the resident farmer, "Have you seen Pinkie? She was supposed to come back earlier today, but she's still out," Applejack sighed, shaking her head,

"Sometimes I wonder what runs through that mare's head," she muttered, then looked up at him, "'Fraid not sugarcube. She was here earlier with some cupcakes fer Applebloom. I think she said somethin' 'bout a surprise, but I dunno what that's supposed ta mean. She ran off after that," she said, shrugging, "Sorry,"

Emerald sighed, but nodded. As annoying as it was, the information he'd just received was mostly expected, given Pinkie's... tendencies. A sudden burp, followed by a trail of green flame caught his attention.

"A letter from the princess?" Sparky muttered, carefully enveloping the letter in her magic, before Spike snatched it and began to read,

"'_Hear ye, hear ye! Her Grande Royal Highness, Princess Celestia of Equestria, is proud to announce that the annual Grand Galloping Gala is to be held in the luxurious and magnificent capital city of Canterlot on the twenty-first-_' yada yada yada," he skipped over the date, "Oh! _'Cordially extends an invitation to Twilight Sparkle, plus one guest!_'!"

Both mares gasped simultaneously,

""_The Grand Galloping Gala!?_""

Emerald sighed as the two mares celebrated the announcement, and it seemed Spike was just as amused by it as he was. After a moment, however, he burped once more, and a pair of familiar golden tickets popped into existence alongside the fire.

"Look! Two tickets!" he called, catching the 'mail'.

"That's great!" Sparky gushed, "I've never been to the Gala, have you Spike?"

"No. And I plan to keep it that way," the drake responded, "I don't want any of that, girly-girly-fru-fru nonsense,"

"Aw, come on Spike. A dance would be nice!" Sparky said, sending a not-quite-discreet glance over at Emerald, "In fact-"

"Nice?!" Applejack suddenly cut in, "It's a heap'o more than jus' nice! I'd love ta go! _Landsakes_!" she said, her eyes lighting up, "If I could set up an apple stand, ponies would be linin' up ta try our fiddles. Why, do ya have any idea how much business I could drum up fer Sweet Apple Acres?!" Applejack gushed, a wide grin threatening to split her face in two, "With all that money, we could afford ta fix the barn's saggy ol' roof, and Big Macintosh could replace that saggy ol' plow, and even Granny Smith could replace that saggy ol' hip!" she said, her eyes watering fondly, "Why, I'd give mah left hind leg ta go ta that Gala,"

She sounded rather excited about the Gala.

That was sad to hear. So sad that it was actually kind of funny.

"Oh," Sparky breathed, glancing at the tickets, then at Emerald, who had turned his gaze up towards a nearby tree, and finally at Applejack, "Well, then would you-?"

"_WOAH!_"

**_*CRASH*_**

Emerald chuckled lightly. He'd spotted Crash sleeping on a nearby tree, how she still had her job despite her poor work ethic was an honest miracle. As it was, he'd seen her wake up, spot the tickets in Spike's claws, and practically dive bomb the two mares afterwards.

"Are we talking about the Grand Galloping Gala!?"

"Rainbow Dash!" Applejack snapped, shoving her off and standing up, looking furious, "You told me you were too busy ta help me harvest apples! Jus' what were ya busy doin'?! Spyin'?!" she growled. Rainbow turned away, huffing,

"No," she drawled, as if it was obvious, "I was busy napping," she finished sagely, pointing to her nearby napping spot. "Aaaand!" she continued, this time invading Sparky's personal space, "I just happened to overhear that you've got an extra ticket?" she asked, far too pleasantly.

"Well, yes, but-"

"YES! This is _SOOO_ awesome!" she squealed, spinning in mid-air, before she landed, "The Wonderbolts perform at the Gala EVERY year! I can see it now!" she said dreamily, staring off into space, "Everyone would be watching, their eyes riveted on the Wonderbolts, and then, out of nowhere, _Rainbow Dash!_" she gasped, her face lighting up, "I'd draw their attention with my Super Speed Strut! And then I'd mesmerize them with my Fantastic Filly Flash! And, for my grande finale, the Buccaneer Blaze!" she did a loop in the air, "The crowd would go _wil__d_, and the Wonderbolts would have my awesome moves incorporated into their routine. And, after my last performance at the Best Young Fliers Competition, welcome me as their newest member!" she finished, before once again invading Sparky's space, "Don't you see, Twilight? This could be my chance, you just gotta pick me!" she gushed, before being roughly pulled back by Applejack.

"Now hold one jus' one pony pickin' minute here! I asked fer that ticket first!"

"So?! That doesn't mean that you own it!"

"Oh yeah? Then I challenge you ta a hoof-wrastle! Winner gets the ticket! Deal?"

"You're on!"

"_GIRLS_!" Sparky shouted before the two of them could go any further, "These are _my_ tickets! I'll decide who gets the other one, thank you very much!" she snapped, glaring at the two competitive mares.

"But what about drummin' up business fer the farm!?"

"What about my chance at auditioning for the Wonderbolts?!"

"Fixin' Granny's hip?!"

"Living the dream?!"

"Oh dear, this isn't going to be easy, is it?" Sparky muttered to herself,

**_*GURGLE*_**

"Oh! Well, uh, would you look at that?" she asked awkwardly, patting her rumbling stomach, "I, uh, I don't know about you, but I can't really make big decisions on an empty stomach, so I'll come back to you girls after lunch, okay? See ya!" she chirped, before picking up Spike and left, trying not to look like she was running away.

""Okay..."" the two mares behind her chorused, dejected. A moment passed, however, and the two returned to glaring at each other.

Emerald sighed.

Fantastic. He just got out of the hospital and there was a brand new issue amongst Sparky and her friends.

The thought revolved around his head for a moment, before he sighed, and turned to the retreating mare. If that was the case, then it was likely Sparky was in for some trouble. Trouble that would no doubt attract the other three mares to her like a moth to the flame, meaning if he tagged along for the ride, he was bound to run into Pinkie.

It might be a roundabout way of tracking her down, but what better way to catch his prey, than by getting his prey to come to him?

Twilight was panicking.

Sure, she might look calm on the outside, but internally she was _freaking out!_

What was she gonna do?!

Two of her very best friends in the whole world were fighting over the ticket to the Gala, and now SHE had to decide who to go with!

Sweet Celestia, _how was she gonna do this?!_ Choosing Applejack would disappoint Rainbow, but choosing Rainbow would disappoint Applejack! If she chose one of them the other one might be so mad that they wouldn't want to be friends anymore!

And she couldn't just choose neither of them either!

... Could she?

"Hey, Sparky," she jumped in surprise, making Spike groan, and turned her head, just in time to spot the familiar face of Emerald appear next to her.

Trixie's advice had really helped her over those last two weeks. During the time she spent with Emerald in the hospital, she had made sure to take extensive notes about his behavior and how it affected her. The first few days were awkward, as Emerald had a difficult time hearing, but, once his ears healed enough for regular conversation, the feelings of nervousness seemed to gradually fade.

It was... strange. The mere thought of being in the same room with him, alone, had nearly sent her into a panic attack when she first woke up. But as the days continued, she could honestly say she was... comfortable with his presence. Where her heart would be beating wildly before, now it was a light fluttering in her chest. Where her breathing would usually pick up, there was nothing more than a small feeling of breathlessness, but one that was easily ignored. But out of all of her symptoms, the one she was happiest about was her ability to think.

Thinking was all she was really good at, after all. So when being around this pony had completely thrown her thought processes out the window, she had been almost distraught! Thankfully, it seemed prolonged exposure to the source had all but gotten rid of her problems, as her thoughts were perfectly clear once again!

Although there were still moments where her thoughts would just blur, or her mind go blank, and she had yet to discern a reason.

She would admit that there were times where she contemplated the idea of asking the princess, or even her family for help, but all were discarded after careful consideration.

"It's my lunch break," he continued, "So I'll go with you," She paused for a moment, her thoughts suddenly racing, before forcibly calming herself,

"O-oh, um, not to be rude, but, why?" she managed to ask. He chuckled and glanced at her,

"Applejack and Rainbow are following us right now," he said, surprising her, "Don't look back, don't wanna tip 'em off just yet, now do we?" he asked, giving her a mischievous grin that sparked that fluttering in her chest again.

"U-uh, I suppose... not?" he shook his head, looking almost exasperated,

"Listen. If their earlier interactions were any indication, they'll likely say something about the ticket to your other friends, if only that it belongs to them, which might get them to ask for it themselves. I'm looking for Pinkie, and if I'm right, she'll turn up eventually,"

Twilight bit her lip, but nodded. It wasn't like he was wrong. Ever since she moved to Ponyville, weird things have been happening every few weeks, and sometimes every couple of days. Even so, she didn't mind. As long as she had her friends by her side, she could get through any trouble that they happened to find themselves in, she was sure of it.

_Except for this whole ticket nonsense_, she reminded herself. She couldn't even _begin_ to imagine what would happen if she chose one of her friends over the others.

But... what if she chose somepony who wasn't in their little group?

Somepony like... Emerald, for instance?

... No, that probably wouldn't work either. It might just make the both of them angry, rather than just one of them...

But... did that matter? These were _her_ tickets! Only _she_ got to decide who would go, nopony else!

Well, sort of. The other pony had to agree first, of course.

"Um... Emerald?" she began, taking a mental note that her heart rate had picked up, "I-I was wondering... about the ticket... would you-?"

"No," he stated, interrupting her without issue. Twilight's mind went blank for an instant.

H-he didn't... he didn't want to go with her...

Not with her... did-... did he not like her enough to go? M-maybe he already had plans with somepony else that day and he couldn't go? O-of course! She should've assumed he had plans, after all, he had both Wisp and Trixie to look after so he couldn't just be going to parties willy-nilly like Pinkie tended to! Right?

But... but what if that wasn't the case? What if he had plans with somepony else? What if he had a marefriend he was planning on seeing that day, and so he couldn't go with her?! If he had a marefrien-

"Sparky!" he snapped, jolting her out of her thoughts. She glanced at him, finding a rather annoyed look on his face, before he turned forward once again, "Like I was saying, I've already got a ticket," he admitted.

"Wh-what?!" she gasped, surprised. A ticket?! To the Grand Galloping Gala?! Emerald?!

"Yes," he stated flatly, "Two actually," he amended, causing her further surprise, "Wisp used to live in the castle, which means that she interacted with the princess fairly often. It's not that big of a surprise that she'd send her, and her older brother, a pair of tickets as an excuse to visit,"

She... she supposed that _was_ a valid claim. Princess Celestia, for as long as Twilight had known her, often showed affection and concern towards the castle staff and their daily lives. It honestly wasn't much of a stretch to imagine the princess extending an invitation to the Gala for that exact reason.

... Twilight wondered if her parents would be attending...

She doubted it. Her parents, like her, weren't the most comfortable in formal settings. Really, the only formal gatherings they were interested in going to were weddings and funerals. And the occasional formal birthday party.

Emerald inwardly sighed. Sparky had once again lapsed into silence, likely stuck in her thoughts, an issue he himself had trouble with every now and again.

"So, Twilight," Spike suddenly began, almost startling the thestral, who had nearly forgotten that he was there, "Any idea who's getting the ticket?" she shook her head,

"None whatsoever, Spike," she replied, throwing him a glance, before her while body dropped slightly, "And I won't have one as long as I'm on an empty stomach, so where do you t-two want to eat?" she asked. Emerald rolled his eyes, but went to make a suggestion, when a familiar pink blur slammed into Sparky's side, sending her and the hatchling tumbling.

Finally, he found her!

Pinkie, who looked completely unscathed by the crash, drowsily sat up, only for Sparky's tickets to land directly on her muzzle. Her eyes went cross as she tried to look at the disturbance, when she yelped and jumped away,

"SPIDERS! SPIDERS ON MY- Wait!" she froze, before excitedly hopping back, peering eagerly at the two golden tickets, "These aren-" she gasped, "_Tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala!?_" she squealed, eyes lighting up like stars.

"Ugh," Sparky groaned, pushing herself back up to her hooves, "What hit me?" she muttered, rubbing her head,

"About 200 pounds of pink party pony," Emerald snarked, and glanced at the gushing Pinkie, who had lapsed into a fast paced rant, presumably about the tickets,

"- to go! _~Oh, the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for me! Oh, the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for me! Hip-hip-hooray! It's the best place for me, for Pinkiiiieeeeeeeee!~_" she sang, before returning from la-la land, pressing her snout up against Sparky's, "With decorations, and streamers, and fairy lights, and pinwheels, and pinatas, and pincushions! With goodies like sugarcubes, and sugarcanes, and sundaes, and sarsaparilla! AND I get to play my favouritest of favourite fantabulous games like Pin-The-Tail-On-The-Pony! _~Oh, the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for me! Oh, the Grand Galloping Gala is the best place for me! Cause it's the most-_"

He tuned her out.

For his safety.

Not that it lasted long, as whatever silly musical number she started ended as quickly as it came, leaving him, Sparky, and Spike amused, irritated, and bored.

In that order.

"Oh thank you, Twilight! It's the most wonderfulous gift, ever!" Pinkie said, hopping around the mare,

"Um, actually Pinkie-" a sudden gasp drew our attention over to Spike, who was clutching the tickets to his chest, with a stunned Rarity hovering above him,

"Are those what I think they are?!" she asked excitedly, making Emerald sigh,

"Yepperoony! Twilight's taking me to the Grand Galloping Gala in Canterlot!" Pinkie answered immediately. Rarity gasped softly,

"The Gala? Why, I design ensembles for the Gala every year! Though I've never had the opportunity to attend. Oh! The society, the culture, the glamour! It's where I truly belong," she stated, smiling dreamily, "And, it's where I'm destined to meet... _Him!_"

"Him!" Pinkie chorused happily, before blinking, "Him who?"

"_Him_," Rarity continued, undeterred, "I would stroll through the Gala, and everyone would wonder... 'Who is that mysterious mare?'... They would never guess that I was but a simple pony from little old Ponyville. Why, I would cause such a sensation, that I would be invited for an audience with Princess Celestia _herself_, where she, upon being so taken by my elegance, would then introduce me to _Him_. Her nephew, the most handsome and eligible unicorn stallion in Canterlot! Our eyes would meet! Our hearts would melt. Our courtship would be magnificent, and he would ask for my hoof in marriage, and I would of course say, YES!" she squealed, froze, then, with a dainty cough, continued her absolutely hilarious tale, "We would have a royal wedding, befitting a prince and princess, which is, hmhm, what I would become upon marrying _Him_! The stallion of my dreams, _Prince Blueblood!_"

"Uh, well, that's nice, but-"

"Twilight! I simply cannot believe you would invite Pinkie Pie so she could 'party', and prevent me from meeting my true love! _How could you!?_" she wailed, before turning away from her friend.

Emerald wanted to laugh. He wanted to laugh so _baaaad_!

Not only at Sparky's continued predicament, but at Rarity's fantasy.

Prince Blueblood was not prince material. He was an arrogant, rude, abusive, and downright unpleasant playcolt. He believed himself so far above others it was an honest wonder how he stayed on the ground. Being a unicorn, as well as the adoptive nephew of the princesses, had overinflated his ego to the point of bursting when, in reality, he really had no power. He might be a prince in name, but that was all he had.

Emerald had more power than that fool, being a Champion as he was.

Still, it seemed Rarity had fallen for the rumors surrounding the dipshit. Honestly, the number of mares, and some stallions, waiting in line to castrate the bastard just might span the distance between Ponyville Town Hall and Canterlot Castle.

_Twice!_

As it was, he really should warn Rarity of the 'Prince''s behavior, but, really, he doubted she'd believe him.

Oh well, he supposed it was just one of those things you had to learn from experience.

Speaking of experiences, shouldn't Fluttershy be popping up around now?

"Wah-hey!"

"Oh my, Angel these are perfect!"

Right on schedule.

"Look, girls, I haven't decided who to give the ticket to!" Sparky frantically assured them, causing both mares to whirl to face her,

""_You haven't?!_"" they chorused, Pinkie's horrified look completely contrasting with Rarity's hopeful one.

"Umm, e-excuse me, Twilight?" came a familiar meek voice from behind the two mares, "I-I was just wondering... I mean, if it would be alright with you, if you haven't given it to someone else..."

"_You?!_" Rarity asked incredulously, "You want to go to the Gala?!"

Emerald had to admit, he was a little surprised as well.

"Oh, no," she responded simply, only for the small white rabbit next to her to kick her side, "Oh, I mean, yes. Well, kinda. It was Angel Bunny's idea," she amended, "You see, it's not so much the Grand Galloping Gala, as it is the wondrous Gated Garden that surrounds the dance," she said, her whispering voice having picked up in volume slightly, "The flowers are said to the most beautiful and most fragrant in all of Equestria! And, for the night of the Gala, and that night alone, they'll _all_ be in bloom! And that's only the flora! Don't get me started on the fauna!" Fluttershy gushed, uncharacteristically vocal, "There's loons, and toucans, and bitterns, oh my! Hummingbirds that can really hum, and buzzards that really buzz! With blue jays, and red jays, and green jays! And pink jays and pink flamingos!" she said, gently scooping up the rabbit, Angel he believed, and hovering in mid-air, lost in fantasy.

"I see, Fluttershy," Sparky commented, "It sounds... beautiful?"

"WAIT JUST A MINUTE THERE!" came a shout, startling Sparky, who instantly recognized the voice,

"Rainbow Dash!" she shouted, glaring up at the arrogant pegasus, "Were you following me and Emerald?!"

"Didn't I tell you that already?" Emerald asked suddenly, chuckling at her bemused look, "Even if I didn't, it was obvious that she and Applejack were following us," he commented idly.

"I was not!" Rainbow snapped heatedly, before deflating, "Well, yeah I was- I mean, maybe! It jus- It doesn't matter!" she said, stamping her hoof, "I couldn't just stand by and let a goody four shoes like you, give the ticket away to just anybody!"

"Now wait just another minute!" an accented voice called out, making Sparky groan,

"You too, Applejack?!"

"I warned ya,"

"Sorry sugarcube," the farmer mare replied, before glaring at the chromatic pegasus, "I jus' wanted ta make sure this'un wouldn't get upta any funny business with mah ticket!"

"_Your_ ticket?!"

"But Twilight promised she'd take me!"

"She said she hadn't!"

"I was hoping I could go..."

"That ticket belongs to me!"

On and on the five mares went, bickering back and forth over the owner of the ticket, slowly getting closer as they argued, leaving poor Sparky to curl up in the middle. In fact, it almost looked like she was going to have a panic attack if this kept up.

Honestly, it _was_ entertaining, but now it was getting annoying.

Time to step in. Not only for Sparky's sake, but his own as well.

"SHUT! UP!" he snarled, causing the five to go silent, "By the moon! You lot are annoying!" he continued, walking towards Sparky. Once he was by her side, he turned to face the five mares, "I was content with watching on, but this pathetic arguing is getting on my nerves," he spread his only remaining wing, the one not clutching his own tickets to his side, using its larger than average size to shield Sparky, as well as provide the slightest bit of intimidation, "I will not listen to this drivel any longer. From here on out, until the fate of that damned ticket is decided, you will not bother Twilight Sparkle. _Or else_," he intoned darkly.

His attention remained on the five mares, making sure they didn't move any closer to the mare behind him, especially Applejack and Crash, leaving her to begin calming down. As it was, he remained unaware of the look Sparky was sending him, as well as remaining slightly oblivious to the expression Rarity held.

Twilight stared up at the stallion protecting her.

She could feel it. Her heart pounding in her chest and the heat on her face, burning hotter than it ever had before.

He was protecting her... putting himself between her and the source of her troubles without worry for himself.

For a moment, as the light shined down on top of them, she couldn't help but imagine the image of a suit of armour adorning the stallion before her, but it vanished quickly.

But in that moment, a small spark once more ignited somewhere in her being, responding to the stallion's sacrifice.

Rarity, on the other hoof, almost squealed in glee at the look on Twilight's face. Maybe it was just the emotional high she was currently on, but the reverent look on her studious friend's face struck a cord in her.

This was amazing! In this moment, Emerald was the spitting image of a knight in shining armour defending a poor damsel in distress! Rarity almost shivered in delight! She knew it! She just knew that those two would be a good pair! Emerald, the poor dear, might not be able to see it, but Pinkie was absolutely right!

"Or else _what?!_" Crash challenged, smirking arrogantly, "I bet you just want the ticket for yourself too!"

Emerald directed his gaze at the foolish mare that was invading his personal space. He gave her a wicked grin,

"Oh really?" he asked in a would-be pleasant tone, though he was only just restraining the urge to hit her. He casually reached underneath his closed wing, mentally saying 'Fuck it' to the possible consequences, and pulled out the pair of golden tickets, "Why would I want those, when I already have my own?"

The five gasped at the sight of another set of tickets,

"Are those-?"

"Tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala?" Emerald asked, cutting Rarity off, he grimaced, "Unfortunately, yes," he said, returning them underneath his wing.

"What?!" Crash screeched, "How did_ you_ get a set of tickets to the Gala?!... Also who are you taking?" she asked. He growled,

"Trixie, since I know Wisp won't want too," he stated, "As for why I have them, I've no reason to tell you," he straightened himself, using every last inch of his height to tower over the five mares, "I'll say it once more, for good measure. You will not bother Twilight Sparkle, until she decides who gets that ticket," he repeated.

"But-!"

"No. He's right," Sparky suddenly spoke up, causing Emerald to lower his wing. She rose from her curled up position on the ground and strode forward to face her friends, but stopped by his side, "... These are my tickets. I'll decide who gets the other one myself! And I certainly can't do that with all of this noise!" she snapped, stamping her hoof. A low growling broke the minute silence, causing her to flush slightly as she placed a hoof to her stomach, "Not to mention this hunger," she muttered, "Now... go on!" she said, waving her hoof, "Shoo!" she added. Four of the five mares hung their heads as they turned away, leaving Rarity as the only one seemingly not put off by her dismissal.

In fact, the mare actually looked quite happy about something.

He... had a bad feeling about that.

"And don't worry!" Sparky called after them, "I'll figure this out!... Somehow." she added under her breath.

Emerald and Sparky were soon the only ones left in the area, which wasn't too surprising, since the downpour was in fifteen minutes.

He sighed once they were all gone, but then turned his attention towards Sparky, only to pause once he did so.

She was staring directly at him. She stood there, almost completely immobile, just staring straight at him. Slowly, almost reluctantly, she began moving towards him, her gaze not wavering in the slightest, until she stood less than a few inches away from him, leaving the height difference between the two of them almost comically obvious, with the thestral standing almost a head taller than her.

"Thank you,"

He almost didn't hear it. The words barely left her lips before her head fell against his chest, her horn almost poking him in the cheek.

"Thank you,"

He was a bit surprised by her actions, but nevertheless, he wrapped a single hoof around her now trembling form, paying no mind to the slight wetness that was beginning to run down his coat.

"_Th-thank you!_"

He smiled gently, slowly rubbing the crying mare's back, even as he rested his head against hers in a working attempt at comforting her.

"You're welcome,"

* * *

"Feeling better, Sparky?"

The mare in question twitched slightly at the familiar nickname, even as it warmed her insides.

She'd been called plenty of things over the years. 'Twily', 'Twi', even 'Twinkle', but never anything like 'Sparky'.

Not until he came along.

At first it had annoyed her a little. After all, most ponies usually used the first part of her name, never the second. But she had to admit, it was... nice.

A unique nickname, from an equally unique stallion.

It was decided. Only Emerald was allowed to call her that.

Sparky had gone quiet ever since their little hug, but he didn't find that too surprising. Though, it _had_ struck a little cord in him.

Twilight Sparkle had little social interaction, even since she came to this town, oh so long ago. Even her choice of friends, as social as they tended to be, seemed a little... _dense_ when it came to many social interactions between the five of them.

Or rather, of their little group of six, the individuals in it were so vastly different from each other, that they often weren't sure how to properly approach a situation, and it tended to dissolve into an argument.

Certainly didn't help that their personalities were often in conflict.

Applejack's stubborn pride and competitiveness. Crash's ego and selfishness. Pinkie's hyper attitude, coupled with her lack of common sense. Fluttershy's shyness and lack of a backbone. Rarity's sophisticated manners and ambition. Sparky's studious habits and general naive nature.

All of that put together often didn't work.

But it was probably those instances where it _did_ work that kept the six of them together, even through the issues they were bound to have.

What didn't kill you made you stronger, after all.

It was time that he started being more active in his efforts to protect these mares.

Starting now.

The three of them, Sparky, Spike, and himself, had soon relocated to Horte's Cafe, which Spike revealed to be her favourite place, even if it didn't stock her favourite food. Both of which Emerald already knew.

Emerald made a mental note to thank Pinkie for all that previously-unwanted information.

"... Yeah," she sighed, resting her head on the table, gazing sadly at the flowers in the lone vase, "It's just... all _five_ of them have a really good reason to go," she breathed, "Applejack. Rainbow Dash. Rarity. Pinkie Pie. Even Fluttershy," she said, plucking a petal from the flowers with each name, "I just don't know who to pick!" she cried, pouting, gazing guiltily at the petals, before her stomach growled again, and she quickly licked them up.

Emerald chuckled at the sight.

He'd admit, it was rather cute.

"Have you made your decision?" came a sudden male voice, just as the waiter came up beside them. Sparky growled,

"_I CAN'T DECIDE!_" she snapped,

"He means your order, Twilight," Spike deadpanned, causing her to flush.

"Oh, sorry," she muttered, "Eh, anyway, I'd love a daffodil and daisy sandwich," she said.

"Might wanna order that to-go," Emerald muttered, glancing up at the sky, only to be mostly ignored,

"Do you guys have any rubies?" Spike asked, the waiter glanced at him, nonplussed, "No? Okay, I'll have the hay fries. Extra crispy," he concluded bitterly.

"I'll just have a glass of cider," Emerald added.

"So what do you think, Spike? Emerald?"

"I think we need to try a new restaurant, I mean, would it hurt anybody to offer gemstones?" Spike asked petulantly,

"Considering their value, yes," Emerald snarked, "You want gems, dig 'em up yourself."

"Not that, you two," Sparky insisted, catching their attention, "I meant the tickets to the Gala!"

"Well first off," Emerald began, "Don't say that out loud. If your friends are any indication, who knows what other ponies might do if they hear about you having a spare ticket," Sparky sighed, but nodded,

"He's right," Spike said, before frowning, "And you're _still_ on that?"

"Spike!" Sparky snapped, slamming her hooves on the table, "I'm serious! I don't know who to take! If I choose one of them, wouldn't that make the other four mad at me?!" she panicked, "I could give up my ticket, but that still leaves three unsatisfied ponies! What do I do?!"

"For starters?" Emerald began, just as the waiter returned with their orders, "Eat. I get the feeling you're high strung when you're hungry," he finished, tossing the waiter some bits. He threw another glance up, finding that most of the clouds were in place, save for a single spot directly above them, though it shouldn't take long to fill.

With that information in mind, Emerald didn't waste any time and downed his cider in one gulp, and prepared to leave, only to pause.

It was already raining...

But not on them.

"Oh thank goodness! I'm sure everything will be _sooo_ much clearer once I've eaten!" Sparky gushed, staring down at her sandwich like it was water in the desert.

"Um, madam?" the waiter from earlier spoke up, "Are you going to eat in ze rain?" he asked, concerned. Sparky looked up from her little piece of Elysium, confused,

"What? It's not raining," she stated,

"Look again, Sparky."

She glanced at Emerald, confused, but her eyes ended up sliding off of him, and widened,

"What?!" she snapped, looking around wildly, before looking straight up alongside Emerald, spotting the lone hole in the sky rather easily, just as a familiar rainbow head popped out.

"Hi there, best-friend-forever-that-I've-ever-had!" the pegasus shouted gleefully, "Enjoying the sunny weather?"

"Rainbow Dash," Sparky began heatedly, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Whaddya mean?" Crash asked innocently, "I just saw the smartest most generous pony in all of Equestria about to get rained on, so, I just thought I could kick a hole in the clouds so she could dine in peace!" Sparky narrowed her eyes at the failing actress,

"Rainbow Dash, you're not trying to get extra consideration for the extra ticket by doing me extra special favours... are you?" she asked, though her tone implied she already knew the answer.

"Me?" Crash asked, incredulously, and Emerald could practically see the halo around her head, "Of course not! Seriously, I'd do it for anypony!" she said.

Emerald and Sparky took that moment to glance around, finding ponies still rushing around to avoid the rain.

"Hehe?"

"Rainbow, I am _not_ comfortable with accepting unwanted favours, so I'd appreciate it if you closed up that rain cloud, right now!"

Was she serious?

"Ugh, fine!" Crash snapped, before petulantly zipping the cloud up.

Emerald blinked at the reaction, before raising his wing to cover the silly unicorn by his side,

"That's better," she said, nodding her head appreciatively, taking a bite of her sandwich, just as the rain hit Emerald's wing above her.

Sparky moaned in delight as she chewed, looking for all the world like a filly who'd finally gotten the doll she wanted. Though he noticed she remained mostly unaware of his wing above her, much too focused on finally sating her hunger.

She finished her food in record time, gulping down the last bite with a satisfied expression on her face. She sighed, raising her head, only to flinch when her horn brushed Emerald's wing. Her face went beet red at the sensation, and she lurched out of her chair by mistake, landing heavily on the wet ground, quickly being soaked by the rain now that Emerald wasn't covering her.

"S-sorry!" she stammered, flailing back to her hooves, now fully aware of the rain hitting her. Emerald rolled his eyes, but another voice spoke up before he could,

"Twilight? Darling, it's raining," came the sophisticated voice Emerald had come to associate with Rarity.

"Really, we hadn't noticed," Sparky replied, giving Emerald an appreciative look when he, once again, shielded her from the rain with his wing.

"My, my. Getting cozy you two?" Rarity asked mischievously, her smile widening as Sparky blushed,

"What?! Nononono!" she insisted, shaking her head wildly, splattering water everywhere. It seemed the unexpected spray caught Rarity's attention,

"Well, come along you three," she said, turning around, "I have some tea on the kettle at home. Wouldn't want you to catch a cold, now would we?"

* * *

"Here you go!~" Rarity sang, pouring tea into three separate cups, and floating them over to her guests.

The inside of Rarity's house was surprisingly... _pink_. The walls and curtains of the work area were a dark pink, bordering magenta, but the floors were of a very light lavender. There was podium in the center of the far well, surrounded by several mirrors. Along the sides of the room were various other mirrors and fitting rooms. There was a large set of stairs leading up at the back wall, likely into her living quarters.

The four of them were sitting in Rarity's 'Inspiration Room' as she called it.

The walls of this room were dark purple, though still a shade or two lighter than her own mane. The floor was covered in a velvet carpet that spanned the entire room. Rarity was currently laying on a long, crimson couch, daintily sipping from her cup, even as her guests all sat around a small white table.

"So, darling, if you don't mind me asking, why in the world were you out in that dreadful weather?" Sparky winced,

"Oh, it's fine, it's just... this whole ticket business is stressing me out, is all," Rarity frowned,

"Really?" she asked, setting her tea down, "Well... oh! I know just the thing to cheer you up!" she gushed, hopping out of her seat, "Makeovers!~"

"Uh... I, uh, I'll see you guys back at the library, bye!" Spike stammered, before bolting out of the room, much to Emerald's amusement, and Sparky's chagrin.

"Oh well, we don't need him, come on dear!" Rarity squealed, dragging Sparky out of the room,

"Uh, Rarity?! I appreciate the- ah!- concern, but-! Woah!" she tried to speak, but her overexcited friend's giddy movements kept her from speaking.

Rarity remained oblivious to Sparky's dilemma, practically tossing the distraught mare behind a screen, where she followed soon after.

"Not to worry Twilight! I have just the thing!"

"Ooh! Rarity you don'-ah! Too tight!"

Emerald watched on, amused, as Sparky tried, and failed, to escape her friends clutches, only to be dragged back behind the screen each time.

Finally, her tort-treatment was over, and the screen was pushed aside.

Emerald's eyes widened just the slightest in surprise.

Sparky was now wearing a blue and green saddle with golden tassels hanging off the side. The green portion of the saddle had several intricate designs woven into the material, making the, admittedly small, garment appear almost royal. It wrapped around her neck snugly, held in place by a yellow, green, and blue necklace.

He'd admit, it looked good.

Whether it was what she was wearing, or the pony herself, he wasn't too sure.

Either way, he couldn't help the playful whistle that escaped him, causing Rarity to titter and Sparky to turn red.

"Oho! I most certainly agree!" Rarity gushed, "You look marvelous Twilight!" she added, sliding a mirror in front of her impromptu model.

"Yeah..." she breathed, "I guess it does look kinda pretty!" she continued, smiling brightly.

"Oh! And I have something for you as well, Emerald!" Rarity suddenly said, startling the poor thestral,

"What?" he asked, not comprehending, only for the fashionista to grab him and drag him over to the screen previously used to tort-_dress_ Sparky mere moments ago.

"Agh! What are you-! Hey, watch where you're touching!"

After what could've been an hour or a minute, Rarity pushed aside the screen, almost bursting at the seams with glee as she presented her latest vict-_model_ to her singular audience.

Emerald kept his gaze resolutely on his tormentor, glaring fiercely at the demoness that was still oh-so-happily giggling to herself.

"Wow..." he heard Sparky breathe. He glanced at her, finding her gaze firmly locked onto him, her eyes trailing over his costumed form.

From the looks of it, Rarity had outfitted him with a blueish black top hat, a white lace mask that, thankfully, didn't inhibit his vision, a simple blueish black and white tuxedo jacket, with gold buttons and a crimson rose in the front pocket, a pair of white gloves on his front hooves, and on top of that, a long black cape, lined with crimson fabric on the inside.

Admittedly simple attire or not, his struggling had caused the 'dressing' to take longer than even Sparky's.

"My, my, my!" Rarity cooed, circling Emerald, not unlike a vulture, "Just as I thought!~" she sang, stopping in front of him, "Sometimes less, is more! Eheehee!" she clopped her hooves together giddily, "Oh my good stallion, you'll have to fend off those Gala mares with a stick!"

"The Gala?" Sparky asked suspiciously,

"Why of course!" Rarity said, unconcerned with the mare's increasingly angry expression, "The two of you are going to be the center of attention, no doubt about it! Everypony would be clamoring for your attention!" she glanced at Emerald, "Mares would swoon and stallions would weep at the sight of such a magnificent colt such as you, and Twilight!" she gushed looking at the bewildered mare, whose anger had subsided the more Rarity spoke, "Oh, Twilight! You'd be the belle of the ball! Stallions would beg for you, mares would want to _be_ you! Ohohoho! I can't wait to see it all myself!"

"... Wait..." Sparky said, obviously confused, "So... but... I thought you wanted to go to the Gala for Prince Blueblood?" Rarity waved her off,

"Oh my, yes, _absolutely!_" she said, "I'd love to go to the Gala with you darling, but Emerald was right," she said, smiling gently, "This is your decision. And you're both my friends. How could I, in good conscience, make that decision any harder for you?" she asked. Emerald frowned,

"You treat my word pretty highly, then?" he asked. Rarity nodded,

"Well of course," she said, as if it was obvious, "Not only did you save my life, but the more I look at and listen to you, dear, the more I realize what a wonderful pony you are," she said, causing him to stiffen in surprise, and a little confusion, "Oh come now, don't be so shocked," she admonished, smiling slyly, "Pinkie adores you. Your sisters love you. The Cakes have nothing but good things to say about you. And most of all?" she asked seriously, "Fluttershy is comfortable with you, and she's never truly comfortable with anypony, not even me," she said, before nodding resolutely, "Yes, there's no doubt about it. You, sir, are a wonderful stallion. One I hope to truly befriend in the near future."

"... So... you're not, trying to butter me up for the ticket?" Sparky clarified when the three of them lapsed into silence. She laughed, seemingly amused by the innocent question,

"Not at all dear," she said, before tilting her head in thought, "Though, I'll admit I have a second garment like the one you're wearing," she looked over to the podium in the far corner, using her magic to lift the tarp covering it, revealing a ponyquinn wearing the same saddle as Sparky, "But I suppose that it would work with just about any of our friends, really. Though I'd likely have to loosen the strap for Pinkie. No offense to her, of course,"

Apparently satisfied with that answer, Sparky gave a relieved sigh, plopping down onto her plot, using her magic to gently remove the saddle,

"Thank goodness," she breathed, letting Rarity take the garment from her, "I was worried that every one of you girls would be like Rainbow Dash,"

"Oh my, whatever happened with Rainbow?"

"Tried doing Sparky here a favour, kept the rain off of her head for a little bit while she was eating," Emerald replied, folding the tuxedo he'd been wearing into a simple square, laying the hat, cape, and mask atop it a moment later.

"Ah."

**_*GURGLE*_**

"Again?" Emerald asked incredulously, "You just ate!" Sparky blushed,

"Wha- It's not my fault!" she countered hotly, "I helped Applejack in the fields all morning!"

"Didn't you eat breakfast?"

"Well, yes but-"

"Glutton."

"I am not!"

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are."

"No!"

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Ahem?"

The dainty coughing stalled their argument for the moment, causing both of them to turn to a _very_ amused Rarity, who tittered once she had their attention,

"My, my. Bickering like an old married couple? How sweet,"

"Rarity!" Sparky snapped, blushing harder at her friend's innocent teasing. She only laughed in response,

"Now now, Twilight, no need to be so defensive!" she responded lightly, "Deny any harder, and I might just think you like the idea!~"

"Bu-I-ah-!" Sparky stammered, her reaction causing Emerald to snicker,

"Lighten up, Sparky," Emerald said, before standing at heading to the door, "C'mon, let's go satisfy your gluttonous stomach with some more lunch, already. I'm not dealing with that high-strung attitude twice in one day,"

Rather than vocally respond to his teasing, she just resolutely strode past him after a moment. Emerald and Rarity shared an amused look, but it was cut off by a familiar voice,

"Did somepony say 'lunch'?!"

"Wah?!"

Emerald sighed as the farmer mare dragged Sparky through the door, and spared a glance at the confused designer in the room,

"Well, here we go again,"

He quickly followed after Sparky, only under his own power, unlike her.

He easily found her just outside the door, laying on her stomach, and staring both hungrily, and apprehensively at a red and brown apple-themed cart, filled to almost overflowing with, presumably, apple-based treats of every make.

"Welp, I got apple pie, apple fritters, apple tarts, apple dumplin's, apple crisps-" Emerald's gaze flickered over to Sparky, whose eyes were widening with each and every treat named, before Applejack suddenly shoved one in her face, startling her out of her fantasies, "aaaaannnnnd! Apple brown betty! Eh, the dessert, not my Auntie,"

Emerald doubted that last part was necessary.

"Whaddya say there, best friend!?" she asked.

**_*GURGLE*_**

"Is that a yes?" Applejack continued hopefully. He turned his attention back to Sparky, who snarled,

"No!" she snapped forcefully, "No. No. _No_! I haven't decided _who_ to give the ticket to, and all these distractions certainly aren't helping me!" she growled, "In fact, I'm less sure now than I was this morning! AAAH!" she yelled, barreling past the southern mare, likely towards the library.

"So... that's a maybe?"

Emerald narrowed his eyes at the unhelpful mare, before his gaze slid over to her cart.

Well... he _did_ say 'or else'.

Casually striding over to the cart, the southern mare practically oblivious to his presence, he grabbed one of the pies and gently set it on the ground.

Then, in one, smooth motion, he lifted the cart, and slammed it, pastries first, on top of the apple mare.

Lifting the now empty wagon back into the air, he was greeted with a mushy pile of crust, filling, frosting, and everything else that had been laden into the cart, with a single blonde tail sticking out of the back.

Smiling at his handy-work, he picked up the liberated pie, laid it on his back, and jogged off in the direction Sparky had gone.

* * *

He caught up with the mare, who was dejectedly marching towards her home, likely the only safe place she could think of at the moment.

"Hey, Sparky," he called, catching her attention, "You alright?" he asked once he reached her side, figuring he might as well. She shook her head, as he expected,

"No. I never thought ponies doing me all these favours would be... so..." she sniffed the air, before taking a deeper, almost hungry sniff once again, and her eyes darted over to him, "... Why do you smell like apple pie?" she asked, almost desperately. Emerald gave her a cheeky grin,

"You're not the only one who was hungry. Unlike you, I didn't get lunch," he replied. Sparky glared at him, before sighing,

"I guess that's fair," she muttered, barely flinching when her stomach rumbled again. Emerald sighed, but it wasn't like he could do much to help her right now.

Well, as it was, he planned on being more active in the lives of the Bearers, so it would be best that he get on their good sides as soon as possible.

He already had Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy as 'friends'. Crash... well, Fluttershy and Pinkie could likely keep him updated on her if he pressed the right buttons. He'd likely ruined whatever chances at a relationship with Applejack with the stunt he pulled earlier, but he wasn't sure.

That left Sparky.

"We can head out again after this whole ticket debacle is over and done with, alright?" he asked. Sparky perked up at that,

"Really?" she asked, he nodded, "Thanks, Emerald," she added, beaming brightly at him.

"No need. I'm really only following along so I can steal Pinkie once she shows up again. Hopefully I'll be able to snap her out of this whole ticket nonsense and get her back to the Cakes," Sparky shook her head, the smile not leaving her face,

"Well, even so, you just being here is a big help. Knowing that there's at least one pony who's not going crazy over that ticket," she replied, pushing open the door to the library, before freezing in shock at the door.

Curious, Emerald gently pushed her aside and peered past her, only to groan.

Rabbits, squirrels, mice, and many other small rodents scampered about the foyer. But the most surprising aspect about it, was that each one carried some manner of cloth or other cleaning material.

Of course, it may have even more surprising, had it not been for the presence of Fluttershy, who was happily singing to herself, even as she hovered between shelves, gently cleaning off whatever dust she could find.

"Fluttershy?!" Sparky cried, "Not you too!"

"Oh!" Fluttershy jumped, an impressive feat considering she was still in the air, "Well, hello Twilight," she continued, in a poor attempt at being casual, "We all just thought that it'd be great to get some Spring cleaning done for you," she added, smiling gently.

"It's Autumn," Sparky stated flatly,

"Oh. Well, better late than never, right?" Fluttershy asked, blushing, "It was all Angel's idea!" she said, happily glancing over to the white rabbit, who was busy tossing a salad.

"You're just doing this for the ticket, aren't you?" Emerald asked, though the answer was almost pathetically obvious,

"Oh no, not at all!" Fluttershy protested, only for Angel to start squeaking angrily, "Oh. Yes, we are just doing this for the ticket," she amended, smiling sweetly.

"Well, at least you're honest," Sparky muttered, "But honest or not, I refuse to accept any more favours from anypony!" she snapped, stomping her hoof, before she wandered over to the door, opened it, and firmly pointed out, "Now I'm going to have to ask you and all your little woodland friends to leave!"

Her stern glare, aimed at the shy mare, coupled with an angry pout, were all ruined in an instant when a horn suddenly blared in her ear, just before a pair of pink hooves reached inside and plucked her out of the library.

Emerald sighed, but didn't bother to leave, too busy sinking his head into his hooves.

This was really beginning to annoy him.

"~_Twilight is my bestest friend, whoopee, whoopee!_~"

"Pinkie..."

"~_The cutest, smartest, all around best pony, pony!_~"

"Pinkie."

"~_I bet if I throw a super-duper fun party, party!_~"

"Pinkie!"

"~_She'll give her extra ticket to the Gala to me, to me!_~"

"_PINKIEEEEEEEE!_"

By this point, Emerald had finally decided to walk out after the foalnapped mare, only to find her being tossed into the air by Pinkie and half a dozen other mares, until she finally snapped.

Emerald gently caught the falling mare on his back, before setting her back on her hooves.

"Thank you."

"Yes, Twilight?" Pinkie asked innocently, fluttering her eyes with a bright smile. Sparky growled at her,

"At least the others _tried_ being subtle about the ticket!" she snapped,

"Ticket? What ticket?" one of the mares Pinkie brought along asked,

"Didn't she say something about a gala?"

"Oh, you didn't know?" Pinkie asked, "Twilight has an extra ticket to the Gra-!"

**_*SMASH*_**

Having had enough of Pinkie's nonsense, Emerald had, wisely, decided to clock her over the head, sending her to the ground. He cleared his throat, before directing his attention to the stunned crowd.

"My cousin decided to invite Sparky here to a small gala she's hosting in Baltimare. For friends and family only," he stated, his tone demanding silence.

Pinkie didn't get the memo.

"Owie...!" she muttered, rubbing the top of her head, before shooting Emerald a small, but ultimately heatless, glare, "What was that for? I was just tryin' to tell everpony about Twilight's extra ticket to the Gala."

It was times like this that Emerald severely regretted befriending Pinkie.

And since when did he consider her a friend anyways?

"_The_ Gala?"

"Wait, does she mean-?"

""""""_THE GRAND GALLOPING GALA?!_""""""

_Shit._

"Have I ever told you I loved your mane?"

"I could paint your house for you!"

"I'd love to check out some books!"

"Stardammit, Pinkie..." Emerald snarled under his breath, backing up into Sparky, who was looking panicked. The two of them darted away from the crowd, only to run into another group of ponies, who had likely overheard the loud shout,

"I could help you with your gardening!"

"I have some extra carrots I could give you!"

"Damn, what should we do?" Emerald asked under his breath. Fighting them was out of the question, and he sincerely doubted he'd be able to do much else without blowing his cover.

"We... we... we should... RUUUUN!"

The two of them immediately darted off, speeding through the only gap in the crowd.

They ran, with Sparky proving just how she had won second in the Running of the Leaves, much to his surprise.

As the two of them ran, Emerald spotted Applejack's dessert cart, and immediately pulled Sparky and himself behind it, letting the crowd run past them. Once he was sure they had missed them, he sighed, only to jump when Sparky yelped in fright, revealing that they had been caught. He pulled Sparky and ran in the opposite direction, the crowd not too far behind.

The crowd of ponies continued chasing after their prey, running past a couple wearing a bonnet and coat. It wasn't until one of them paused and looked back, that they realized they'd been duped, and turned back to run after the ticket holders.

The chase kept on going and going, with Emerald and Sparky having to continuously find new hiding spots, be it underneath a bridge, where Sparky had lost her balance and fallen into the river, or hiding in a display case for a costume shop.

Regardless, the two of them were eventually cornered in an alleyway, where Emerald cursed himself for forgetting where this particular turn ended up.

"Dammit, now what?" he asked himself. He couldn't grab Sparky and fly off with her, else he'd lose _his_ tickets, and who knows what sort of mess _that_ would devolve into when the mob realized what he'd dropped.

The two of them huddled together in the corner of the alley, where the mob of ponies were slowly closing in, each one of them talking at once, making it impossible to discern what any of them were saying.

Emerald growled, but the sound of magic being cast brought his attention to Sparky, whose eyes had been screwed shut as her horn started glowing, along with the air around them.

His eyes widened at the signs of a teleportation spell. She was going to leave him behind! Well, not intentionally, but still!

He made a mental vow to get back at her for that, before a bright flash blinded him.

He snarled and looked back up at the mob, only to freeze.

_He wasn't in the alleyway anymore._

His eyes widened, and his head whipped over to Sparky, who was sporting some blackened marks on her fur, as well as appearing dizzy for whatever reason.

But that didn't matter to him right now. No, what mattered was the fact that this mare had used magic.

On _him!_

That was... _impossible!_ The only way for magic to actively 'affect' him was to prevent it from making contact with him at all! Even his disguise didn't touch him, the illusion hovering a millimeter away from his skin.

Every sort of magical artifact he'd interacted with that had magic stored within only continued having magic because he'd touched a physical barrier preventing him from canceling out the magic within.

But this mare had actually used magic _directly_ on him!

This... this was mind-breaking.

"Come on! We need to lock up everything!" Sparky suddenly shouted, unaware of the thestral's world shattering revelation. Her shouting brought him from his thoughts, and he immediately followed after the now semi-scary mare.

He rushed through the house alongside her, ignoring the confused drake, making sure to lock every window and door, as well as turn off every single light in the house.

They ended up meeting back at the front door, which they had just finished locking, when they finally stopped, and let out a breath of relief.

Sparky leaned against him, not that he minded right now.

Twilight sighed, a mixture of relief and exhaustion robbing her of her energy. She gently set her head against Emerald's shoulder, breathing heavily. Finally, peace and quite. Nopony in all of Ponyville would be desperate enough to actually break into her house.

Now, she could just relax, maybe even take a small nap next to the only pony she currently felt safe with.

Then the lights turned back on.

Their eyes shot open in unison, with one of the pair wondering how he'd missed the presence of another pony, while the other immediately latched onto the five forms of her best friends.

And she lost it.

"AAAHHHH!" she shouted, "I can't! I can't! I'm sorry, but I can't decide! I know it's important to all of you but I just can't choose one of you and risk disappointing any of the others and _I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry!_" Sparky cried in one breath, holding her hooves to head as she curled up on the ground, looking genuinely close to having a heart attack.

Emerald found himself honestly worried for her well-being if this continued, even as he tried to calm her down by placing a hoof against her back.

It worked. Barely.

After a tense moment of silence, where Emerald seriously considered picking Sparky up and bolting out the door, when one of the mares came forward.

Applejack gently strode forward, bringing the distinct scent of apple-based pastries wafting over the panicking mare, which seemed to calm her down a little more.

"Twilight, sugar, I'm sorry," the farmer began, sounding genuine, "I didn't mean ta make ya feel so darn pressured, so... if it helps, I don't want the ticket anymore," she said resolutely.

""_What?!_"" Sparky and Emerald chorused, the former looking up in shock. Applejack nodded,

"That's right. You can give it ta somepony else. I won't feel bad," she continued.

"Yeah, me too," Fluttershy added, fluttering over to the three of them, "I'm sorry. I feel awful that I made you feel awful..." she admitted sadly.

"Me too!" Pinkie chirped, though it lacked the usual energy, "It's no fun making your friends sad..."

"Indeed," Rarity chimed in, "I'm only glad I took Emerald's advice to heart earlier. I'd have felt dreadful adding any sort of extra burden to you dear,"

"_YES!_" Crash suddenly shouted, ruining the serene atmosphere, "That's means the ticket is all mine! I got the ticket!~ I got the ticket!~" she chanted, dancing in mid-air, before freezing when she noticed the dark glares aimed at her, "E-ehe? W-well, I guess I haven't finished perfecting my signature move yet, so... I don't need the ticket either," she amended sheepishly.

Sparky swallowed, and sat up. She took a deep breath, and nodded,

"Thanks girls," she said, smiling gently, before giving a sudden, firm nod, "Spike!" she called, "Take a note!"

The hatchling, who had been cautiously observing from the stairwell, scampered forward, a quill and parchment already in claw.

"'_Dear Princess Celestia, I've learned that one of the joys of friendship, is sharing the blessings you've been given. But when there's not enough blessings to go around, having more than your friends can feel pretty awful. But even when things feels dark, having just one pony willing to help can make everything seem bright again_'," she said, sending a bright smile at Emerald, "'_So, while I truly appreciate the invitation, I'm afraid I'll have to return both tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala_',"

"""""_WHAT?!_"""""

"'_If my friends can't go, than I don't want to either_'," Sparky continued.

"But, Twilight you don't have ta do that!" Applejack protested,

"Nope," Sparky retorted, "I've made up my mind. Spike, you can send the letter now," the young drake nodded, before doing just that.

"But, now you won't get to go the Gala either," Fluttershy said,

"That doesn't matter girls. I couldn't have possibly enjoyed myself without the five of you there with me. Without my best friends, I'd rather not go at all,"

"""""Aw!""""" the five mares chorused as they happily enveloped her in a massive hug.

Spike pretended to gag at the sight, before clutching his stomach, looking surprised.

"Huh, well ain't that jus' like a boy," Applejack said, ignoring Emerald's offended growl, "Can't handle the least bit'o sentiment," Spike suddenly burped, sending a jet of flame from his maw, nearly scorching Applejack, who'd ducked, "Woah nelly!"

"_You were saying_?" Emerald snarked.

"A letter from the princess?" Sparky asked, "That was quick!"

"Ahem. '_To my faithful student, Twilight_'," Spike began, "'_Why didn't you just say so?_'," he suddenly gasped, dropping the letter, before holding up a fistful of golden tickets, "Six tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala!"

"Now we can all go!" Sparky cheered, before her stomach growled again, having been suspiciously silent until now. The girls just laughed,

"Well then, why don't we treat you to dinner, Twilight?" Rarity offered good-naturedly,

"Yeah, it'll be a great way to apologize!"

The mares all laughed as they began filing out through the door, a single ticket levitating over their heads as they passed by Spike, who began walking away, until the final ticket was plucked from his talons. The hatchling deflated,

"Aw... why don't I get a ticket?" he asked himself dejectedly, before suddenly burping once more, reflexively catching and opening the letter that appeared, "'_And one for you too, Spike._'," Spike grabbed the gold ticket, and began giggling to himself, before he realized the smirk Emerald was sending him, "Er- I mean, gross! Now I have to go to?" he asked, before smirking once again and darting out the door, laughing to himself.

Emerald sighed, shaking his head. He followed after the group for a moment, gently shutting the door behind him, before directing his gaze upward towards the stars.

He laughed silently to himself.

"Emerald! Are you comin' or not?!" Pinkie called after him,

"The invitation includes you as well, darling!" he nodded.

"I'm coming!" he yelled back, hiding a small smile. Ponyville would be safe for one more night. He jogged after the retreating mares and drake, thinking idly to himself.

Look at him, laughing to himself as he went to join a bunch of mares for dinner.

The world sure worked in funny ways, didn't it?


	14. Suited for Survival

"So, you want me to... _what_, exactly?" the familiar green thestral asked his purple companion,

"Well, that whole ticket fiasco last week has gotten me thinking. I'll need to wear a dress, and I just so happen to have an old one my grandmother gave me, so... I was hoping you could give me your opinion on my dress to the Gala?" she asked, smiling sheepishly.

Emerald sighed slightly, but nodded. It was a Sunday, so it wasn't like he had to work.

"Lead the way then, Sparky,"

Ever since the ticket trouble last week, it seemed that the six mares, save Crash, acted... friendlier than before.

Before, he hardly ever interacted with anyone other than Pinkie and Fluttershy, with Rarity and Sparky being uncommon occurrences. Since then, however, it seemed that those two went almost out of their way to greet him at work, and even Applejack was more than happy to call out to him in the marketplace, usually accompanied by a playful maneuvering of the treats she was selling, claiming that she didn't want any more in her mane.

He would've thought she'd be angrier about that, but it wasn't the first time he was wrong.

A prime example of this new treatment was right now, in fact. From what he'd seen of her, Sparky was actually quite shy around him, for whatever reason. He just chalked it up to her lack of interaction with the opposite gender growing up.

From what he'd seen, he was the first male 'friend' she'd ever had!

Save Spike and her brother, but they don't really count, now do they?

He trotted behind Sparky as she pranced through the library door, idly noting that it seemed... cleaner, than before.

Maybe Fluttershy's earlier 'Spring Cleaning' had been messier than he'd noticed?

Whatever.

"Alright, just wait here while I go grab it, okay?" she asked, already walking up the stairs, not bothering to wait for him to answer. He rolled his eyes at her behavior, but nodded otherwise, if only for himself.

He took the moment to look around, taking in each and every minuscule change from his last visit, when something caught his eye.

On one of the upper ledges, specifically the one he read in the first time he'd been here, was a velvet blanket and pillow, with a familiar book laying a top it. He frowned at it, confused.

Had she put those up there... for him? He hadn't really been back to the library since then, so it would be a real surprise if she had.

He recalled her saying something about the library actually getting fairly lonely from time to time, especially when Spike was out helping Rarity. Had she put that there so he'd be more comfortable staying by?

He shook his head. Too many questions, no answers.

"_NOOO!_"

The sudden shout caught him off guard for a moment, but he immediately shook it off, before bolting up the stairs. It took him less than a second to pinpoint the source of the scream, and he burst through the only door in his way, preparing himself for a confrontation.

He scanned the room immediately, taking in every detail. He found Sparky hunched over a small box, looking distraught, and he calmed down, not detecting any immediate threats.

"_What the fuck?!_" okay, perhaps he wasn't as calm as he thought. He stomped over to the doubled-over mare, scanning her for any sort of abnormalities, when she turned to face him, pouting and watery-eyed.

"My old dress..." she muttered, holding out an old red and orange blouse. He frowned, looking it over, before spotting the issue.

One of the buttons on the front was torn, only hanging on by the barest thread. He sighed, irritated,

"That's it?" he asked, "_That's_ what the screaming was for?" Sparky frowned,

"I liked this dress," she defended, pouting slightly, "My grandmother gave me this. I always took good care of it... how'd it get torn like this?" she continued, under her breath. He sighed, shaking his head,

"Just fix it, dammit."

"I don't want to accidentally rip it!" she protested. Emerald chuckled,

"Gee, shame you don't know anybody who knows how to work with clothing, like, I don't know... _Rarity._" he stated flatly. Sparky blinked, before clapping a hoof against her head,

"Right. Of course. Still kinda new to this whole 'friend' thing," she admitted with a sheepish laugh, "Alright, let's head to Rarity's then!"

* * *

The trip wasn't long, only about ten minutes at most with the pace they had.

They arrived at the Carousel Boutique soon enough, with Sparky entering before him,

"Rarity!" Sparky called, looking around, before frowning, "Hmm, she's not here. Come on, she might be up in her sewing room," she added, trotting along without waiting for his answer, once again.

Heading up the stairs, as well as locating the room she was in, wasn't difficult, as Emerald could faintly hear the sound of straining fabric from behind one of the doors.

"Here it is," he muttered, before gently pushing through the door, not wanting to startle the mare if she was actively handling a needle.

He ignored the half-shiver that went down his spine at the thought. They were sewing needles. _Just_ sewing needles.

"Rarity? You busy?" he asked, glancing around the room.

It was surprisingly messy, especially considering he thought her to be the clean type of mare. It was a simple circular room, with pink walls and a rug of the came colour. He could see multiple shelves containing a variety of fabrics of all different colours and shades. On another shelf there where dozens of different threads and cloths, with several ponyquinns standing in front of it, each one sporting a hat and, what he presumed were, half-finished dresses.

They spoke highly of her skill, since Emerald was certain those 'half-finished' dresses would sell just as well as a fully completed dress from another maker.

"Emerald!" Sparky hissed, "Can't you see she's concentrating?!" Emerald just stared at her for a moment, before directing his gaze to the white mare, who was currently trying, and failing, to ignore them as she carefully stitched a few pieces of fabric together.

"She already knows we're here, no point in just waiting around and making things harder for her," he argued easily, venturing further into the room. Rarity sighed,

"Yes?" she asked, turning to face them, "How can I help you two?"

Why was she wearing glasses?

Indeed, there was a single pair of red-framed glasses sitting on her muzzle, something he was certain she didn't actually need.

Unless she wore contacts.

He was pretty sure she didn't need contacts.

Did she?

"Sorry to bother you Rarity," Sparky began, fishing around in her bag, unwittingly breaking Emerald from his thoughts, "I just need a quick favour," she pulled out the red dress from earlier, gently setting it down on the nearby workbench, "Do you think you could fix a button for me real quick? It's for my Gala dress!" she finished excitedly.

Rarity, who had been listening patiently, let her jaw drop slightly at Twilight's declaration.

"D-dress?" she asked, glancing at the red... thing laying on her desk, "This?" she clarified, Twilight's nodding doing nothing to assuage her worry, "Oh, no, no, no! You can't wear... _this_ to the Gala!" she protested, shooting a mildly disgusted look at the atrocity, "No! You need a brand new dress for the Gala!" she said, and an idea suddenly struck her, "And I'd love to make it!"

Of course! She was already working on her own dress for the Gala, so why not work on dear Twilight's as well?

"W-well, that's a wonderful offer, Rarity," Twilight said, "But I can't let you do that! I-it would be way too much work! Besides, I'm perfectly fine with the dress my grandmother gave me," Rarity smiled gently, but shook her head,

"Nonsense! It would be my absolute pleasure! I insist!" she added, seeing Twilight's continued resistance, "Ah! And I won't be taking no for an answer!"

"W-well... thank you, Rarity," Twilight said, sincerely, "I really appreciate your generosity. Knowing your handiwork, I'm sure it'll be wonderful!"

Rarity smiled brightly at Sparky's enthusiasm, before her gaze slid over to Emerald,

"What about you, dear?" she asked, "You've been to the Gala before, if I recall?" he nodded, "Of course! I imagine you've already gotten a suit prepared?" she inquired.

Emerald internally grimaced. He'd _never_ worn a suit to the Gala before. Usually he just wore his Champion's armour to the Gala, since it was the closest thing to formal wear he owned, but he couldn't exactly do that _now_.

Trix already did though, so he at least didn't have to worry about her.

"Well... I did," he began, "But they were damaged beyond repair last time. Apparently, Spits thought it'd be a good idea to spill wine all over the damn thing," he lied, "I was just going to go as is," Rarity tutted,

"Well that's no good," she said, then nodded, "Formal attire is a must! I'll make you something dear, I insist!"

"_LOOK OUT BELOOOOWWWW!_"

Emerald grabbed both surprised mares and moved the three of them back a few steps, just in time too, as Crash once more lived up to her false namesake, barreling straight through the ceiling, bouncing against the ground, and landing in the nearby line of ponyquinns, knocking them all down.

"Agh..." she groaned, before sitting up, covered in fabrics, "Ow... hehe," she laughed, "sorry about that. New trick, didn't _quite_ work out," she explained. Emerald sighed irritably from beside Rarity, who was busy rubbing her chin with a thoughtful look on her face. Suddenly, she gasped,

"_IDEAAAA!~_" she sang, "I'll make _you_ a dress for the Gala too, Rainbow Dash!" she giggled. Crash looked around for a moment,

"Uhh... a what for the what now?"

"I'll make _you_ an outfit, and _you_ and _you_, _all_ of you!" she continued, ignoring Crash, "Oh! And I certainly can't forget Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie! And once I'm done, we can hold our very own fashion show!" she rambled, holding her hooves to her cheeks in excitement.

"That's a wonderful idea!" Sparky agreed,

"If you can handle it," Emerald continued. She either could, or she couldn't. Though, considering his own track record, he wasn't about to stop her.

No point in being a hypocrite.

"Oh, well, it'll be a bit of work, definitely," she said, waving off their concern, "But it'll be a wonderful boost for my business! Plus? FUN!" she chirped, already levitating fabrics around the room, a few stopping by the other occupants, likely comparing colours.

"It's settled!~ We'll have a fashion show, starring US!" she yelled, getting both Sparky and Crash to cheer. Emerald shook his head,

"Don't get too excited, not yet," he advised, "You still have to make a unique, stunning outfit for seven different ponies, all with different likes and dislikes, not to mention vastly different personalities, which your designs will have to match," he said, "I won't try to discourage you, by the moon I can't count how many times I've done the same, but... try not to overwork yourself," Rarity laughed,

"Oh, Emerald," she said, "You make it sound as if it's going to be hard!"

* * *

He wasn't going to lie. The idea that a dressmaker of Rarity's honest talent was going to be making him a suit was actually fairly exciting.

Somewhat.

Over his twenty two years of life, he'd never really interacted with creatures of similar talents in the making arts, aside from Gustave.

Ever since coming to Ponyville, he'd met and interacted with Pinkie and Rarity, a pair of ponies who had _real_ talent and ability in making things that made his skills look mediocre in comparison.

Though it wasn't a surprise. His skills in in just about everything aside from fighting were more passing hobbies he'd either needed at one point, or decided to develop just in case. So comparing them to ponies who'd worked and developed those skills for their entire lives wasn't really a fair comparison.

A jack-of-all-trades was what he needed to be. Fighting was the only thing he was really good at.

It was... depressing at times to think about it like that.

Getting back on track, he was looking forward to whatever Rarity ended up making for him.

It would also work as a way to let him know what the mare knew of him. It would let him know exactly how he's been portraying himself to those mares, so he'd be able to keep it constant.

So, it was with intrepid anticipation that he walked towards Carousel Boutique several days after her declaration.

He was early, that was true, but he didn't have anything else to do at the time. The Cakes had left to order new supplies, since Pinkie had ended up using the rest of the sugar in her 'Super-Sweet-Sugar-Surprise-Sugar-Cookies' a few days ago.

Once he arrived at the familiar building, he gently crept inside, his ears on the lookout.

His ears perked up at the faint humming from upstairs. It was coming from her sewing room, which he supposed he should've expected.

Jogging up the stairs, he arrived outside the door moments later, and he couldn't help but overhear Rarity singing to herself.

_"~Letting my inspiration take root_

_Making sure the suit is just fine,_

_Perfect for a stallion of his design,_

_I'm stitching Emerald's new suit!_

_Stitched in line, nice and pressed,_

_And that's the art of the dress!~"_

He nodded is head along with the tune for a moment, before it abruptly stopped.

"Aha!~ Perfect! And before tomorrow's fashion show to boot!" he heard Rarity squeal. Figuring that he might as well, Emerald pushed his way into the room,

"Do you sing while working often?" he asked cheekily, startling the mare. Rarity's horn flashed, before rapidly dragging a nearby blanket and depositing it over the ponyquinn, where his suit supposedly lay,

"Emerald!" she snapped, whirling around, holding a hoof to her heart, "Please, don't sneak up on somepony like that!" He chuckled, holding his hooves up,

"Sorry, sorry," he said, though it was clear he didn't really mean it, "But still, you have a nice voice. Do you sing often?" he asked. Rarity took a few calming breaths, before smiling,

"No, but I have been thinking of performing," she admitted, glancing at the nearby clock, "Now, if I recall, I asked you and the girls to come by ten minutes from now," she said, shooting him a scanning look, "So what brings you by so early, Emerald?" he just shrugged,

"The Cakes left to get some ingredients, so they let Pinkie and I off for the day," he said, before grinning, "Besides, I'm rather anxious to see what you've made me," he admitted, before frowning, "Which reminds me, how much do I owe you?" he asked. Rarity simply waved her hoof, causing him to blink,

"Nothing at all, darling!" she said, smiling brightly, "You're a dear friend, so it's on the house. Besides," she began conspiratorially, "it'll be wonderful advertisement during the Gala. Imagine, six beautiful mares wearing dresses of my design, and a stallion such as yourself modeling one of my suits!" she giggled, "Oh it'll be marvelous!" he chuckled,

"I see," he said, "Rather smart. You help your... friends, and they help you just by wearing them. And that's not including tomorrow's fashion show. Your ambition knows no bounds,"

She smiled at him, levitating her glasses onto the nearby stand. The action seemed to spark a cascade of movement from all around the room, as her magic washed over dozens of different utensils, fabrics, and just about everything that had, at one point, been moved from it's original position, flew around the room, settling gently into their designated places, as if they'd never moved at all.

It spoke greatly about how much time the mare spent in this room if she could reorganize every single item in the entire room by memory alone.

"Well, no point in dilly-dallying!~" she sang, six ponyquinns arranging themselves in the air behind her, just as she began trotting out the door behind him, the ponyquinns following along like a parade.

He chuckled once more, but followed after.

Emerald was slightly surprised to find Fluttershy and Applejack already waiting for them downstairs.

"Oh my! It seems Emerald wasn't the only pony who was feeling excited!" Rarity teased the two as she set up the ponyquinns, which remained hidden from view. Applejack gave a sheepish laugh,

"Yeah, well, Big Mac didn't want me ta be late, so he sent me off a bit early," she said, "And it was mighty kind'o ya ta go outta yer way ta make us all a bunch'a dresses. I hope it wasn't too much?" she asked, worried. Rarity shook her head,

"Not all dear!"

"I'm glad to hear that," Fluttershy's quiet voice chimed in, "I would've felt awful if you overworked yourself because of us," Rarity just gave the shy mare a gentle smile,

"It's no worry, dear. You're all my best friends. Even Emerald," she added slyly, much to the thestral's chagrin, "And even _if_ I had overworked myself, it would be all worth it to see how much you all adore the outfits I made for you!"

As if on cue, the front door opened, accompanied by the loathsome bell, and in walked Pinkie, Sparky, and Crash.

Well... Pinkie hopped in, and Crash hovered, but it was all the same in the end.

"Ooh! You're all here!" Rarity gushed, almost scrambling over to the ponyquinns, "I can't wait to see your faces when you lay your eyes on these!"

"I'm sure they'll be wonderful Rarity!" Sparky said.

"Oh! Line up everypony, come along, line up!" the white mare ordered, almost bouncing in her place as the ponies and thestral did as asked, Rarity took a moment to move around the ponyquinns, likely lining them up with their new owners, "Allllright!~ Feast your eyes on... _THESE!_" she shouted, using her magic to throw off all of the tarps at once.

The mares, and even Emerald, all gasped in unison at the sight.

"These are your new outfits everypony!" Rarity began excitedly.

Emerald thought they were magnificent, absolutely perfect in every way!

"What do you think of your old duds now, Applejack? Pretty swanky, huh!?"

Applejack's dress had been transformed. It now bore a modified stetson with apple appliques, a green collar held together by an apple button, a set of apple green boots with an apple band. A single brown saddle rested on the back, with a train of green fabric trailing to the floor, ended by a set of brown tassels.

"Oh, and Twilight I made this dress just for you, and I designed every outfit to perfectly represent each pony's unique personality!"

A dress, that was likely Sparky's, stood to it's immediate left. It was a shade of royal blue a few shades lighter than her mane, with a much, much lighter blue saddle with a swirl of stars, separating the front and back halves. A single blue star pin sat comfortably behind the ear, with a similar star button connecting the ends of a collar that popped out. The large back end of the dress puffed outward, with the bottom edge coated with brilliant stars. The design was finished off with a set of starry blue shoes. It reminded Emerald greatly of Trixie's hat and cape, in all honesty.

"It took me hours to get the colours right on this one, Rainbow Dash, but I think it came out perfectly! It's simply beautiful, don't you think?"

A dress that could only belong to Crash was next. It had a set of golden leaves as the headpiece, where a grape necklace wrapped snugly around the neck. A set of gold wrappings around the hooves served as the shoes, and the large rainbow train at the end dragged lightly across the ground, yet it's cloud trim remained perfectly white. Perfect for the chromatic mare.

"Oh and I just know you'll love this one Fluttershy. It just sings Spring!"

And it certainly did. With a large blue butterfly pin at the top, with a similar button on the chest, it almost looked like something Emerald had seen a Fae wear. A set of light green horseshoes with a pair of decorative vines rested at the bottom, and the long green train at the back was decorated with flowers of various colours, matching the shy pony's love of nature perfectly.

"And Pinkie Pie. Look! Pink! Your favourite!"

It really was pink. Pink and puffy, just like the mare it was made for. A white and blue cap rested a top the head, decorated with a bright pink bow. A second bow connected the white and blue striped saddle on the back, with was connected to a white skirt with designs of lollipops and candy corn on the edges. Underneath the skirt, a poofy pink train trailed outwards, ended by a long blue ribbon, clipped on by a set of light pink bows. Simple pink shoes, with white and blue striped ribbons sat on the front hooves.

"Oh and Emerald! Dark and mysterious, with a wonderful air of maturity! You'll have to fend the mares off with a stick, I tell you!"

Sitting at the head was a onyx fedora with a crimson band wrapped around it, holding in a single black feather. A black jacket of a similar shade wrapped around the torso, with a pair of long sleeves going down the front legs. A blood red undershirt could be seen visibly from the front, as well as peeking out slightly from the sleeves. A single black tie clipped the neckline together. Towards the back, the suit would stop just before his cutie mark, but a pair of long black tails extended back, surrounding where his own tail would be.

It was... perfect. Absolutely _perfect_.

"Well?! What do you think?! Aren't they all amazing?!""

Emerald whistled,

"Damn. I knew you had talent, Rarity, but this is simply beyond my expectations. It's perfect," he commented, idly walking around ponyquinn wearing his suit, looking at it from as many angles as he could.

"I'm so glad you think so!" Rarity gushed, moving over to him, "Admittedly, your outfit took the longest to make, Emerald," she said, "I just could not figure out what design I should use!" she added, using her magic to lift up a few papers on a nearby table, each one sporting a half-finished sketch of what must've been the first stages of his new suit, "But eventually, I remembered the first time we met," she giggled at the memory, "I was honestly quite surprised when Sweetie brought you along, but I distinctly remember that feeling you gave off. You were so calm, but also a bit cold. It was like looking at the main character of one of my mystery novels!" she gushed, "I think I captured that perfectly as well!" she turned to face her other friends, "Oh, and what about all of you? Don't you just love them?!"

Of course they did, he thought, how could anyone dislike such masterpieces?

_So why was nobody talking?_

Indeed, the five mares had gone oddly silent, constantly sending each other unsure glances, as if they were all of one mind.

He had a bad feeling about this.

"W-wow... they're... um..." Sparky finally began, but it was clear she had no idea how to phrase... whatever it was,

"Yeah! They're..." Crash tried continuing,

"They sure are, uh... somethin'?" Applejack tried,

"Yes! Something!" Sparky finished,

"Yeah! I love... something?" Pinkie cut in, "Something is my favourite!" she added with a strained smile, something Emerald didn't know Pinkie could actually pull off.

"Yes, they're... nice," Fluttershy ended.

It almost sounded like they were trying to say... no...

"But, what's the matter?" Rarity asked, "Don't you like them?"

"They're certainly nice," Sparky spoke,

"An' we're plum grateful fer all yer hard work, but..."

They can't be... there's just no way...

"Mine's just not as cool as I was imagining," Crash deadpanned, finally giving them a straight answer, although the others looked offended, "What?" she defended, "She asked!"

"What Rainbow means, Rarity," Sparky began diplomatically, "is that, they're just not what we all had in mind," she said, which was met with hesitant agreement from the other mares.

"I'm sorry," Emerald growled, starting towards the group, "It almost sounds like you're all throwing her hard work down the-!"

"It's okay," Rarity said, cutting Emerald's tirade off early, "Not a problem. There's plenty more where that came from," she added sadly, before forcibly cheering herself up,

"You can't be serious," Emerald said, only for Rarity to shake her head,

"It's fine, they were only a first draft anyways!" she lied, before turning to the mares, "You're my best friends, and I want you all to be one-hundred-and-ten percent satisfied!"

Emerald frowned, before walking over to Rarity and grabbing her front hoof,

"Give us a moment," he ordered, before gently dragging her to the far side of the room. He turned to her sharply, "What the fuck are you doing?!" he whispered harshly, "You and I both know those dresses are perfect for them!" Rarity shook her head,

"I'm aware, dear," she whispered back, looking down, "But you know what they say... the customer is always right,"

"Not right now."

"Emerald," Rarity began, looking stern, "I appreciate your worry, truly, but if they aren't satisfied with the dresses I made, then I'll just try again!" she stated resolutely, before bitterly adding under her breath, "Though it'll be a lot of work. I barely have any time left until the show,"

Emerald frowned hard at that. He didn't understand what was going through this mare's head.

It was as clear to her as it was to him that the other five were just being idiots. Those dresses were perfectly fine. And even if they weren't, they were still gifts. Gifts that were hoofmade by their friend, and here they were, all but spitting on her hard work with nary a regret!

... So why wasn't she angry? Why wasn't she disagreeing with _everything_ they were saying?

It must be a pony thing.

As a thestral, that was not something he could understand.

So why did this bother him so much? So what if this mare had wasted away several days, painstakingly stitching together every last piece of fabric for six different outfits, without even asking for any sort of monetary compensation, only to have all of that _brutally stepped on and disregarded as if it was nothing, only for the ones responsible to somehow haggle five brand new outfits out of the mare, **who now had even less time to make them all?!**_

He respected Rarity. Perhaps even considered her a hesitant friend, not that he'd ever admit it. _That_ was why this was bothering him so much.

It just brought to mind his earlier concerns.

How was it that these dense mares were the Elements of Harmony, when they could hardly handle social interactions with each other?

"Not to worry girls, I'll redo them!" Rarity exclaimed, bringing Emerald out of his thoughts,

"Oh, Rarity. You don't have to do that, they're fine," Fluttershy weakly protested,

"No no!" the fashion mare continued, undeterred even while slowly taking down the dresses, "I want them to be better than 'fine'! I want you all to think they're perfect!"

"Are you sure?" Applejack asked skeptically, "I mean, we wouldn't want ta impose,"

"You already are," Emerald muttered, but he went unheard,

"Oh, it's no imposition," Rarity laughed, though it was obviously false, "Really, I insist," she added flatly, giving her friends a faux smile.

It seemed good enough to fool the apparently dense mares, as they began filing out of the room, each one wearing a semi-content grin,

"Well, in that case, thank you again Rarity!" Sparky announced, smiling brightly. Rarity just laughed at her thanks, though the laughter quickly died down after they left, leaving herself and Emerald alone.

They were silent for a moment, before Rarity turned to Emerald, looking lost,

"What did I get myself into?" she asked.

Emerald didn't know how to answer that.

* * *

Rarity had rushed back upstairs into her sewing room, looking distraught as she flailed around, already beginning to sew together who knows what, if the sounds he was hearing were right.

Emerald let out a disgruntled sigh.

Honestly, he could not understand those mares.

Crash, he might be able to understand, but Fluttershy at the very least?

How was it that none of those mares understood just how badly their words and thoughts hurt the high-society mare?

Then again, didn't Rarity put up a tough facade? Doesn't she always hold herself up highly, like the very ponies she hoped to be?

He supposed, like so many before her, that facade hid a soft, feeble shell that could only just withstand life's turmoils.

A tough exterior, with a soft, squishy inside.

_A mask to hide the pain._

He wondered.

_Was he the same?_

Did he have a hard mask that he wore without realizing?

_Or was he empty?_

He sighed. There was no point in getting all philosophical now. That mare, as much as she pretended otherwise, would not be able to finish all five dresses in a single day.

Six. _Six_ dresses he reminded himself.

After all, wasn't she apart of this whole 'fashion show' as well?

Speaking of, where was _her_ dress? He'd've thought she'd put that as a priority. In fact...

Hadn't she been working on something when he and Sparky had come by with the torn button?

Yes... yes. She had been. As a matter of fact...

Emerald starting looking around the room immediately, hunting for that familiar hint of colour. He ended up finding it a minute later, tucked away into the far corner of the room.

A single ponyquinn, with a single piece of magenta fabric laying on it's back, an entire box of fabric of the same colour, as well as dozens of other decorative appliques that would be applied to whatever Rarity had been trying to make. But what he was hunting for, sat right next to it, forgotten on a desk in lieu of Rarity's new project.

A single sketch, not even in colour. It depicted a single unicorn, wearing a dress that could only belong to royalty. While it lacked colour, that nearby fabric made it clear what it was meant to look like.

A single tiara sat on the head, likely adorned by rubies if the fabric was any indication. Around the pony's neck was a diamond necklace, specifically designed to look just like Rarity's cutie mark. It was held together in the front by a single, likely golden, button, and the shirt piece wrapped snugly around the pony's torso, coming out into large ruffles that puffed outward at the sleeves and neckline. The dress itself cascaded backwards in waves of fabric that folded over itself, lined intricately with ribbons and gems set into the fabric itself.

It was beautiful, even if it was nothing but a mere sketch that lacked the majesty it would likely have in reality.

But it would never see the light of day as it was. With the foolhardy decisions of those five taking priority in Rarity's mind, this dress would be left behind to gather dust.

Not only did this mare make six outfits, five of which were harshly rejected, but she had made them all free of charge.

Emerald grinned wickedly.

This would be a wonderful way of repaying the overly generous mare.

For no other reason than because he didn't like owing anybody anything.

No other reason at all.

_Nope._

* * *

Twilight was feeling giddy.

How could she not? While yesterday hadn't been the best of days, it seemed that Rarity hadn't taken their denial to heart.

That alone made Twilight's heart feel lighter. She'd admit. The first dresses Rarity made for them were pretty, yes, but she just wasn't satisfied with hers.

The dress Rarity made had been made for a pony who was much, _much_ better looking than her, in Twilight's mind. She didn't deserve a dress like that. She wasn't some model-esque mare like Fluttershy or Rarity. She wasn't an athlete like Applejack or Rainbow. She wasn't even as curvy as Pinkie.

No, all she had was her intelligence. Her dress had to reflect that.

But even though she had a direct hoof in making her dress this time around, she couldn't help but be nervous as Rarity ushered them into the room where the finals projects lay.

"Alright," was it just her, or did Rarity seem nervous too? "You girls can open your eyes now."

Twilight opened her eyes, and brightened immediately.

"Wow!"

"It's amazing!"

"Awesome!"

"The best duds I ever did see!"

"""""It's exactly what I asked for!"""""

"Oh thank you Rarity!" Twilight gushed, looking at the oddly tired looking mare, "They're absolutely perfect!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie gushed, "I can't wait for everypony in town to see them either!" Rarity smiled at the excitable mare, although it looked strained for some reason.

Twilight didn't really understand it too much, although it must've been because of the fashion show later that night.

She'd admit, the idea of going up on stage and showing off for everypony in town was absolutely nerve-wracking and, had it been just her, she would likely have been halfway to Canterlot by now, just to get out of it.

But she had her friends by her side. It might be scary or, in her case, absolutely terrifying, but as long as the girls, Spike, and Emerald were by her side, she knew that she could get through it, eventually.

Speaking of...

"Hey, where's Emerald?" she asked, "The fashion show is in ten minutes, isn't he coming to see our dresses?" Rarity shook her head,

"No. I even went by his house to ask him along, but he said he was working on something and couldn't make it," she said, "If only I could say the same," she added under her breath,

"Did you say somethin' Rarity?"

"Oh no, not at all!~"

Twilight frowned a little. It was a shame that Emerald wouldn't be able to see her new dress just yet, but if he was really working on something...

"Did he say what he was working on?" she asked, Rarity shook her head,

"Not even a peep," she said, before frowning, "I'm... actually a little worried. He left the Boutique yesterday in a hurry. It almost seemed like something was bothering him," she added, worried.

"Huh," Pinkie began, holding a hoof to her cheek, "Now that ya mention it... Emerald didn't come into work today,"

"He what?" Applejack cut in, looking surprised, "That ain't like 'im. He takes work really seriously. What in the hay could that colt be doin' that would keep 'im from workin'?"

"Who knows?" Twilight said, "But I guess we'll find out later."

The front door suddenly burst open, allowing a heavily panting Spike to stumble into the room,

"Girls! Girls! You won't believe who I just saw in Town Square!"

"Who was it, Spike?"

"Have any of you ever heard of Hoity Toity?" Rarity gasped,

"Who hasn't!?" she exclaimed, "He's only one of the biggest fashion critics in all of Equestria!" she gushed, only to freeze, suddenly looking... afraid? "A-are you saying that... that _he's_ in Ponyville... right now?" Spike nodded rapidly,

"Uh huh! Apparently he's here to try and find a new model. But not only that, but he's heard about your fashion show! Well, maybe I told him about it, but still!" he insisted, "He's coming here to watch! Isn't that amazing?!"

"It sure is Spike!" Applejack agreed looking back at Rarity, "If you can sell a bunch'a yer new dresses ta this guy, yer business would be boomin'!"

Rarity smiled, though Twilight couldn't help but feel like it was more of a grimace for some reason.

"Hoity Toity..." she breathed, "He's... he's coming here... to see... _these_ dresses?" she asked, Spike nodded,

"Yep! Get ready for all your dreams to come true!"

Was is just Twilight, or did it look like Rarity's eye was twitching?

A soft sigh escaped the lips of the room's sole occupant.

It had taken all day to prepare this. His hooves were a little sore from the constant maneuvering of the needle. He was glad his job didn't involve doing this very often, his hooves might not be able to take it.

His respect for earth pony tailors had risen dramatically in the process as well.

But now, it was done. It might not be exactly what Rarity had imagined, but he liked to think he'd gotten decently close.

Even if she didn't like it, she at least couldn't deny the effort in making this, rather complicated, dress in only fourteen hours.

Granted, this would come from a mare who could make six in only two days. And then another five in less than one.

Maybe she _could_ deny his efforts...

Oh well, he rarely ever sewed anyways. This was still pretty damn good by those standards. Now all he had to do was get this damned thing over to Carousel Boutique without anybody seeing the dress underneath the tarp.

No no. The first pony to lay eyes on _this_ was going to be Rarity. No exceptions.

Shouldn't be too hard, all things considered.

It's not like he'd have to deal with a group of annoying ponies pestering him all the way to Rarity's, right?

Well... he only partially jinxed himself.

He wasn't dealing with a group of annoying ponies who were pestering him every step of the way there.

No, instead he was dealing with _one_ annoying pony who was pestering him all the way to the Boutique.

He was an annoying little bastard. Looked the part too.

He had a dark gray coat that was immaculately trimmed and brushed, a clear indicator of the kind of lifetyle he had to live. Coupled with his light blue and white pompadour. He even wore what appeared to be a pair of sleeves on the ends of his hooves, as well as a bright white collar around his neck, and a pair of purple designer sunglasses.

From the look of him, he obviously didn't exercise much, if at all. Though he likely did eat rather healthy, if his thin body frame revealed anything.

Anyhow, the moron had been following him around ever since spotting him entering town, going on about how he was '_The One'_, and that he could be the '_Next Big Thing_' in fashion.

Emerald wasn't stupid. He was fully aware that this nuisance was the famous fashion critic, Hoity Toity, a stallion whose popularity was on par with that of famous photographer, Photo Finish.

"Ah, ah, ah! I know you're just playing hard to get Mr. Skies!" Toity proclaimed haughtily, "But know that I'll get you yet!" Emerald growled,

"Keep dreaming."

"Well, I must be off," the stallion continued, seemingly ignoring Emerald's words, "We'll have to continue this conversation later. I've been informed that there's a fashion show later tonight featuring an up and coming designer, and I'd like to give it a go."

Emerald idly nodded, barely catching what the stallion had said. It was only when he'd left that Emerald realized the implication of his words, and he shivered.

Great, he'd spent the better part of an hour refusing to be a model for that stallion, and now he learned that he was going to be one anyways, just for another pony.

Fan-fucking-tastic.

He sighed.

Rarity better love this dress, or else he might just pop a vein.

Everything was pretty much already set up, thankfully.

Lights, a walkway leading to a stage, even curtains were hung to hide the models before they walked out. All of it connected to the Boutique's front door, just waiting to be used.

How often did this happen that Rarity had all of this ready anyways?

Whatever. Not his business.

A crowd had already begun forming, and he could easily spot Toity's large mane-do from where he stood off to the side. Honestly, Emerald never really understood the fuss. He was a stallion who either praised or insulted models and what they wore.

Didn't everyone do that?

What made critics like him so special?

Regardless, Emerald marched onward towards the Boutique, not paying any mind to the ponies who he moved past, each one asking what was under the tarp he was dragging.

Not that he could blame them. He had tied his tail to the pole of the ponyquinn's stand. Combine that with a tarp, and he was certain he made a funny sight.

His eyes flickered up to the runway, spotting a familiar head of purple mane poking it's way from behind the curtains,

"Rarity!" he called, startling the mare, given the way she jumped. She turned, searching for the source of his voice, before her eyes locked onto him and brightened.

"Emerald!" she squealed, now beckoning him up to her, "Come, come!" she said before darting back behind the curtains.

He followed the panicked mare back into the Boutique, where he found her pacing back and forth, her mane and tail looking frayed. She glanced up when he entered, not bothering to question the tarp or the fact he was currently untying his tail from it,

"Thanks goodness you're here! Those dresses are absolutely terrible! My career is going to be ruined if they go out there tonight!" she screeched, her pacing speeding up, "Nopony in all of Equestria will want to buy my dresses!" she stopped, abruptly turning to face him, "But with you, at least, my business might not go under quite yet!" she said, her voice pitching, "I might have to stop making dresses entirely, but at least I'll be able to continue making suits! Haha!" she laughed, before leaning close to the ground, a haunted look crossing her face, "_I'm doomed._"

Emerald grimaced. He couldn't really imagine what was going through the mare's mind right now.

Well, other than a string of curses, but that might just be him.

"Are they really that bad?" he asked tentatively, Rarity just stared at him,

"Worse," she muttered. He narrowed his eyes. This was getting bad. But really, who else but the entirety of Ponyville, as well as some fashion critic, was going to see this train wreck?

"Is that the princess?!"

"Oh my gosh!"

"Look everypony!"

"Oh sweet Faust let that be a prank," Emerald muttered, horrified, even as both he and Rarity bolted out the door.

He stuck his head out through the curtain, just as Rarity's own head popped out from abov-

Was she standing on his back?

Yes, she was.

Whatever, back to the crowd.

Everyone was looking up excitedly as a familiar golden chariot swooped through the sky, serving to both awe the crowd, and freeze the blood of both the resident thestral and dressmaker.

""We're fucked,"" they chorused, so distracted that neither noticed the fashionista's choice of words.

The chariot landed gracefully just beyond the crowd, and, even with all the excited jumping around the crowd was doing, he could still see the princess's smiling face from her chariot, with a smaller figure wearing a hooded cloak sitting beside her.

"Both of them," Emerald muttered, just loud enough for Rarity to hear, if her gasp was any indication, "How the fuck did they hear ab-... Sparky," he concluded flatly, "Or Spike. One of the two, possibly both," he added, nodding idly. He pulled his head back and turned around, not bothering to shake Rarity off. She merely stood, stock still, even as Emerald entered the Boutique, subconsciously stooping down to keep her from hitting her head.

"Okay," he muttered, now falling into the same pacing route Rarity had been in earlier, "This changes things. I was perfectly fine just letting this whole thing crash and burn earlier, after all, the chances of this little show going past the town's borders were practically nil. Now, this is serious," he stopped, trailing off.

He needed to stop those mares from wearing those awful dresses. Letting them embarrass themselves in front of the crowd, filled to the brim with ponies they were familiar with, was one thing. But letting them embarrass themselves in front of the princesses and a newly gossip happy crowd?

Not so much.

"This... this ends _now._"

"Is it straight?"

"Mhm! It looks wonderful Fluttershy. I'm sure everypony will love it!"

Twilight smiled at her shy friend, even as she carefully readjusted her own gown. Dark purple, with about a dozen separate constellations and their representations. Coupled with the starry headband, she thought it looked... well, she supposed with was a bit odd, but she liked it as it was.

Fluttershy's cute little nest and flower necklace fit together, and it was made even better with the long green gown she wore.

"Yeah Fluttershy, you look fine," Rainbow said, "But look at me! I'm awesome!"

Indeed, although it looked more like a rainbow themed suit of armour than anything else.

"Yeah, yeah. Ya always think yer awesome," Applejack snarked from by the door. She adjusted her tall red hat, and even messed with the overalls she wore over her yellow and green striped dress. How she even managed with those galoshes was lost on Twilight.

"Well she's right, isn't she?" Pinkie asked innocently, bouncing on her hooves in time with the balloons tied to her tail. Even Twilight would admit, the balloons and cupcake hat were a bit unusual, but they at least worked with the green shirt and blue tutu she wore.

"Ya really shouldn't agree with everythin' she says, Pinkie," Applejack deadpanned, "Her ego's big enough as is. Honestly, I'm jus' surprised it ain't keepin' her on the ground," she said.

Twilight sighed and shook her head, but she smiled all the same.

These were her friends. She wouldn't trade them for the world.

The sound of the door opening broke through the semi-silence, causing the five mares to turn. Was the show starting?

Rather than Rarity, or even Spike, a familiar stallion stood in the doorway instead, with Rarity standing nervously behind him. Was something wrong?

"Emerald!" came a shout, followed by the pink pony it had come from, "Didja come here to look at our dresses?! Aren't they super?!" she asked excitedly.

Sapphire eyes gave her a once over, before their owner scowled.

"By and far," he began, his deep, deep tones laced with an unusual hint of venom, "those are the _ugliest things_ I've ever had the _misfortune of laying my eyes on._"

Rarity wasn't sure what she was expecting.

She envisioned Emerald being a rather kind stallion, even if he hid it behind a stern exterior. So, perhaps she had been anticipating him taking a stern, logical approach when addressing the issue with her friends.

Maybe a part of her thought he'd be a little understanding, given how generally nice he was towards them.

But _this_?

"Wh-what?"

"You heard me," he repeated, strutting past Pinkie without issue, "Those things are the ugliest dresses I've ever seen," he snarled, before he waved a hoof around, "I mean, look at you!" he turned and flicked the cupcake on Pinkie's head, "A cupcake? Balloons?" he sneered, "Please. The fact that any of you think these things are good is nothing more than your inexperience talking," he added.

"Wha-? Hey! Rarity worked real hard on all this, ya can't jus-!"

"I 'can't just' _what_, exactly?" he interrupted, rounding on the country mare, stalking towards her in a manner eerily similar to a predator, "'Insult her designs'? Is that what you were going to say? Because if so, you've already done that," he snapped, before taking a large step forward, stomping harshly on Applejack's galoshes, startling the mare into backing up, causing the hoofwear to slip off, "Galoshes?" he asked, before kicking it away with a scowl, "Practical, sure, but this is a fashion show, you idiot!" he growled, causing her to gasp, "You don't know the first thing about fashion, something I'm certain you're freely willing to admit, right?" he asked, before taking another step forward, forcing himself in her face when she didn't answer immediately, "_Right?_" it took a moment, but she finally nodded, which caused him to back away.

This was not what she was expecting at all.

"And you," he snapped, whirling to face Fluttershy, who cowered as he approached, "A bird's nest?" he asked, before forcefully pulling her closer, "And what's this around your neck? A flower? Pathetic," she whimpered as he let go, "Just look at you. You look like you walked into the Everfree and came out like that," he muttered, then turned to the other pegasus in the room, "And don't even get me started on what _you_ are wearing," he snarled, advancing towards Rainbow, "What the fuck is that even supposed to be? An awful dress? Or shoddy armour?"

"It's supposed to be cool, like me!" Rainbow answered, glaring at him, her eyes narrowing further when he laughed,

"Cool?" he asked, "Ha! You look like a little filly who's trying to play pretend! You might not look out of place in the Canterlot Guard, but here, when everyone knows you're just a little stuntmare? Please! Are you really willing to let _this_ image of a little filly playing dress-up muck your so-called 'reputation'?" He narrowed his eyes at the mare, who shrunk away from his fierce gaze, before he finally turned to the last mare.

"And then there's you," he stated, striding forcefully over to Twilight, "Really?" he asked, giving the stars on her head band a little swat, causing them to swing around, "This is what you wanted?" he asked, staking a firm step forward, forcing Twilight to take one back. He continued doing this, even as he spoke, "You denied the first dress, like the rest of these fools, for this? In what backwards reality do you have to live in to think that _this_ is better?" he asked, before stopping, and gestured with his hoof to the left toward a mirror he'd corralled Twilight next to, "Take a good long look at yourselves. All of you," he ordered, idly moving over to the nearby window, "And I want you to ask yourselves: 'Is _this_ what I want all of _them_ to see?'," he said, ripping the curtains away, revealing the by-now massive crowd all eagerly waiting down below.

He strode through the room, not bothering glance at any of the now sheepish looking mares, whose gazes were too busy roaming over their dresses to look at him anyways. He stopped next to the folding curtain on the other side of the room, before giving it a harsh kick, causing it to fold and crash lightly into the far wall. The very first dresses Rarity had made sat where the curtain had laid, as pristine as they had been the first time they saw them. Emerald turned towards the mares, looking resolute,

"I expect you to make the right decision," he stated, before finally walking back to the door, where he passed Rarity, "C'mon. You and I still need to get ready."

Well, that was harder than he'd thought it would be.

"Emerald, dear, was all that necessary?" Rarity asked. He supposed it was an example of her character that she'd worry about her friends more than the potential career ruining catastrophe that was standing outside.

"Yes," he stated simply, "But there's no point in arguing about it. You need to put on your dress," he said.

"My dress?" he heard her ask, before she gasped, "MY DRESS! I never got around to making mine!" she shrieked, "Goodness, I was so focused on making those fashion disasters that I completely forgot about my own ensemble!" Emerald fidgeted slightly,

"Uh... yeah. You forgot about it. I... didn't."

"What?" she asked, looking at him curiously. Emerald marched over to his still covered project, and sighed, before tugging the sheet off of the ponyquinn.

Rarity gasped, her hooves flying to her mouth.

She stared at the dress-no-the _masterpiece_ before her.

It was just like the dress she'd intended to make! Down to the last detail, even!

Wait... was _this_ is what he'd been working on for the past day!?

He'd spent an entire day of his own life, even forgoing his job just to make this for her! For HER!

Rarity couldn't hold in the squeal of excitement, though she'd later deny ever making such an unladylike sound. She immediately turned to the slightly nervous stallion, and all but launched herself at him, wrapping him up in her hooves in a hug that could put Pinkie to shame.

"H-hey!"

"Oh thankyouthankyouthankyou _soooo_ much!" the mare gushed, excitedly rubbing her cheek against his, "I can't believe you'd do this for little old me!"

"D-don't go getting the wrong idea!" Emerald stuttered, turning red at the unexpected affection, "I just don't like owing a-anybody!"

"Aww~ Is wittle Emerald embarwassed?~" she teased, only for the reddened thestral to pull out of the hug and all but jump away from her. His reaction only made her giggle, but she decided to relent.

For now.

"Thank you, Emerald," she said sincerely, smiling gently. The thestral narrowed his eyes at her for a moment, keeping watch for any sudden movement. Upon finding none, he nodded, relaxing,

"It's fine. Like I said, don't go getting the wrong idea. I did it because I felt like it, that's all," he repeated, looking away from her, steadfastly ignoring the twinge of heat he could feel on his cheeks,

"Oh~?" Rarity began, her tone lightening, "I thought it was because you didn't want to owe me anything?"

Rarity just laughed at his disgruntled expression.

* * *

"Dammit, how long are those mares going to take?" Emerald growled, pacing impatiently around the perimeter of the room,

"Now, now," Rarity tried gently, carefully straightening her tiara, "I'm sure the girls are almost ready," she continued calmly.

Of course, calm as she might seem, Rarity was likely the most nervous about the whole thing, unsurprisingly. After all, this was _her_ business on the line.

Still, the wait was a good sign, at least. It meant that the girls were still putting on their dresses, and, considering that they'd already been dressed when Emerald scolded them earlier, it was likely that they did make the right choice in putting on their old dresses.

Almost on cue, Emerald heard the sound of a door opening from upstairs, causing him to pause in his pacing and look up, the sudden movement catching Rarity's eye as well.

One by one, the sound of many hooves on wood echoed through the shop as the mares finally ventured out of that damned room.

"Took you lot long... enough..." he trailed off as the mares finally came into view.

Damn. If he thought Rarity had done a good job before...

But yes, they were perfect. Every last detail on each dress served to complement the mare wearing it in the most subtle of ways, but altogether it made the image so much different.

Though there were some differences altogether. For starters, Applejack had opted to braid her mane and tail, Crash had actually tied her mane into a ponytail similar to Applejack's, and Fluttershy seemed to have curled her mane, as well as woven some flowers into her hair.

Emerald himself had actually done something similar. Rather than just let his mane frame his face in a set of gentle spikes, he'd pulled the back end into a slim ponytail, with the band at the base of his skull rather than the ends like Crash or Applejack. Even Rarity had changed up the design a little, having put in, what were likely false, piercings in her ears, a sight that made the ear-conscious thestral shiver.

"Wow," Emerald breathed, "You all look grand," he admitted, his eyes roaming over each mare appreciatively, though it lingered on Sparky the longest.

She was blushing quite heavily, looking downward at the floor, even as she gently traced circles with her right hoof.

"You alright there, Sparky?" he asked, frowning slightly. She looked up, startled, before her face flushed a deeper red,

"Oh! N-no- I mean, yes! I'm fine," she stuttered, before suddenly taking a deep breath, and letting it out, "Yes," she repeated, "I'm fine," she looked up at him, "You look great, Emerald. And..." she fidgeted, "you were right."

"Yeah," Applejack cut in, "It took us a bit, but we figured ya'll were right. I mean, galoshes? What _was_ I thinkin'?" she asked, laughing good-naturedly,

"Yeah!" Pinkie interjected, "Cupcakes are super for eating! Not so much for wearing," she said, adding that last part dejectedly,

"Eh, I still think mine was pretty cool," Crash shrugged, but Emerald chose to ignore her.

"We're really sorry for making you go through all that trouble, Rarity," Fluttershy whimpered, "I just feel awful thinking about it."

"Girls!" Rarity cried, smiling brightly, before rushing forward, and practically dragging the five of them, six since Emerald somehow got included, into a large group hug.

"Ugh," he grunted as the mare's death grip forced him against Sparky, who was chuckling gently, "How do _you_ deal with this so often?" she laughed,

"You'll get used to it!"

The hug lasted for another minute, before Rarity finally let go, discreetly wiping away a tear or two, Emerald was sure.

"HELLO PONYVILLE!" came the amplified voice of the local drake,

"Oh! The shows starting!" Rarity squealed, "Everypony! To your places!"

"SINCE THE BEGINNING OF PONYKIND... THE ELITE OF EQUESTRIA HAS SEARCHED TIRELESSLY FOR PONY FASHIONS, THAT TRULY EXPRESS THE VERY ESSENCE OF THEIR SOUL!"

"Laying it on a bit thick, isn't he?"

""""""Shhhh!""""""

"PATIENTLY WAITING DECADES, NO, CENTURIES FOR THE PERFECT PONY GOWN!"

"Well, maybe,"

"""""_SHHHHH!_"""""

"Okay, okay! Sheesh,"

"TODAY, AT LONG LAST, EQUESTRIA, YOUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED! LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BREATHTAKING DESIGNS, OF PONYVILLE'S OWN... _RARITY!_"

The curtains practically shot open, the light blinding Emerald for a moment. Thankfully, Sparky and her friends had already begun trailing out onto the stage, so his faltering wasn't noticed.

First went Sparky, followed by Applejack, then Fluttershy, Crash, and Pinkie. Rarity stood back, as, apparently she was to be the last one, given that she was the designer.

Emerald strut out after Pinkie, holding his gaze forward.

"SAY HELLO TO OUR MODELS!" Spike called, "TWILIGHT SPARKLE! APPLEJACK! FLUTTERSHY! RAINBOW DASH! PINKIE PIE! ANNND EMERALD SKIES!"

The six of them marched onto the large found platform at the end of the runway, but there was still a single space in between him and Sparky,

"AND LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, THE DESIGNER OF THESE LOVELY DRESSES, RARITY HERSELF!" Spike called once more, Rarity appearing back at the curtains with a flourish of her mane. She practically glided out onto the runway, looking as confident as ever, until she slid into the space between Emerald and Sparky.

Now completely filled, the platform began to slowly spin around, giving the crowd a better look at the seven ponies on stage.

"Oh my, those dresses are marvelous!" Hoity Toity's posh voice cut through the crowd's cheerful murmuring easily, "These are by far the most beautiful dresses I've ever seen! Oh, and let's not forget that amazing suit! I dare say everypony in all of Canterlot will want one!"

Emerald gave a hidden smirk when he noticed Rarity struggling not to tear up in the corner of his eye.

While the crowd was distracted with their attire, Emerald allowed his eyes to roam, before they easily caught the familiar magenta of the solar co-ruler. She gave him a gentle smile that had him almost subconsciously puffing his chest out slightly, though it died down when his eyes met the twinkling set of teal just off to the side.

The lunar princess gave him an almost shy wave, which he returned with a simple nod and a satisfied smirk.

This was a job well done, it seemed.

* * *

"You were all _wonderful!_" came the cheerful cry as the, admittedly large, mare strode into the mare's dressing room,

"Indeed. We-_I_ was most amazed by your designs, Lady Rarity."

""""""Princess Celestia?! Princess Luna?!""""""

"Wh-what are you two doing here?!" Twilight asked, perhaps a bit too loudly, which she likely noticed since her cheeks reddened. Celestia merely giggled at her student's reaction,

"Why, my sister and I came to see the show, of course."

"Yes, young Spike was most insistent that we come," Luna added, giving a small, almost mischievous, smile, "T'was most serious, he claimed."

"Spike!" Twilight hissed under her breath, planning on scolding the young drake later. Probably confiscate his rubies too, while she was at it.

"I'm so glad you liked my designs!" Rarity gushed, bowing low to the ground,

"There's no need to bow, Rarity," Celestia gently admonished, "And how could I not? It must've taken you several days to make such wonderful dresses,"

Celestia's serene smile fell a little when she noticed the nervous, and guilty, glances her student and her friends sent each other,

"Is something the matter?"

"Well, see, the thing is Yer Highness, well..."

"We kinda messed up," Rainbow admitted. That caught her interest, but her sister spoke up before her,

"How so?"

"Well..." Twilight began, "Rarity made these dresses for us," she said, gently putting a hoof to the star band around her neck, "But, the problem was... none of us liked them," Celestia's brows rose in surprise.

Not like them? That was... hard to believe given how nice they looked. Even harder to believe, since they all seemed to like them so much now.

"I get the feeling that's not all, Twilight," the solar princess prodded gently, earning an embarrassed nod from the purple unicorn,

"Well, even though Rarity made these super nice dresses for us, and Emerald's amazing suit, he was the only one who was really happy with his," Pinkie explained rapidly, "And we were all sad 'cause we all had these ideas for our dresses and these looked nothing like them so Rarity said she'd make us brand new dresses!"

"A-and, um... our ideas weren't very... good," Fluttershy squeaked. Luna raised an eyebrow,

"Nonsense," she disagreed, "Though you may not be dressmakers like Lady Rarity, I am sure you're ideas were not bad in any way," she argued, before straightening herself, "Show them to us," she ordered, before deflating slightly, her cheeks darkening a shade, "Please."

Celestia noticed Rarity grimace, but she nodded, her horn lighting up, just as a curtain by the far wall lit up the same hue, and was drawn aside.

The royal sisters blinked at the sight of the... dresses?...

"Well... they're certainly... _unique_?" Celestia tried, smiling weakly,

"Those are atrocious," Luna stated flatly, earning a discreet magic swat to the back of the head from her elder sister, though she was unfazed.

"Well... appearances aside," Celestia began, not so subtly pushing the subject aside, even as Rarity covered the abominations back up, "since you're wearing those dresses now, I take it something happened?" Twilight nodded,

"Yes. Emerald talked, or rather, insulted some sense into us," she said, causing both sisters to perk up.

Emerald helped them?

Wait... insulted?

"What do you mean?" Luna asked, hiding a smirk,

"Well... he sorta jus'... strolled right in an' started beratin' us on our designs. Told us our designs were terrible an' that we were bein' stupid. He kinda made us think everythin' over. Made us wonder if we actually wanted ta been seen in those dresses," Applejack said. Celestia nodded, before giving the six mares a gentle smile,

"Well, regardless, it certainly sounds like an important lesson was learned here, isn't that right, Luna?"

"Indeed so, sister," she said, "What say you, Twilight Sparkle?" the question caused all focus to shift onto the short mare, who shifted nervously at all the attention. She took a deep breath, before speaking in a confident tone,

"Well... today I learned that if you try to please everypony, then you'll likely end up pleasing nopony, not even yourself," she began, "And not only that, but I also learned that if somepony offers you a favour, like making you a beautiful dress," she smiled at Rarity, "you shouldn't be overly critical of something given to you. In other words, you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Rarity helped me learn that," she giggled, before her eyes traveled upward in thought, "... I also learned another thing. When somepony makes a decision that could end up hurting them or somepony else, sometimes it's necessary to be a little mean, rather than try and settle things gently. A firm hoof, or even some firm words, can be enough to set somepony straight without hurting anypony. Emerald taught me that," she said sagely, giving a gentle nod to herself, as if confirming a thought.

Celestia nodded, smiling brightly,

"What wonderful things to learn, Twilight," she said, "I hope you take those lessons to heart."

"I will," her student replied resolutely. They lapsed into a comfortable silence for a moment, before Luna suddenly spoke up,

"Where is Sir Emerald anyhow?" she asked, looking around curiously, "I would've thought he'd be around here, given that the show ended not too long ago."

Luna's question got the rest of the mares thinking. Where _was_ Emerald?

"I've told you a hundred times, Toity! _I WILL NOT BE A MODEL FOR YOU!_"

The sudden shout caught their attention, and the eight mares all looked out the nearest window, just in time to spot the familiar green stallion, no longer clad in his suit, being chased by the fashion critic.

"Come now! There's no need to play hard to get! You could be a star!"

"I said, _NO_!"

The sight of their green friend's misfortune sparked an intense giggling storm in the dressing room of the Carousel Boutique, where even the high and mighty princesses looked like nothing more than harmless fillies having fun.


	15. A Series of Pinkie Related Events

"You gotta be faster if you wanna catch me, Big Sis Trixie!" the small filly shouted out gleefully, crouching low in the tall grass in an effort to hide herself. Her larger counterpart smirked,

"Faster, eh? Hope you don't regret it!" she called, accepting the little filly's challenge, before darting after the smaller pony, whose size allowed her to slip underneath the taller's legs.

Mere feet away from their playground, a silent stalker approached.

It crept, low to the ground, allowing the grass to act as near perfect camouflage. These two ponies were completely oblivious to the predator's presence, too focused on their little game to pay it any mind.

It crept closer, before freezing and crouching low, just as the younger filly dashed in front of it, followed immediately by the larger unicorn, both laughing gleefully.

The predator narrowed its eyes, quickly slinking after its prey.

"I've got you now, Wisp!" the bigger pony claimed, standing triumphantly over her smaller playmate, who had managed to corner herself between her pursuer and a tree. The mini mare looked around, desperately searching for a way out, but found none,

"Aww..." she moaned, before her eyes locked onto a figure beside her elder sibling, and widened comically.

"Look out!"

"Wha- AGH!"

The figure took its chance, pouncing atop the bigger pony, forcing her to the ground,

"Gotcha, Trix!" Emerald shouted smugly, sitting atop his sister's slightly smaller frame, smirking victoriously down at her disgruntled form,

"Yeah, yeah. Ya got me."

"Don't worry Big Sis Trixie! I'll save you!" came a cute shout, before a small weight crashed into Emerald's side, not even causing him to flinch. He smirked, before letting himself fall to the side, Wisp's musical giggling rang throughout the grassy clearing they'd found behind the house.

Located a little bit into the Whitetail Woods, the clearing he'd spotted during his patrol last night was perfect for them. With grass that reached just under his chest, Wisp had deemed it the perfect place to play Hide 'n' Seek Tag with Trixie, before he'd decided to join them.

He might be a little late for work, but that was fine.

"I win!" Wisp chirped, sitting proudly on her brother's side, who merely rolled his eyes at her cheery demeanor,

"Alright, you win," he muttered, hearing Trixie laugh at his lame reply.

"Yeah, now little miss winner has to go to school," Trixie added, smirking as Wisp's expression fell,

"Aw, do I have-"

""Yes,"" her elder siblings replied, cutting off her question without issue, making her puff her cheeks out in a pout,

"Fine..." she muttered, wandering back to the house, where her saddlebag and lunch sat on the front step.

Emerald and Trixie shared a look, before they both chuckled and began following after their little sister.

"So, you had any luck finding a job in town?" the stallion asked, the unicorn shook her head, before abruptly nodding,

"Sort of," she said, frowning slightly, "There's some cafe, called The Shining Leaf, who are willing to give me an interview this afternoon," her frown deepened, "Though, I'm not too sure I'll go, considering the look the owner kept giving me," her frown turned into a sneer, "Bastard couldn't keep his eyes off my flank," she added, sending a glance back at the body part in question, "How do you deal with mares starin' after _you_ all the time?" she asked, returning her attention to her brother. Emerald scoffed, his eyes idly glancing off the sign as they entered Ponyville,

"Please, as if I'd care what a bunch of ignorant, shallow morons think of me," he said, before smirking, "Besides, I'm quite proud of the body I have. So what if others want to take a look?" he asked, "I'm not ashamed of what I've got," Trixie grinned,

"What about Twilight, then?" she asked, Emerald frowned,

"What about her?" Trixie snorted,

"C'mon, I know you've seen the looks she sends you. Somebody's got a crush on you.~" she sang, Emerald snarled,

"As if," he growled, "You know as well as I do that she's never had a male friend before. Not only that, but she's an awkward social dunce," he deadpanned, "She doesn't know how to act around me," he suddenly smirked, "Like with you and cinnamon rolls. No restraint," he added. The mare beside him sputtered, turning a bright red,

"Wh-why you little-!" she snapped, before huffing and turning away, "Oh yeah?" she challenged, "What about you and your truffles?"

"_That's a family recipe, dammit!_" Emerald defended hotly, "_Of course I act that way!_" he added when Trixie started laughing at him. He growled at her, though it contained no real heat, "Whatever," he added, "Just... go and try to find a job that doesn't make you feel like a prostitute... if you can," he said, adding that last part with a smirk, which caused Trixie's laughter to stop, instead being replaced by a heated glare.

Trixie huffed, but smiled,

"Whatever you say, Em," she said, before freezing, her gaze directed somewhere to Emerald's right, "Uhh... what's Pinkie doing?" she asked, pointing,

"Being Pinkie," he replied automatically, before he turned to see where Trixie was pointing, only to freeze as well. The normally happy mare was nowhere in sight. Instead, a nervous looking Pinkie was spotted ducking underneath a table, wearing a rainbow umbrella hat, "Er... extra Pinkie, that is," he amended, confused.

Just what _was_ that mare doing? Emerald and Trixie watched on as Pinkie continued darting underneath just about anything. A table, another pony, a food cart, even a damn rock!

"Uhh... yeah, I'm not dealing with that," Trixie stated, already beginning to walk away, "Have fun, Em!~"

Emerald growled at his sister's retreating form, before sighing.

Honestly, he couldn't really blame her for getting away. He'd've done the same if Pinkie wasn't his responsibility.

Emerald, finally having enough, started waltzing over to the odd mare, who was busy patting her tail with a wary look on her face, when he spotted Sparky and the hatchling doing much the same, oddly enough.

"Pinkie," Emerald began, startling the mare, who whirled to face him, as if expecting something to attack, "Dear stars, what are you doing?"

"I'd like to know as well," Sparky interjected before she could speak, "All your darting around is distracting me and Spike!"

"Well it's my tail!" Pinkie answered, spinning around and stuffing her tail into Sparky's face, "It's a twitch-a-twitchin'! And you know what that means!" the mare said.

Sparky swat the candy coloured tail out of her face, looking confused,

"Uh, actually Pinkie, I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about."

"Same," Emerald replied.

"Really?" Pinkie asked, looking surprised, causing her two friends to nod, "Huh... well, when my tail starts twitchin' it means my Pinkie Sense is acting up! It's telling me that stuffs gonna start falling real soon!" she explained, before throwing her two friends worried looks, "You two should find some cover, quickly!" she warned. Sparky scoffed in response, with Emerald being tempted to do the same,

"Please, Pinkie," the studious mare replied, "It's not gonna rain today. There isn't a cloud in the sky!" she said, gesturing upwards to the spotless expanse of blue, "I don't know what this whole 'Pinkie Sense' is, but-"

**_*RIBBIT*_**

Sparky was abruptly cut off as a frog of all things suddenly landed on her face, simultaneously shutting her up, as well as getting Emerald to snicker.

"Nice catch!" Pinkie said cheerfully, hardly even reacting to the sudden frog.

Emerald couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry, Twilight," a familiar voice suddenly spoke up from above. Emerald ceased his laughter, and glanced upwards, finding Fluttershy laden with numerous frogs, just like the one that introduced itself to Sparky's face, "I just couldn't stand to see the pond getting so overcrowded, so I thought I could move some of the frogs to Froggy Bottom Bog," the mare explained, looking apologetic.

"Of course you did," Sparky muttered sarcastically, glaring at the frog still latched onto her cheek,

"Well, I guess I'll see you all later... bye bye!" Fluttershy called, flying off towards the forest.

"Hey, Twilight?" Pinkie asked, catching their attention, "You got a little something on your face," she pointed out, causing Emerald to snort. Sparky, however, remained unamused,

"Oh really?" she asked sarcastically, "What, did your 'Pinkie Sense' tell you that, too?" she asked, smirking. Pinkie shook her head,

"Nah, I can just see it," the mare answered obliviously, before bouncing away, humming to herself.

"Well, that was interesting," Emerald said, snickering as the frog finally decided to hop away,

"Yeah, interesting," Sparky muttered, wiping her cheek, "C'mon Spike, let's head somewhere where we won't be bothered," she said, walking off, with the little drake hobbling after her. Finding nothing else to do and figuring that if Pinkie wasn't at the store then he didn't need to be either, Emerald shrugged and followed after her.

"Any idea what all that was about?" he asked once he caught up with the mare. She shook her head,

"Just Pinkie being Pinkie, I suppose," she said, before glancing at him, "Well... extra Pinkie, at least," Emerald nodded at the words,

"Yeah, but it was amazing, wasn't it?!" Spike asked excitedly, sitting atop Sparky's back, "I mean, she predicted something would fall, and it did!" Emerald nodded at the drake's words. He'd seen some weird stuff in his life, so Pinkie being a little clairvoyant wouldn't be too big a pill to swallow. Sparky, however, disagreed,

"Oh please, Spike. It was nothing but an honest coincidence," Sparky argued firmly. Emerald shrugged,

"Who knows," he began, smirking when Sparky's eye twitch, "There are just some things in this world that refuse to be explained. Pinkie just might be one of 'em,"

As if summoned by those words, Pinkie suddenly zoomed in front of them, jumping up and down, screaming in a panicked voice,

"My tail! It'sa twitch'a'twitchin' again! Something else is gonna fall!" she warned, looking up fearfully.

"... Pinkie," Sparky sighed, "Nothing else is gonn- agh!" she said, only to get cut off as she fell into a nearby ditch, landing face-first into the dirt. Emerald snorted, wondering how the hay she missed that.

"Have a nice trip there, Sparky?" he asked, peering down the two foot drop, only for Sparky to press her nose against his,

"Ha ha. Very funny, Emerald," she deadpanned, leaning up against the side of the ditch, he merely smirked,

"You 'fell' into a ditch," Emerald began, pushing against her slightly, "It's like Pinkie predicted it, eh?" he asked.

"Is anything else gonna fall?" the drake asked from behind, only for Pinkie to giggle in response,

"Nah, my tail stopped twitchin'. Everything's fine now," she replied, trotting away, once again singing to herself. Sparky growled, her nose still pressed against Emerald's, though her cheeks were a bit red,

"Two coincidences in a row might be _unlikely_," she stressed the word, "but it's possible," she defended.

"Uh, Twilight?" came a familiar accented voice from behind, causing Emerald to finally lean away, "Why are ya hangin' out in a ditch?"

"Pinkie predicted it," Emerald answered, smirking down at the lavender mare, who was currently struggling to climb out, "Said her tail was twitchin',"

"Twitchy tail?!" Applejack asked, her voice taking on a noticeable quiver, "Pinkie Sense?!" she added, before darting underneath the nearby veggie cart, looking up fearfully.

Emerald raised an eyebrow at her behavior. For the lone words, 'tail' and 'twitching' to elicit that response, it had to be a relatively common occurrence, which only led credit to Pinkie's unusual claim.

Not that it wasn't already credible. Emerald knew Pinkie wasn't the kind of pony to outright lie like that.

Besides, her acting was shit. She was too hyper to be consistently pretending like that.

"Her tail stopped twitching," Emerald replied, causing Applejack to look at him, relieved, "The only thing that fell, was Sparky,"

"Oh no," Sparky said, finally climbing out, "Don't tell me _you_ believe that nonsense too?" she asked, exasperated. Applejack shook her head, crawling out from under the cart,

"Look sugarcube, I know it don't make much sense, but everypony in town knows when Pinkie's tail starts twitchin', ya better find cover,"

Once more, as if called by some unforeseen source, Pinkie reappeared, looking worried once more,

"My ears are floppy! My nose is wiggly too!" Spike lurched away, looking afraid,

"Wh-what do those mean?!" Pinkie just smiled and looked at Emerald,

"Nice save!" she said, confusing the ponies and thestral present.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked. His ear twitched, and he immediately pulled Sparky away from a nearby puddle, just as some donkey pulling a cart ran by, splashing mud right where Sparky had been standing. Emerald narrowed his eyes at the puddle, before turning back to Pinkie,

"Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, and thrice is confirmation," he said, raising an eyebrow at her, "By the _sun_, how'd you get that power?" he asked, tilted his head curiously. Pinkie just shrugged,

"I dunno. I've just been able to do it since... well ever," she said simply.

"Really, Emerald?" Sparky asked, gently pulling away from him, "You believe this... special power nonsense too?" she asked, before frowning, "What's it even supposed to be anyways?" she asked, looking back at Pinkie with a raised brow.

"Well..." the party mare began, tapping her chin, "It's really just a bunch if itty bitty feelings I get that tell me something," she said, "Like when my back gets itchy, that means it's my lucky day! Or when my knee gets pinchy, something scary's about to happen!" Sparky frowned,

"Sounds like just a load of mumbo-jumbo to me," Pinkie sneered slightly,

"Oh yeah? Well, you do magic. What's the difference?" she challenged,

"Uh, very!" Sparky replied hotly, "Magic is something you study, and practice! It only happens when you decide to do it! And it's meant to make something specific, that you choose to happen, happen! With you... it makes no sense!" she cried.

"That is _SOO_ not true, Twilight!" Pinkie defended, narrowing her eyes, before suddenly smiling, "Sometimes it's a _bunch_ of little things happening to my body at the same time that supposedly predict the future!" she said happily, "I call 'em combos!"

"Combos?" Sparky asked, already walking away,

"Yep!" Pinkie answered, following after the studious mare. Emerald and Applejack shared a glance,

"Well, uh... you all have fun. I gotta head back ta the farm. We got a new cellar we gotta fill up," Applejack said, walking off,

"I get combos like... oh! Ear flop, knee twitch, eye flutter!" she said, "That usually means the sky's going to be graced with a beautiful rainbow!" she claimed.

He'd have to remember that one.

"Pinkie, you can't predict the future," Sparky argued again, "It's unscientific. Besides, anypony can predict when a rainbow's going to happen. The weather station tells everypony," she added. Emerald smirked, and made his way to the bookworm's side,

"I dunno, Sparky," he said, causing her to look at him with a raised brow, "Just because it's not explainable, doesn't mean it's not possible. Some things just aren't meant to be understood," Sparky shook her head in disbelief as they approached the library,

"Yeah right," she said, frowning, "There isn't a single thing in the whole world that can't be explained through science or some other method that can be proved," she said.

"Uh oh," Pinkie suddenly muttered, freezing in place, "I feel a combo coming on!... Ear flop, eye flutter, knee twitch!"

Emerald frowned, looking up. A rainbow? Now? It hasn't rained for three-

**_*SLAM*_**

Emerald darted his gaze back to Sparky. Except, she wasn't there anymore. Instead, Spike was backing out of the library, holding a stack of books in claw. Emerald frowned, but it quickly turned into a smirk when the door swung back around, revealing a squished looking Sparky stuck to the back of the door.

"I though you said that meant a rainbow was gonna appear?" she asked, her voice strained, before she popped off the door and fell.

"Oh no, you're thinking of an ear flop, then knee twitch, then an eye flutter! This one was ear flop, _then_ eye flutter, _then_ knee twitch!" Pinkie explained happily, oblivious to the growl the unicorn gave, "That means 'look out for opening doors'. You okay?" Sparky groaned and stood up, rubbing her head,

"I... I don't believe this," she muttered, only for Pinkie to get in her face,

"You only don't believe because you don't understand!" she argued.

Rather than argue back, Sparky instead gained an interesting glint in her eye. One that Emerald knew was going to lead to trouble.

* * *

"Isn't this a bit much?" the disguised thestral asked his purple companion, leaning against the wall as he did so.

Sparky had asked Pinkie to accompany her down to the library basement, where she planned to do some tests on Pinkie and her 'Pinkie Sense'.

As it was, the naive mare had agreed and followed the obsessive mare downstairs, where she was now being strapped to an unusual machine.

Emerald almost laughed at the suddenly scared look on the pink pony's face once Sparky locked Pinkie's hooves into place.

"Alright, now, once we get another twitch, we'll have all kinds of scientific information!" Sparky exclaimed happily, trotting over to the machine, seemingly ignoring Emerald's inquiry.

"Okie dokie lokie!"

Emerald rolled his eyes at the mare's response, but otherwise didn't move.

The three of them sat in silence, the only sounds being made coming from the machine Pinkie had been strapped too.

About ten minutes had passed, with Sparky looking anxious, before she finally broke the silence,

"Any twitches yet?"

"Nopie dopie!" came the happy mare's reply, causing Sparky to frown. She looked down at the bin, which was slowly filling with graphs from the machine,

"How about now? Anything?" she asked. Pinkie was silent for a moment, before shaking her head,

"Nope!" she said, before freezing, "Wait!... Nope," she finished a moment later, smiling.

"Oh you've gotta be kidding me," Sparky sighed, exasperated, "A whole hour of nonstop twitches, but now that I've got you hooked up, you're getting nothing!?" Pinkie shrugged,

"I don't control it. They just come and go."

"That makes no sense!" Sparky countered hotly.

"Well, sometimes you've just gotta believe in something, even if you don't understand it," Emerald interjected sagely. Sparky rounded om him,

"I will _not_ believe in anything that I can't explain!" she snapped. Emerald sneered,

"That's rather narrow-minded of you, don't you think?" Sparky narrowed her eyes at him, but before she could respond, Pinkie interrupted,

"Wait! I'm feeling something coming!" she cried. Sparky turned back to her, the argument forgotten,

"Really?! What is it?! What's happening?!" she questioned excitedly, eagerly looking back and forth between Pinkie and the machine.

A moment passed, before Pinkie's stomach suddenly growled.

"Oh! It's my tummy, that usually means I'm hungry!" she said. Emerald laughed at her exclamation, falling onto his side, even as Sparky just growled angrily,

"Agh! You know what?!" she yelled, before tearing away the wires connecting Pinkie to the machine, "I don't need to understand it! I don't need to know if this is real! I don't even _care_!" she snapped, beginning to stomp up the stairs.

Emerald, having calmed his own laughter, merely followed after, occasionally snickering, even as Pinkie bounced past him and Sparky.

Not even a minute later, Pinkie suddenly froze in front of the door,

"Uh oh. Ear flop, eye flutter, knee twitch!" she gasped. It took him a second, but Emerald recognized the sequence, and jumped back from the door.

Sparky, however, seemed to have either forgotten, or was too busy moping to realize Pinkie's twitch, just in time for the door to suddenly slam back open, crushing her between it and the wall.

"Hey Pinkie, Emerald," Spike greeted, before looking around, "Have either of you guys seen Twilight?"

Emerald just laughed as he passed the drake, not even bothering to answer him.

"Please tell me you didn't plan that," he told the bouncing mare beside him,

"Plan what?" she asked, pausing her bouncing to open the door. He just grinned at her,

"Oh nothing," he answered, walking out, grinning all the while, "Nothing _at all_.~"

* * *

Emerald and Pinkie had ended up going their separate ways a few minutes after leaving Sparky's abode.

At least, that had been the plan, had he not spotted Sparky, now wearing a pith helmet and binoculars, sneak outside, following after Pinkie.

Instead, he rolled his eyes and followed along as well.

He found the two of them at the Ponyville Park, with Pinkie happily bouncing around the fountain, occasionally stopping to smell a flower or two.

Sparky, however, was hiding in a nearby bush, peeking out now and again to peer at Pinkie with her binoculars.

Emerald decided to approach.

"Whatcha doin', Sparky?" he asked, appearing behind the sneaky mare, who was too busy writing in a notepad to notice his purposefully obvious approach. She yelped and jumped a good three feet into the air, before grabbing onto him and pulling him behind the bush with her.

"Honestly, Emerald!" she whisper scolded him, "Don't you know not to sneak up on ponies?!" she demanded. He smirked,

"The only one sneaking here, is you," he replied, peering up over the bush at Pinkie. Sparky gasped, before pushing him to the ground.

She landed atop him, her hooves out to the side. Emerald inwardly smirked, taking full notice of the position she unwittingly put them in.

"I am _not_!" she whispered hotly, before getting off of him and all but hopping into the bush, "I am doing scientific research!" she claimed. Emerald rolled his eyes, and joined her in the leafy cocoon.

"On Pinkie?" he asked. Sparky backed away from the hole she'd made in the bush. The small space they'd made inside the bush was too small for their size, meaning that when she turned to face him, their noses, once again, were pressed against each other.

"Yes, on Pinkie," she huffed. Her breath smelled like tea for some reason, "Scientific name, '_Pinkius Pieucus_'," she stated, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Really?" he asked, smirking at her,

"Yes!" she said, glancing outside the bush, before turning back to him, the friction against his nose making him twitch, "There's something fishy going on with this whole 'twitchin' tail' business," she said, pushing him back as she leaned forward, unaware that their lips were only inches apart, "And I am going to get to the bottom of it!" she proclaimed, before finally backing off.

She stuck her head out of the bush and gasped,

"Come on!" she said, standing up, unwittingly pressing her tail against his face, causing the smell of blueberries to pass over his face, likely her shampoo, "_Pinkius Pieucus_ is on the move!" she called, marching off towards the mare, leaving Emerald just sitting there, now exposed to the world.

He laughed at her antics, but stood up and followed dutifully after her.

He'd have _so_ much teasing material once this was over.

If he bothered to remember, of course.

"Is this really a good idea?" Emerald couldn't help but ask, even as he jotted down some notes for Sparky, who had foisted that job upon him.

The two of them, three if Pinkie was counted, had migrated over to the Ponyville Schoolhouse, where Pinkie was gleefully rolling around in the grass, for some reason or another.

As it was, he and Sparky remained 'hidden' behind the very same bush from before, with Sparky leaning out, peering at Pinkie with her binoculars, occasionally muttering.

His question went ignored as Sparky suddenly stiffened,

"Itchy nose," she called, with Emerald moving to write down her observation, "Hold on... ha!" she exclaimed, lowering her binoculars and looking back at him, smugly, "That doesn't make sense! She's hiding like something's about to fall from the sky, but that's what twitchy tail means, not an itchy nose!" she said, smugly grinning.

Emerald, curious, poked his own head out to check.

Indeed, Pinkie had taken cover underneath a large horseshoe, and was fearfully looking up at the sky.

... Wait... no. She wasn't looking at the sky. Her gaze was focused on one particular spot in the sky, which was steadily getting bigger.

In fact, the little spot looked like...

"Shit. Bees," Emerald muttered, diving into the bush.

"What are you doing?" Sparky asked, peering at him curiously, unaware of the incoming swarm.

"I'd hide if I was you," he muttered.

"What?" she asked, before standing back up to check. Her pupils dilated at the sight of the swarm, "AAHH!" she screeched, before bolting away, with the swarm eagerly following after.

Emerald sighed from within the bush, inwardly praying she wasn't allergic to bee stings.

* * *

"Now what's she doing?" Emerald asked idly, laying on his back as he doodled on the notepad.

It had been about an hour since Sparky had been swarmed, and, after a quick break for some medical attention, courtesy of Emerald, they were back to 'Pinkie Watch', as he dubbed it, only now they were by the barn at Sweet Apple Acres.

"Smelling a flower," Sparky answered, Emerald scoffed,

"Wonder what _that_ means," he muttered sarcastically,

"Probably that the flower smells good," she replied, before leaning forward, "Wait... I'm getting something. Ear flop... eye flutter... knee twitch!... Wait, that sounds familiar..."

Emerald perked up, eyeing the barn door warily,

"That's the one that means 'look out for opening doors', right?" he asked, gently rolling away from the barn door. Sparky scoff when she noticed this,

"Wow, you really believe that, don't you?" she asked, before smugly leaning against the very door he scooted away from, "Look. See? Nothing is happening," she said, before hopping back down, and walking around the hay stack they'd hidden behind, "C'mon, Pinkie's leav-_IIIINNNNG_!"

Emerald watched on, torn between amusement and worry as Sparky, who was, yet again, not paying attention, ended up walking straight into an open doorway that led downward, likely the cellar Applejack had mentioned earlier.

Emerald winced slightly with every loud thud, each accompanied by a pained 'OW!', as she unwillingly descended. Finally, she stopped, but it wasn't over.

"Oh, howdy Twilight!" came Applejack's voice from down below, "Didja come by ta see the new cellar?"

* * *

Emerald smirked as he gently pushed Sparky into a sitting position. Thankfully the damage was limited to some minor soreness, but at the moment it was enough to limit her movement.

Sparky sighed angrily, grunting as she lifted her binoculars back into position,

"Ugh, take this down," she ordered tiredly, "... Twitchy tail," she muttered, before leaning forward a bit, "And wiggly nose."

Emerald paused, before looking up, noticing a moving chariot above them.

"Twitchy tail meant something was gonna fall, right?" she asked, "But... what was wiggly nose again?" she asked, before she felt Emerald grab her by the shoulder and pull her away from her hiding spot roughly. She hit the ground rather hard, but just before she could scold him for interrupting her, a small crash alerted her to the potted plant that had nearly collided with her skull.

An anvil followed after, landing directly atop the plant. Suddenly a wagon filled with hay fell and crashed into the same spot, followed almost immediately by a _piano_ of all things.

Twilight winced with every resounding crash, adding a note to thank Emerald profusely with each one.

On the bright side. She remembered that wiggly nose meant that Emerald saved her.

"... Thank you," she muttered, falling onto her back, closing her eyes as she debated just going to sleep. She heard Emerald chuckle above her, which prompted one eye to open, finding him grinning down at her.

"Had enough, Sparky?" he asked cheekily, his breath washing over her downed form, even as his, admittedly long, mane spilled over him, lightly tickling her face.

His breath smelled like apples.

She narrowed her eyes at him, something that seemed to make his grin wider if anything. She huffed slightly, watching as her breath pushed around some of his fur.

She didn't understand. All of these... things Pinkie was 'predicting'. Every single time her 'Pinkie Sense' acted up, something happened. And it seemed consistent too. Every twitch and combo did exactly what she said it would, and always around the same time.

Was she wrong?

Was this... Pinkie Sense of hers actually real?

Emerald certainly seemed to think so, and, from her reaction, Applejack did too. So... maybe they were right?

Maybe Pinkie was just... unexplainable?

Her head hurt just thinking about it.

"You alright, Twilight?" Emerald asked. The sudden use of her name stunned Twilight, and she redirected her focus back onto him instantly.

His eyebrows were furrowed, and his eyes were roaming her face quickly, taking in every single detail he could.

It made her blush, a little. She'd never had anypony paying _this_ much attention to her before. Sure she had teachers and tutors who kept their focus on her, but they tended to divert their focus to something else before too long.

But it seemed Emerald wasn't. He was still looking at her, waiting for a response.

_Why?_ she asked herself, _Why is he paying so much attention to me?_

All day he'd followed along with her. And she remembered during the whole ticket fiasco as well. He never left her side, back then or right now.

A strange warmth blossomed in her chest at the thought.

He really hadn't left her side all day. He was always there.

Her mind wandered back to earlier today. When she first started stal-_researching_ Pinkie, he had been there. Her nose twitched slightly at the memory of the two of them in the bush. It hadn't occurred to her then, or even before, that their noses had been touching almost the whole time. Her lips even tingled slightly when she remembered how close she had gotten to him during her fervorous ranting in the bush.

"Twilight? Seriously, is everything alright?" she heard him ask once more, his tone now carrying a very worried tint, "I didn't pull you down too hard, did I?" It took a moment, but she finally found her voice,

"Oh, uh... n-no, I'm fine," she said, trying to sit up. Her back ached fiercely, still sore from her impromptu trip into Applejack's cellar. A gentle hoof found its way to her back, pushing her onto her hind legs.

"You sure about that, Sparky?" Emerald asked, his worried tone vanishing slightly with the return of the nickname. She nodded quickly, perhaps a bit too quickly though, since her neck started aching as well.

Emerald frowned slightly at Sparky's behavior. She seemed... tense. More so than before. Even as she stood back onto her legs, she kept sending him glances from the corner of her eye, though she tried playing it off as just looking for Pinkie.

Speaking of Pinkie...

"Oh, hey Applejack!" he heard the mare call from behind them, bidding him to turn,

"Well howdy Pinkie!" the mare replied, walking up to her with a single basket of apples resting atop her back,

"Whatcha doin'?" Pinkie asked, Applejack just shrugged,

"Nothin' much. Jus' haulin' these apple ta our new cellar. How 'bout you?"

"Oh, I'm letting Twilight and Emerald secretly follow me without me knowing!"

"_WHAT?!_" Sparky snapped loudly, her aches and pains forgotten as she stomped towards the not-as-oblivious-as-she-thought mare, "You _KNEW?!_" she demanded, pointing an angry hoof at her, "You knew I was following you the whole time?! Why didn't you say something?!" she asked. Pinkie just giggled at her,

"Because that would have ruined the surprise, silly!" she answer, smiling cheerfully.

Emerald watched as Sparky's face went through numerous different expressions, each one not particularly happy.

"Uh... tail still twitching?" Emerald asked nervously, glancing at the livid mare from the corner of his eye,

"Nope! Clear skies from here on out, as far as I can tell!" she said.

Her smile disappeared suddenly when she started spasming, her body shaking violently in place.

"WoOoAAaahhH!" she stuttered, before the shivers suddenly stopped, "Huh... that was weird,"

"Woah nelly! What was that?" Applejack asked, eyeing Pinkie like a dangerous animal,

"I dunno!" she answered, apparently just as surprised, "But whatever it was, it's gonna be a doozy!" she said, "Something I never expected to happen is gonna happen!" she cried, looking worried.

"Huh, well isn't _that_ specific?" Emerald muttered sarcastically. Pinkie started shuddering once again, only this time, she let out a gasp,

"It's gonna happen at Froggy Bottom Bog!" she shouted.

"Wasn't that where Fluttershy was headin'?" Applejack asked, looking worried, "Is it 'bout her?!"

"I don't know!" Pinkie cried, her hooves flying to her head,

"Well, we better go an' check on 'er, c'mon!" Applejack said, before bolting down the path, Pinkie following close behind.

Emerald frowned for a moment, before nodding and running after them, ignoring Sparky sputter behind him.

Emerald easily caught up with the two mares, hearing Sparky following close behind,

"Oh, and here I was thinking you didn't believe in this stuff!" Emerald called, keeping his attention forward,

"I don't!" Sparky yelled, pulling up beside Pinkie with a smug grin, "I just want to be there to see your faces when NOTHING HAPPENS!"

Emerald just rolled his eyes at the delusional mare.

Honestly, even with all of those little predictions Pinkie's been making all day, she _still_ refuses to believe that not everything has an honest explanation?

Emerald knew from real-world experience, that there are just some things better left unsolved.

* * *

The four of them wove through the trees of the Everfree Forest, with Emerald in the back. He didn't dare lead the mares in this particular forest, simply because he was worried they'd lose him pretty quickly thanks to his colouration.

Not that it mattered, as Applejack seemed more than aware of the location of Froggy Bottom Bog, as evidenced when they slid into a wide open area devoid of trees.

Emerald looked around for a moment.

Froggy Bottom Bog was, indeed... a bog. He could hear the faint buzzing of various insects around the area, accompanied by the persistent bubbling of the murky water.

Fluttershy wasn't hard to spot. Her butter yellow coat and bubblegum pink hair stood out almost comically against the murky browns and grays of the forest, especially since she was parked on a rock in the middle of the water.

""Fluttershy!"" Applejack and Pinkie shouted, catching the attention of the shy pegasus,

"You're okay!" Pinkie added, leaping over the water and landing happily on the pegasus' back,

"Of course?" she said confused, before turning to face them, "What are you all doing here?"

"Nevermind that!" Applejack said, smiling in relief, "I'm jus' glad nothin's wrong with ya," Fluttershy blinked, then tilted her head in confusion,

"Um... why would anything be wrong?" she asked. Sparky, however, chose that moment to speak up,

"You know, I know it's not nice to gloat, but..." she trailed, off, before pointing a hoof at Pinkie victoriously, "_AHA_!" she cheered, startling the pink mare.

"I told you nothing would happen!" Sparky continued, even as an unusual fog started rolling in, causing her to cough, "Pinkie Pie said that-**_*cough*_**-whatever she was shuddering about was-**_*cough cough*_**-gonna be a dooz-**_*cough*_**-y, and the only-**_*cough*_**-doozy here is how right I-**_*cough*-_**am!"

Emerald scrunched up his nose at the vile scent that pervaded it. He gave a light cough as he inhaled by mistake, but it was enough for him to recognize the scent.

Sulfur.

But why would there be a sulfur fog around here? The only reason he could think of was...

_No._

Emerald tensed up immediately whirling around to find the source of the fog, hoping he was incorrect.

There was no way he could take care of a fucking _hydra_ with these ponies around!

He spotted it quickly, as it had given up hiding, instead choosing to surface.

A dull golden head breached the surface of the water, followed quickly by, not one, not two, but three more. Up and up they rose, their long necks reaching on endlessly through the water, scales glistening with un-shed droplets of water.

Thankfully, Applejack had already begun backing away from the beast once she noticed it, but Pinkie and Fluttershy stayed rooted in place, frozen from fear.

Sparky, however, remained completely oblivious to the sudden rise in danger behind her.

"Pinkie's made a lot of predictions today, but-**_*cough cough cough*_**-what is that smell?" she asked herself, before shaking her head, "Anyway, but what we've shown here is that-**_*cough*_**-seeing is be-**_*cough*_**-believing!" she finished.

Emerald snarled, looking up at the four sets of piercing green eyes that peered down at them,

"Well, you won't _believe_ what's behind you," he muttered, just loud enough for her to hear.

Sparky frowned, but turned, only to come face first with a wall of yellow scales.

Slowly, almost agonizingly so, her gaze traveled upwards, not stopping until she, too, reached the top of the very dangerous creature in front of her.

"... Oh sweet Celestia." she breathed, her ears going flat.

"I-is that a _HYDRA?!_" Pinkie screeched,

"Who cares?! RUUUNN!" Applejack yelled, bolting away. Fluttershy burst after her immediately, followed closely by Emerald and Sparky.

It took him a moment, but he realized that they were missing a certain party pony, and he looked back, finding the same mare staring, absolutely petrified up at the hydra.

Seeing its opportunity, one of the four heads decided she'd make a lovely snack, and lunged down.

"_PINKIE!_" Emerald shouted, pivoting on one hoof, before shooting back towards the frozen mare. Sparky heard his shout, and glanced back,

"Oh no!"

Emerald dug his hooves into the mud, coming to a stop a few feet in front of Pinkie. Immediately he pushed himself onto his hind legs just as the hydra came down at him.

He caught the massive jaws with his front legs, feeling the momentum behind its lunge push him back, his hindlegs digging trenches into the mud. Emerald growled, but glanced behind him, finding Pinkie _just fucking standing there_, staring at him in awe,

"Well... _FUCKING RUN, STARDAMMIT!_" he yelled furiously.

He'd be having a serious talk with this mare about _FREEZING UP IN THE MIDDLE OF DANGER, LATER!_

The fury in his voice seemed to snap the mare out of her trance, as she finally did the only sensible thing possible, and ran away.

Seeing his friend getting away from the danger, Emerald returned his attention back to the hydra he was keeping at bay.

The other three heads roared furiously at seeing their other part stopped so easily, but none were angrier than the one in question.

It tried desperately to bite down on the nuisance keeping its maw open, but, for all its strength, it seemed the small, insignificant little morsel it was trying to consume, was stronger.

Finally having enough, Emerald pushed it to the side, leaping away as he did so, causing the hydra head to crash violently into the ground, dazing it for a moment.

It would be so easy to just kill the thing! Hydra it might be, it was a lesser hydra, as evident by the dull colouration of its scales.

Unlike its better, more powerful brethren, this particular hydra could not regrow its heads, nor was one of them immortal.

But still, no ordinary pony could hope to challenge the beast. It took only Veteran level guards and their equivalents to successfully slay one, and even then it might take four to five.

As a Champion, his skill was far beyond even that, but he couldn't use it here.

It was times like these, that he _really_ hated his job.

He bolted towards the fleeing mares, closing up the distance in a matter of seconds.

Of course, the danger hadn't passed.

The four of them had to constantly dodge and weave through the various branches and brambles that littered the bog, each maneuver eating away precious seconds they could've used to extend the distance between them and certain death.

It seemed the world was out to get them when Emerald spotted a cliff side ahead of them, but, thankfully, he spotted a slope that they could climb up,

"Everyone, up that hill!" he called behind him, coming to a sliding stop at the base of said hill. He kept his eyes on the fleeing mares as they ran past him, making sure that no one ended up left behind.

When Sparky, the one taking up the rear, finally passed by, he too ran up the hill, only to notice something rather troubling.

"Are you still shuddering?!" he yelled at the pink mare ahead of him,

"I c-c-c-aAnN't heElLp iIiiIt!" she stuttered. Emerald groaned, picking up the shuddering mare as he ran by, not bothering to pause for even a moment.

"Woah!" Applejack yelled ahead of them, coming to a halt. He growled at the stop, but he didn't say anything once he arrived at the head of the hill, finding a massive canyon spanning out in front of them.

"Dammit!" Emerald snapped, scanning the canyon floor below, before glancing back at the hydra, which was slowly closing the distance.

He growled, but didn't bother saying anything else. It wouldn't be difficult to just carry everyone over the-

"Agh!" he cried, having just spread his wing. Sparing a glance at his right wing, he noticed a steady stream of red dripping from the bottom of his wing. It took a moment, but he understood what must've happened.

He cursed at the feeling of a long tear along the membrane in his wing. Must've gotten torn by a branch as he was running. Given the adrenaline running through him, he wasn't too surprised to realize he hadn't noticed at the time.

Regardless, he couldn't fly like this, meaning they no other choice than to cross the canyon along those conveniently places platform-like spires that spanned the gorge.

"Everyone jump across, quickly!" he ordered, taking a stance as faced the hydra, who was beginning to ascend the hill,

"Can't you just fly us across?!" Sparky yelled. He spread his injured wing, earning a gasp from the mares behind him, "You're injured?! Wait-how are you-?!" she tried to ask, but he cut her off violently,

"Not the time to be asking questions!" he snapped at her, "Quickly, everyone jump across one by one, I'll see if I can't distract the hydra long enough!" he called.

He turned back to the hydra, ignoring the argument the lavender mare no doubt threw at him.

He couldn't let the hydra get close enough to lunge at the mares, which meant he needed to charge at the damn thing.

Oh-hoh-hohooo... this was gonna be _fun._

He charged at the hydra, his hooves pounding against the rock beneath him with purpose. He could hear his heart beating in his ears, even as he watched in restrained glee as one of the heads decided to lunge at him as he ran.

He slowed down, before leaping upward, dodging the hydra's maw as it crashed into the rock. He came to a rest, landing atop its dazed skull, before bolting up its scaled neck.

Another of its heads spotted him running up its neck, and it too, lunged at him. Emerald stopped running, letting it rush through the air in front of him, the force of its sudden lunge enough to cause it to lose its balance as it swung around.

Emerald jumped off of its neck, just as the hydra's body came careening down on the first head, causing it to screech in pain as it was crushed beneath its own weight.

Emerald gave it a cheeky smirk, and glanced back at the mares, finding Sparky finishing up the last jump. He nodded to himself, and ran by the downed hydra.

He expected it to be dazed for a minute or so, so it was just a bit of a surprise when his ear twitched, letting him know one of the heads had decided to rush at him. He jumped once more, letting the head crash into, and even through, the rock beneath his hooves. He landed once more onto its neck, before hopping off back onto the rocky ledge.

However, the hydra, having finally realized that its current prey was injured, lunged a second head at it, not caring that it might crash into its own, already injured, head.

Emerald landed heavily on his hooves, causing his wing to ruffle painfully against his body. The sudden shock of the pain was enough to distract him long enough for the next hydra head to crash down on top of him, maw wide open.

_And then everything went black.  
_

Twilight watched in fearful anticipation as Emerald, her friend, ran from the angry hydra. A moment ago, Twilight was busy wondering just how Emerald was bleeding if there wasn't a visible wound, even more so because it was coming from his feathers, which shouldn't be possible, but now?

Now, all thoughts of his impossible injury, and all thoughts regarding Pinkie's oddities, had been flushed out of her head.

Now, all she could possibly think of was _'WHY THE FUCK ISN'T HE ALREADY RUNNING ACROSS THE GAP!?'_!

Twlight's heart suddenly lurched when the hydra lunged a head at the pony's back, but, somehow, he knew to jump just in time to avoid the hydra's head. She ignored Pinkie start shuddering beside her.

She bit her lip, her heart pounding loudly in her ears as she watched the hydra suddenly lunge a second head after him.

_She watched as the hydra ate him whole._

Her blood turned to ice.

"No."

The hydra, looking satisfied that it had finally caught its prey, slowly rose back to its full height, its cheeks bulging lightly.

"No!"

The hydra swallowed its catch, and Twilight watched in horror as the bulge traveled down its throat, before disappearing at the base of its neck.

_"NOOOOOOOO!"_

Twilight's legs gave out underneath her as she desperately tried to jump back, but a set of strong orange hooves caught her before she could,

"Twilight, no! Ya can't!"

"No! We can't just let him die! Let me go Applejack! We need to save him!" the distraught mare shrieked, fighting desperately against the hooves, trying in vain to claw her way out.

A second set of hooves, butter yellow this time, gently wrapped around her, causing Twilight to freeze in place.

Fluttershy held the panicking mare close, her body shaking with unrestrained sobs. Twilight didn't bother looking down at the crying mare, too focused on the smug looking hydra who had _JUST EATEN HER FRIEND!_

Tears fell down her cheeks, but she didn't care.

Emerald was gone. Dead. Six feet under. Dissolving in a hydra's stomach!

"No... Emerald..." she cried weakly, falling to her plot in defeat.

She had to admit...

This was _completely_ unexpected.

Twilight pressed her hooves against her face in agony.

Why? WHY?! Why was _this _the doozy?!

Why didn't she just listen?! If she had just listened and accepted everything Pinkie did as normal, as FACT even, then Emerald wouldn't be dead!

He... he wouldn't... he...

He was dead.

And it was all. Her. Fault.

Twilight cried. She cried, and cried, and cried. Fluttershy's gentle hooves squeezed against her, the mare's own tears coming that much harder.

She didn't see it, but Applejack stared blankly out towards the hydra, which was busy glaring after them, likely trying to find a way to eat them, too, and a single tear fell down her cheek.

Silently, the farm mare took her hat off and placed it against her heart.

"He saved us," were the only words she said. Applejack shook her head, and replaced her hat, "Well... come on girls. He wouldn'ta wanted us ta-",

"Look!" Pinkie suddenly shouted, pointing at the hydra. Her sudden shout caught the attention of both crying mares, who looked up, before following where her hoof was pointing.

The hydra, whom had yet to leave, was looking... uncomfortable. Very much so, in fact.

Twilight watched on in confusion as one of the heads started coughing up smoke, followed closely after by another, then the third, until finally all four of them were desperately hacking up smoke.

But... that made no sense... hydras couldn't...

A bulge suddenly appeared in the throat of one of the necks, and it started traveling up. The head whose neck was blocked was having a difficult time breathing from the looks of it, the smoke and blockage working to slowly choke the large creature.

Twilight's eyes, as well as the eyes of the other three mares stayed locked onto the bulge as it made its way up and up and up the hydra's throat, before it finally arrived in the mouth of the very hydra that had eaten Emerald moments before.

Slowly, almost agonizingly so, it's jaw was pried open from the inside, revealing the back of a _very_ pissed off stallion.

"Emerald?" Twilight muttered breathlessly, watching in awe as the familiar stallion wrenched open the jaw of the monster that had failed to kill him with nothing but his own strength.

"_Shoulda chewed first, fucker!_" he snapped, before taking a deep breath in confusing Twilight, as well as Pinkie and Applejack.

Fluttershy, on the other hoof, watched on in slow recognition.

Finally, once his lungs had been filled with air, Emerald blew down into the throat of the hydra.

Only, instead of air, a stream of beautiful sapphire flames spewed forth, searing the inside of the monster's mouth and throat.

Twilight mentally filed her questions away for later.

Right now she was too busy cheering for the fact that _EMERALD WAS ALIVE!_

Eyes widening in pain, the hydra began thrashing about wildly, before it threw its head back, and flung it forward, sending the pony(?) careening through the sky towards them.

"-aaaaaAAGH!" he shouted, before crashing into the side of the mountain they were on, the impact leaving a sizeable crater where he hit.

"Ow..." they heard him mutter, before he fell from the wall, landing face-first on the rock with a lame 'splat'.

Emerald groaned as he stood back up. He could feel the cool air rushing against his saliva covered body, sending _very_ unpleasant shivers down his spine. He managed to get back on all fours, before he abruptly cracked his back,

"Ohohoho..." he groaned, "I am _never_ doing that again..." he muttered, gazing upwards into the sky, before he finally brought his attention back to the three mares.

"EMERALD!" came a happy shout, before a soft body crashed into him. He honestly expected Pinkie to be the one to rush at him first, so it was a bit of a surprise to find that Sparky was currently the one trying to squeeze the life out of him, not even caring about the saliva coating him,

"Hey, Sparky," he replied, gently patting the mare's head, before wincing in pain, "Agh... you lot miss me?" he asked. A strong hoof roughly patted him on the back, but it didn't faze him much, and he turned to find the farmer sending him a relieved smile,

"It's good ta see ya safe'n'sound, sugarcube," she replied honestly.

"You were right Pinkie," Sparky suddenly spoke up, gazing directly at the mare in question, though she didn't let go of Emerald, "You said we'd find a doozy out here, and boy did we ever!" she gushed, "I mean, that hydra and Emerald almos-"

Sparky was cut off as Pinkie suddenly began shivering once more, drawing stunned looks from the three non-unicorns, while the lone magic-user just watched in growing rage.

"The hydra wasn't the doozy!" Pinkie exclaimed, sounding just as surprised as the others felt, "It hasn't happened yet!"

"Wh-wh-... _WHAT?!_" Sparky shrieked, finally letting go of Emerald so she could march at Pinkie, her horn sparking uncontrollably, "The hydra wasn't the doozy?! Emerald almost _dying_ wasn't the doozy?! What could possibly be doozier than either of those things?!"

"I dunno, but whatever it was, it hasn't happened," Pinkie answered simply, looking worried.

Sparky's face contorted slightly, her horn's flickering coming more frequently. Her whole body was beginning to convulse, even as she began grinding her teeth together. Her horn suddenly lit up like a star, nearly blinding Emerald in the process.

The sheer magical build-up in her horn turned her coat white, and even set her mane and tail aflame, before it abruptly went out.

"Forget it," the exhausted unicorn muttered, "I give up," she added, walking lazily back over to Emerald, who had backed away earlier.

"Uh... give what up?" Applejack asked, eyeing Sparky as she wrapped her hooves back around Emerald,

"The fight," she answered, "I just... I can't do it," she sighed, "I don't know how or why, but her Pinkie Sense... makes... sense," she muttered, before laying her head against Emerald's shoulder, "Emerald almost died because I was too absorbed trying to explain something I didn't understand. So... I'm done."

"You mean... you believe her?" Emerald asked, sending Pinkie, who's shuddering was beginning to worsen, a worried glance,

"Yep," Sparky replied lamely, "Guess I do."

Pinkie's shuddering turned to spasms almost the moment after Sparky finished speaking. Her body practically began contorting every which way. Even Emerald was beginning to feel uncomfortable watching, until, suddenly, she stopped.

"Uhh..."

"Oh! That was it!" Pinkie said, smiling brightly, "That's the doozy!"

"Come again?" Emerald deadpanned,

"What is?" Sparky asked, letting go of him once more, peering at Pinkie, confused. Pinkie gently poked Sparky in the chest,

"You believing! I _never_ expected _that_ to happen! That was the doozy!"

Emerald blinked.

Then blinked again.

And then sighed.

It... it was a little sad that even _Pinkie_ knew how narrow-minded the unicorn could be, enough so that this whole fiasco was the result of her just not believing in something.

"And what a DOOZY of a doozy it was!" Pinkie added cheerfully, before, once again, obliviously bouncing away.

Wait a minute... If Sparky believing in Pinkie Sense was the doozy... did that mean...?

"Does it say something about me if Pinkie partially expected me to get eaten by a hydra?"

* * *

Emerald sighed slightly, idly following behind the little drake.

Apparently, Sparky wanted him to hear the letter she was sending to the princess about 'what she learned about friendship'.

Honestly, if Sunbutt ever made _him_ write one of those...

He... probably would just go along with it, now that he thought about it...

Damn.

He and Spike didn't take long to arrive at the library. Though, the not-quite-as-secret-anymore thestral couldn't help the twinge of anxiety in his chest.

He _really_ hated having to reveal himself to those mares.

But really, the moment he injured the membrane on his wing, was the same moment he practically gave his species away.

Oh well, not like it played a part in his role as their bodyguard, anyways. His species and job weren't interconnected, so it wasn't the end of the world or anything.

Spike gently opened the door and peered inside, although Emerald, who refused to wait any longer than necessary, merely gave the hatchling a quick shove inside.

"Uh, Twilight? We're here?" Spike called, nervously glancing back at the disguised-stallion,

"Oh! Spike! You're here, and you've brought Emerald? Great!" came Sparky's voice from another room, "Take a letter."

Spike nodded and rushed over to a nearby stand, where some parchment and a quill sat, ready to be used. Pinkie came hopping through the door Sparky's voice had come from, wearing the umbrella hat from earlier in the day, and Sparky followed not too far behind.

Also wearing an umbrella hat.

Spike just stared at the odd development, and Emerald couldn't blame him, since he was as well.

"What's wrong with you two?" she asked, before rolling her eyes and readjusting the hat, "Never thought you'd see me wearing an umbrella hat, huh?" she asked, smiling gently,

""Not in the slightest,"" the two males chorused, causing the two mares to giggle.

"Pinkie's tail was twitchin', what else could I do?" she asked, causing Emerald to snicker, "Well, anyways..." she cleared her throat, before standing up straight, "'_Dear Princess Celestia. I'm happy to report that today I realized that there are wonderful things in this world that you just can't explain. But that doesn't necessarily make them any less true. It just means you have to choose to believe in them, and sometimes it takes a friend to show you the way._'," she said, smiling, before frowning, and gazing back at Emerald, "'_I also learned today what it means to almost lose a dear friend. I can't even begin to describe how awful it felt, but now I realize that I won't have my friends forever. So it's best that I make my time with them count. Always, your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle._',"

Spike nodded as he finished writing, before rolling it up and sealing the letter.

"Those are some interesting lessons there, Sparky," Emerald noted, watching as Spike raced up the stairs. She just shrugged at him,

"Most usually are," she noted, before leveling a stare at him, "Now... about your wing... and that fire," she began. Emerald frowned, but stood up straighter, prepared to deliver some half-assed explanation about thestrals and his reason for being in Ponyville, only for Sparky to unwittingly cut him off, "We can talk about that some other time," that caught him off guard,

"Eh?" Sparky just gave him a sad smile,

"You've had a pretty rough day. I made you follow me around, trying to prove Pinkie Sense wasn't real, you had to keep bandaging me up every time I got hurt, you kept me FROM getting hurt, you ran circles around a hydra, got _eaten_ by the same hydra, somehow climbed your way out of its stomach, then got thrown into a cliff side hard enough that I'm surprised you don't have any broken bones," she listed, before giving a sheepish chuckle, "Yeah, my questions can wait for some other day."

"Ooh! Twitchy tail!" Pinkie suddenly exclaimed, causing Sparky to laugh,

"Wonder what's gonna fall now," she muttered,

"You never know..." Pinkie said, trailing off as a loud crash echoed from upstairs.

Emerald frowned. That sounded suspiciously like a pegasus, and a big one at that, just landed on the balcony.

Curious, Emerald headed outside and peered up, only to blanch at the sight of Spike staring blankly at the solar co-ruler of Equestria, standing almost casually on the balcony. She gently took the letter from Spike's claws and turned to leave, only to spot him from the corner of her eye.

"It's nice to see you again, Emerald," the co-ruler said pleasantly,

"Wh... what are you...?" he tried to ask, only to trail off, not certain how to finish that question. She just smiled,

"Oh I was just out for a little flight is all when I saw Spike here about to send a letter, so, I thought I'd drop by," she said, before taking off with a single flap of her large wings, the distance between her and Ponyville growing rapidly.

"I-I... I don't even... I need to take a nap."


	16. Slumber Party Complications

Emerald growled, viciously tearing a branch from a tree.

"You seem angry," came a little filly's voice, although it sounded just as angry, since the branch she was jumping on refused to break.

Why was she so _small_?!

"Don't I always?" the older male asked, smirking as he watched his baby sister adorably fail at her assigned task. She huffed angrily, sitting down firmly on the branch,

"You're usually annoyed, not angry," she said. Her eyes widened suddenly when the branch gave a menacing **_*CRACK*_**, before she yelped as she and the previously undamaged branch fell unceremoniously to the ground.

Wisp glared at the convulsing form of her laughing brother, and stood up,

"'S not funny!" she defended hotly, though her words went ignored, likely due to the heavy reddening of her cheeks. She pouted, but sighed as her brother finally composed himself,

"Whatever you say, Wisp," he said, snickering, before his eyes glanced at the cloudy sky. A small frown marred his face, and he looked back at his tiny sister, "You should head home. You'll get caught in the rain otherwise,"

Wisp perked up at that, but tilted her head,

"You sure, Emerald?" she asked, and smiled when he nodded, "Okay! See you later!" she squeaked, rushing up to nuzzle his chest, before bolting down the path back to their house. He chuckled at his sister's enthusiasm, but it died down after a moment.

He once again returned his gaze to the sky.

Pegasi were frantically rushing through the air, delivering gray cloud after gray cloud to one another, placing them in every single spot where even a small speck of blue sky shone through.

Apparently the weather team forgot about a small drizzle last week, so they needed a heavy downpour to make up for it.

Considering that Crash was the weather captain, he wasn't too surprised at the mess up.

Honestly, with her work ethic, he was surprised she still _had_ a job.

His eyes crossed slightly when he felt a drop of water hit his nose, signaling the beginning of the downpour.

He sighed. His wing was still out of commission from the Froggy Bottom Bog disaster, so he was stuck making the trip home on hoof.

Well, that wasn't necessarily true. He could just head to Sugarcube Corner to wait out the storm. Or even hunt down Bon Bon and stay with her for a bit. The Ponyville Park, where he was, wasn't too far from either of those places, so they were the better options.

Since the rain wasn't coming down too hard, not yet at least, Emerald saw no reason to rush. It would take a couple minutes before it really started pouring.

"-ald!"

His ears perked up. Was someone calling his name?

"Emerald!"

Yep.

He looked around for a moment, before his hearing zoned in the correct direction. He found Sparky of all ponies standing outside, looking startled,

"Sparky?" he called, making his way over to her, "What are you doing out here? You should be inside," he stated, coming to a stop at her right side. Seeing no reason otherwise, he extended his non-injured wing, his left one-_it was always the right, wasn't it?_-to shield her from the worst of the rain. She sighed,

"Thanks Emerald," she said, smiling at him, "I was planning on grabbing some scones from Sugarcube Corner before the storm hit," she said, before laughing, "Guess that plan is down the drain, huh?"

"Pretty much," the stallion replied, before jerking his head towards the distant library, "C'mon, let's get you back home," A sudden bolt of lightning, accompanied by a boom of thunder, lit up the area, caused Emerald to rethink taking shelter in a giant tree of all things. "Uh, maybe _not_ the library..."

Sparky shook her head, and pushed forward,

"It's fine, I have a magic lightning rod protecting it," she said, jogging towards the house, even as the rain started coming down much harder.

"Of course you do," he muttered, but followed after her regardless.

They made it to the library in record time, although it wasn't enough to keep dry, as evidenced by the heavy droplets of water clinging to their coats as they entered. Sparky frowned, before her horn glowed, followed by her entire body, before it dispersed, revealing a completely dried unicorn.

"Oh, not gonna shake it all away this time?" Emerald teased, causing the unicorn to flush,

"Ha. Ha," she deadpanned, her horn lighting up once more, before the same light encompassed Emerald, and soon enough the stallion was dry as well, "Very funny."

Emerald swallowed nervously, though he hid it well.

Thanks to all the excitement, coupled with a lack of time in the past few weeks, he'd completely forgotten that Sparky's magic could, somehow, affect him.

It just made no sense! How could she, a unicorn whose magic power, while well above average, was less then either of the princesses, whose magic couldn't so much as touch him, actively work magic on him?!

He filed the thought away for later.

"Spike is away at Canterlot for the weekend, visiting our parents," Sparky began suddenly, "And since I doubt that storm is going away anytime soon, we can get started," she said, her horn lighting up, as a quick flash of light revealing a pencil and notepad floating in her magical grasp.

Emerald idly noticed it was the same notepad he'd been doodling on during the whole 'Pinkie Sense' debacle, as evidenced by the crude drawing of Pinkie sniffing a flower he could see on the back.

"Started on what?" he asked, before the memory of the end of that day came back, "Oh... right... my wing," he muttered, sending a disgruntled expression at the appendage in question.

Sparky nodded and smiled, and even went to speak, but a knocking at the door cut her off. She frowned, and even started mumbling something under her breath about 'convenient interruptions', but walked over to the door regardless.

Opening the door revealed a pair of familiar ponies, both looking like they'd rather be without the other.

"Applejack? Rarity? What are you-nevermind," Sparky said, before shaking her head, "Come in, it's pretty bad out there," Applejack grimaced,

"Is inside a tree the best place ta be in a lightnin' storm?" she asked, hesitating to enter, unlike Rarity,

"Well, I _do_ have a magic lightning rod, so..." Sparky trailed off.

"Of course," Rarity said, stepping gingerly inside, only to freeze upon seeing Emerald. Her face lit up with a mischievous grin, "_Oh?~_ Well, goodness, if I'd known you and Emerald were spending time together, I wouldn't have suggested your house, Twilight," she teased, already backing out the door, "Come along, Applejack. We should leave these two alone.~"

Applejack sent Rarity a confused look, seemingly uncomprehending her tone of voice,

"What in the name'a Celestia are ya talkin' about?" she asked, causing Rarity to grimace, "Anyways, thank ya kindly fer yer hospitality, Twilight," she added, only for Rarity to stop her.

"If you're going to ignore the mood, _at least_ don't ignore proper manners," she said, before glancing down, eyeing Applejack's muddy hooves with unconcealed distaste, "Do wash up before coming in."

Applejack looked down, before growling,

"If I gotta spend one more minute with that pony, I swear..." he heard her mumble, before she stepped back outside.

"Gee, some storm, isn't it?" Sparky asked her white counterpart, "The weather team really outdid themselves, didn't they?" she added, before frowning, "I hope getting home won't be a problem for you two-er- you three," she said, glancing at Emerald sheepishly with that last part.

"Yes, it would indeed be a... problem," the dressmaker replied, "I hope us being here isn't a problem," Sparky shook her head,

"Not at all! Really, since Spike's out of town for the weekend, it'd be nice to have some company," she said, before her eyes widened, and her face blossomed into a wide smile, "We can have a slumber party!"

What.

Rarity seemed to share the sentiment, as evidenced by the suddenly strained smile stretching across her face,

"Umm, I beg your pardon?" she asked, laughing sheepishly, "W-well, um, I'm not so certain that I'd be able to stay, all night," she said, before muttering under her breath, "Not with Applejack, at least."

Emerald pretended not to hear that.

It wasn't his problem.

Yet.

"Well, you don't really have a choice in the matter," Emerald deadpanned, just as another flash of lightning lit up the sky, illuminating the inside of the tree for the briefest of moments. The bright light did a wonderful, but ultimately inadequate, job of hiding the fashion designer's paling.

How she did that with a white coat was lost on Emerald, but he was sure it took some considerable talent, somewhere down the line.

Sparky, her level of perception when it came to others being far below what it should've been for her age, remained completely oblivious to her friend's not-quite-hidden distress, and instead happily jumped along the library wall, obviously hunting down a book of some sort. Her search proved fruitful moments later when she happily took down a brown book with a pair of yellow and blue pillows emblazoned on the front cover.

He couldn't spot a name on the outside cover, but it was proved unnecessary when Sparky floated the book over to Rarity, who proceeded to read its title aloud.

"'_Slumber 101: Everything you need to know about slumber parties but were too afraid to ask!_'?"

"My own personal copy!" the bookish mare squealed proudly, with a smile as bright as a star lighting up her face.

He didn't know what was more embarrassing. The fact that book was in the library or the fact that said copy of the book was her own _personal_ copy.

"It's a fantastic reference guide!" she continued, "You should see the table of contents!" she added, before twirling around, waving her hooves in the air excitedly, "Ooh! I've been waiting for the day I get to use it! Don't you see, Rarity? This is gonna be great!" she squealed, her eyes sparkling like her namesake.

Honestly. All of that enthusiasm for something as small as this.

He... supposed it was cute, at least.

Rarity didn't seem to share the sentiment.

"Well, as nice as that sounds, I'm afraid I'll have to sit out," Emerald said, causing Sparky to frown,

"What? But-but, it'll be fun!" she protested, gazing at him with shining eyes, even fit with a little pout. Emerald shook his head,

"Fun it may be, but I'm sure you can have just as much fun with those two as you would with all three of us," he countered, before frowning, "I just... wouldn't really feel comfortable being the only male here. It almost feels like I'm intruding, really," he admitted.

"What?" Sparky asked, before her eyes widened in understanding, "No! No, no, no! You're not intruding at all! I promise!" but Emerald shook his head at her insistence,

"Say what you will," he said, already turning and walking off, "I appreciate the attempt, Sparky, but, really, I'd feel much more comfortable just laying off to the side," he jumped up into the familiar little alcove that Sparky had set up for him, not missing the way her eyes lit up, "Besides, I have a book to finish, remember?" he asked teasingly, gently tapping the cover of the book in question.

"O-of course!" she agreed, her eyes darting away from him, "Umm... are you sur-?"

"Yes," he stated flatly, "Just... have fun with those two, 'kay?"

Sparky stared at him for a minute, but eventually sighed and nodded,

"Fine. But... let us know if you feel like you're willing to join, okay?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Emerald chuckled, but nodded,

"Of course."

Rarity watched the exchange with twinkling eyes, looking for all the world like she was watching a particularly interesting soap opera, obviously not wishing for it to end.

Emerald wasn't sure how he felt about the analogy, but it could be worse.

Sparky and Rarity, mostly Sparky, had perused the book for their first activity, before coming out of it, excitedly chanting, 'mud masks!' under her breath. It had taken them a few minutes, but, eventually, they managed to whip together a homemade version of the green goop that Emerald knew could be found in most spa's. Given Rarity's nature, it was entirely likely her knowledge of how to make the slop had been gained from her numerous visits to the one in Ponyville.

Which reminded him. He _still_ hadn't visited the twins.

Damn. The hole was just getting bigger, wasn't it?

Regardless of Emerald's impending doom, the two mares were now happily chatting with each other, even as Rarity carefully applied the green goo to their faces, being careful to not get any into their eyes.

It was at this time that Applejack returned, her hooves sparkling clean, if a little wet.

She was understandably shocked.

"What in tarnation!?" the southern shout seemed to have startled the white and lavender unicorns, who looked up at their farmer friend, who was busy leveling a glare at the two of them, though it seemed mostly directed at Rarity, "So I can't have mud on mah hooves, but it's perfectly fine fer ya'll ta have mud on yer _faces_?!" she asked, incredulously.

Rarity just tittered, "Oh Applejack, these are mud _masks_," she said, as if that explained everything to the country mare, "They're for rejuvenating the skin and removing wrinkles. They're wonderful for our complexions," she stated.

"We're giving each other make-overs!~" Sparky sang, happily clopping her hooves together.

Applejack blinked at them, before turning her gaze to Emerald,

"Okay... What the hay did I miss?" she asked. Emerald shrugged, but didn't get to speak before Sparky spoke up.

"We have too!" Sparky intoned seriously, already levitating the book from earlier over to Applejack as she spoke, "It says so in the book!"

"'_Slumber 101: Everything ya need ta know about_-'," she stiffened and cut herself off, "Oh, well, hey, wouldja lookit the time?" she asked, smiling weakly, "I'm, uh, powerfully late fer something, uh... important. G'night!" the mare shouted, and bolted for the door.

A flash of lightning, followed by a crack of thunder startled the mare into rushing back, looking embarrassed,

"Ya know, I might jus' sit here fer a spell."

"Hooray! Slumber party!" Sparky cheered like a little foal, causing Emerald to snicker slightly. His snickers only increased in volume when Rarity all but smacked Applejack with a hooffull of the mud mask she'd finished applying to herself, only this time she deigned to add a pair of cucumbers over the mare's eyes.

"What in the name'a-what're these for?" Rarity scoffed at her,

"To reduce the puffiness in one's eyes, of course," she breathed, as if the answer was obvious,

"Puffiness, shmuffiness! That's good eatin'!" the mare replied, greedily licking away the cucumbers and eating them in one smooth motion of her tongue, something that both surprised, and disgusted, the thestral in the room.

A bright giggle caught the room's attention before either he or Rarity could respond,

"Isn't this fun?" Sparky muttered, eagerly reading through the book, "We'll do everything by the book, then my first slumber party will be fun!"

"You heard that, Applejack?" Rarity whispered harshly, though Emerald was more than capable of hearing them, even so far away, "You wouldn't want to ruin Twilight's _very first_ slumber party, now would you?"

"'Course not!" the orange mare hissed back, "An' I reckon you wouldn't either,"

"So do we have an agreement?"

"Eeyup," Applejack answered, punctuating her statement by holding out her hoof. But not before spitting on it, of course.

Was that really a thing ponies did?

Emerald really hoped not. That was just plain gross, honestly.

"Ugh," Rarity nearly hacked, "That's-ugh. There's uncouth, and there's just plain rude!"

"There's fussy, and there' jus' plain gettin' on mah nerves!"

Obviously the two of them had some sort of issue with the other. It likely stemmed from their different lifestyles, if Emerald was reading the situation correctly.

Rarity's high society expectations clashed heavily with Applejack's down-to-earth mannerisms. Really, unless the two of them realized how different they were, and accepted the other for it, they'd never get along.

... Did they get along to begin with?

He couldn't recall.

Shame.

The two of them were still arguing back and forth. Some pathetic attempt at determining who was better at getting along with others, a subject whose irony was not lost on him.

He was brought out of his thoughts when Sparky sprang up between the two mares, looking chipper as ever,

"This is gonna be the best slumber party ever! Yay!" Sparky cheered, wrapping her front hooves around them excitedly.

""Yay,"" the two mares chorused in the same deadpan tone.

Emerald snickered.

Tonight just might be more entertaining than he thought.

Emerald had returned himself to the Daring Do book he'd long since neglected, though it didn't stop him from paying attention to the mares as they had their fun.

Apparently, the next activity had them all putting mane curlers into their hair, something Emerald was certain the farmer mare wasn't comfortable with in the slightest.

While the two unicorns didn't appear to have any trouble with their manes, it was clear that Rarity was paying much more attention to Applejack's discomfort than anything else.

And it seemed she was enjoying it, too.

"So?~ How are you getting along there, Applejack?" Rarity asked teasingly, eyeing her blonde friend, who was busy glaring at the curlers in her mane, or trying to, at least.

"Jus' dandy, Rarity," Applejack growled through her teeth, sending her cocky friend a heated glare from the corner of her eye.

Sparky, still oblivious, just laughed and eagerly checked off something from her book,

"This is amazing! Make-overs. Check!" she squealed, before her horn flashed, removing the curlers from her mane. A pair of secondary flashes rang through the room, removing the other curlers from the manes of her friends.

Weren't those curlers supposed to... curl their manes?

They looked the same as before.

"Ooh! It says here we have to tell ghost stories!" Sparky read happily, breaking Emerald from his train of thought, "With Nightmare Night coming next week, this is perfect! Who wants to go first?!"

"Oh, I will!" Applejack volunteered immediately, sending the three other quadrupeds in the room a sly grin, "How about I tell ya'll the story about the prissy ghost?" she asked, "The ghost who drove everypony crazy with her unnecessary neatness! _Ooooooooohhhhooooh_!" the mare finished with a flat look directed at Rarity, the object of her story almost painfully obvious, "I'm sure ya'll are familiar with that one, eh, Rarity?" she asked, driving the nail home.

Emerald looked up from his book, wondering how the dressmaker would respond.

"Never heard of it, but I have a much better one," the designer challenged. Emerald sighed, already knowing where this was headed, and went back to his book, "It's the horrifying story of the messy, _inconsiderate_ ghost! Who irritated everypony within a hundred miles! _Ooooohhhh_!"

"That ain't a real story, ya made it up!" Applejack snapped,

"It's a ghost story. Most of them are made up, idiot," Emerald growled from his little alcove, just before the lights suddenly went out, accompanied by, yet another, crash of thunder from outside.

A moment passed in the dark, where Emerald idly watched Sparky plant herself between the startled mares, holding a lantern, before she turned it on,

"I've got one!" she cheered, before her voice went low, likely an attempt to set the 'mood' as it were, "It's called... the Legend of the Headless Horse."

**_*CRACK*_**

Honestly, it's like the pegasi were helping her with all that damn lightning.

"It was a dark and stormy night..." Sparky began, and Emerald merely rolled his eyes and went back to his book once more, the lack of light not bothering him in the slightest.

As he read, he couldn't help but let his mind wander.

Specifically, Sparky's failed interrogation from earlier.

Well, perhaps interrogation would be too strong a term. After all, he doubted the mare would actually try forcing the information out of him. Worst case scenario, she'd go all stalker on him like she did Pinkie and try to figure everything out on her own.

Something that would likely get her killed if she pushed too far.

A crack of lightning caught Emerald's attention, and he glanced out the window to his left.

Rain splattered against the window, lending an almost rhythmic quality to his little space. The light-less skies did nothing to hinder his vision, which speared through the dark of the night with unfettered ease.

Ponyville was empty. As to be expected.

That got him to frown.

How long had he been here? How long had it been since something had decided to test him at night?

A few weeks. A little over a month, if he remembered right.

A month...

He'd been in this town for several of those, yes?

He'd come to town during the middle of Summer, now it was nearing the end of Autumn.

He'd certainly gotten used to the quaint little town in that time. A small smile lit up his otherwise impassive face. He'd admit, he just might miss this place a little when he left.

Oh, he just knew he'd be having a difficult time adjusting once he did leave. He'd probably be looking around every corner for the familiar sight of Pinkie Pie bouncing around. He'd likely cast a glance or two through a large crowd, idly searching for a familiar stetson that wouldn't be there.

He'd likely stare down road after road, searching for the familiar oak tree he currently rested in.

Yes. He'd been in this town longer than anywhere else he'd been in the last four years. It would be... sad to leave.

Well, he supposed he didn't have to leave forever.

After all, Wisp and Trixie were here now. Trixie, knowing her, would likely leave sometime after he did. After all, her desire to wander around had stemmed from him leaving their little group, but Wisp would likely stay with Bon Bon if he managed to convince her by then.

He wondered how the others were doing right about now.

Spitfire was probably doing just fine. Soaring through the skies as she always had. Shores was likely living it up in some big city, singing her heart out to the crowds of her many adoring fans. Gustave, he knew the bastard was up in Canterlot, serving dish after dish to only the highest of nobles, the princesses themselves. Will? ... Well, he was probably wandering around just like him and Trixie did. Big lug never could stay in one place for too long.

Thor? Thor was probably with his family. His blood family that is. Hunting around for food like always. Hopefully they were doing well. They obviously hadn't gotten caught yet, though Emerald was sure Thor had mentioned a plan of some sort involving Canterlot.

And then, there was Star.

Out of the eight of them, nine if Wisp was included, she was the only one he'd been unable to contact in the last two years. Part of him was worried about her, but he knew she could handle herself.

Honestly, knowing her, she was probably hunting him down to apologize for losing touch as he breathed.

Starlight always had been a bit of a crybaby like that. Tough as she was, she just couldn't handle letting down the ones she loved.

She was like him in that way.

Maybe he could ask Celestia if she could get in touch with her for him? Make sure she was okay anyways.

"Ya doin' alright there, Emerald?" the accented voice broke him from his thoughts. Emerald looked away from the window, directing his gaze to the orange mare.

Emerald frowned slightly, his eyes glancing up, finding Sparky and Rarity huddled around a lamp, Sparky still telling her story. Something about a 'Headless Horse'.

"I'm fine. Weren't you listening to Sparky's story? Or was it too much for you?" he asked, smirking slightly. Applejack rolled her eyes,

"I've already heard it a hundred times from Granny," she said, before her eyes flickered to his wing, "Besides, I was talkin' 'bout yer wing. Twilight said something 'bout it bleedin' befer."

Emerald grimaced, looking down at the wing in question. It didn't look like it to either of them at the moment, but underneath the illusion was a set of bandages around the injury.

"Oh... yeah, I'm fine," Applejack raised an eyebrow at him,

"Really now?" she asked, frowning, "So, ya gonna explain yerself anytime soon?" Emerald sneered,

"Explain myself? You make it sound as if you have a right to know what I am."

"Well I reckon I do," she stated matter-of-factly, puffing her chest out, "We're friends, ain't we?" she asked. Emerald's sneer lessened into a minor frown, but he still shook his head,

"We're not friends, Applejack," he said, though, from the way her eyebrow quirked, it seemed she didn't believe him, "Besides, if the way you lot acted when you met Zecora is anything to go by, then I'd rather none of you know what I am."

Applejack visibly flinched at the statement, as if the words physically hurt to hear.

Regardless, she didn't say anything for a minute, the sound of Sparky wrapping up her story echoing in the background, before she finally spoke back up.

"I... I understand," she said, catching Emerald's attention. She looked away from him, awkwardly rubbing her shoulder, "I feel awful 'bout the whole thing, really I do. It's even worse 'cause I didn't bother ta think that I was wrong, even fer a second. I jus' blamed Zecora fer everythin', 'specially the Poison Joke-" wait, _that was them_!? "-It wasn't 'til the girls an' I went 'round town tellin' everypony we were wrong that Zecora didn't have ta be afraid'a showin' herself."

She didn't notice the way Emerald's hooves clenched around the book, before forcibly relaxing.

"So... I guess I can understand why yer not willin' ta talk... but still," she said, looking back at him, her gaze resolute, "I wanna help... We wanna help."

"... It's not your decision," Emerald stated, catching the mare off guard, "You can want as much as you physically can. It doesn't matter, if I simply refuse. Has it occurred to you that it's not a matter of me being afraid, rather, it's a matter of keeping _you_ from being afraid?" he asked, "Or, perhaps, it's simply more comfortable to me? Maybe it's how I was raised? As it is, Applejack, you've no place to decide whether you can '_help_' me or not."

"But-"

"But nothing," he pressed, narrowing his eyes at her, "Sure, I'll let you and the other five know, but that's because you'll just keep pestering me otherwise," he said, and glanced up, before frowning back at her, "Go on. Sparky's finished her story. You wouldn't want to ruin her very first slumber party, would you?" he asked, mimicking Rarity's words from earlier.

Applejack seemed to notice this, as she narrowed her eyes at him, but before she could say anything in response, Sparky's voice rang out,

"Ghost stories... check! C'mon, who wants s'mores?!"

What the fuck was a 's'more'?

* * *

Apparently, Sparky had taken notice of his confusion and, after some prodding, he revealed the fact that he'd never heard of these... 's'mores' before.

All three mares had been stunned at the admission, even Sparky, much to his surprise, and they had all but dragged him down from his perch and into the kitchen, where Rarity was showing both him and Sparky how to properly make a 's'more'.

"Now, you take one marshmallow and place it on top of the chocolate, make sure it's centered that's important, then, you place the last, perfectly square graham cracker on the top... There we go," she said, placing the newly made treat atop the plate, where several other already lay.

Emerald eyed the little desserts, confused.

Was... was that it?

Given the things he's seen Pinkie make, these s'mores seemed... tame in comparison.

"Now ya jus' eat 'em," Applejack interjected, before diving down towards the s'mores in a manner eerily similar to the hydra, only for Rarity to snatch it away with her magic at the last second, causing Applejack to slam her face into the table.

"Now, now Applejack. You can make your own," Rarity admonished, gently sliding the s'more laden plate in front of him and Sparky, "In fact, why don't we do so while these two, ah, _share_?~" she added, smiling, before she grabbed the farmer mare, none-too-gently at that, and dragged her back to the fireplace, the bag of marshmallows floating after her.

Twilight watched as Rarity and the not-quite-willing Applejack left the kitchen, leaving her alone with Emerald, the pony(?) who seemed just as uninformed about slumber parties as she was.

Then again, _she_ knew what s'mores were, while he didn't.

She wondered if that had anything to do with his wing, or whatever else he seemed to be hiding.

She watched, idly, as Emerald carefully picked up one of the s'mores, his hooves moving so delicately he might as well have been handling glass.

The expression on his face when he bit into the treat was... underwhelming, to be honest.

Then again, s'mores weren't complicated or fancy, so she hadn't really been expecting too much. At the very least, he seemed in a better mood than before.

She cleared her throat, catching his attention,

"So, um... Emerald," she began awkwardly, her eyes darting to his wing, "... How are you feeling?" she asked subtly.

Or so she thought. Given the way he sighed, she obviously needed to work on it.

"I'm doing fine Sparky," he said, before turning to her, "Listen, I know you're curious about who or even what I am. But, honestly, I'd rather not have to repeat myself a hundred times to you and your friends. I'll answer any question you lot have when you're... we're all together, got it?" he asked.

Twilight eyed him for a moment, before she nodded,

"Alright. I... I understand..." she said. The two of them fell into silence after that, before Twilight, having had enough of the awkward, to her, silence, spoke up,

"So... how do you like the s'mores?"

* * *

"Okay!" Sparky cheered, checking off something from her list, "S'mores are done, so the next item on our list iiiiissss...! Truth or Dare!" she announced, turning to the three individuals behind her.

After they had finished off the s'mores, with Sparky enjoying them significantly more than Emerald, she had practically stronghoofed him into participating in the rest of the events.

Well, he said stronghoofed, but, really, she had pouted at him.

Must've learned it from Wisp or somethin'...

"Oh, well I dare Applejack to do something neatly _and_ carefully for a change," Rarity snapped, eyeing Applejack with distaste. Applejack scowled,

"Oh yeah? Well, I dare Rarity ta lighten up, an' stop obsessin' over every. Last. Little. Detail. Fer a change," she challenged,

"Well, I think the 'truth' of the matter is that _somepony_ could stand to pay a little _more_ attention to detail."

"An' I think the 'truth' is that _somepony_ oughta quit with her fussin', so the rest of us can get things done!"

"Umm... I don't think that's how the game is supposed to work," Sparky said, looking through her book curiously, "You're supposed to give an honest answer to any question or do whatever anypony dares you to do," she said, before turning back to the mares with a bright smile, only for it to fall when she noticed they were still glaring at each other.

"Well, I dare Rarity ta step outside, an' let her precious mane get ruined again!" Applejack dared, grinning victoriously, while also getting Rarity to gasp.

"You have to! It's the rule," Sparky cut in before Rarity could object.

"HA!"

"... Fine," Rarity snapped, petulantly, before trotting towards the door. Emerald watched on with interest as the fashion savvy mare did as dared.

After a minute or so of hearing her yelping from outside, Rarity finally stepped back in, slamming the door behind her, even as she shivered violently, still dripping wet.

Applejack laughed at her friend's misfortune, although it quickly died when the sopping wet mare behind advancing on her in a manner very similar to Emerald during the fashion show.

"I dare Applejack to play dress up!" she declared with an almost manic grin, "In a fru-fru, glittery, lacy outfit!" she said, before her horn lit up, "Specifically _this_ one!" she said, before a bright flash lit up the room, revealing a pink and blue dress that Emerald was certain wouldn't look out of place in an opera.

Applejack's jaw dropped at the sight of the dress, before she directed a heated glare at the overly-happy designer beside her, before grudgingly taking the dress and stomping upstairs.

"Umm... okay?" Sparky muttered as she trotted over to Emerald, before taking a seat, "Well, I guess since they're busy, why don't you and I play?" she asked the thestral. The stallion shrugged in response, but didn't disagree.

"Fine. You start," he said, turning to face her, before his eyes narrowed, "And don't even think of trying to ask me about what I am."

He smirked at her pout.

"Okay... truth or dare?" she asked, her mind already beginning to run,

"Truth," he responded immediately,

"What's your favourite activity?" she asked instantly, leaning forward with a twinkle in her eye.

Emerald blinked, surprised. His favourite activity? Why would- didn't she realize she just wasted- whatever.

"That's a rather... odd question," he noted. Sparky just smiled,

"I know, but... according to the book, truth or dare is supposed to be a little more... risque. But..." Sparky looked away from him, eyeing the excited looking Rarity, who's eyes had yet to leave the stairwell where Applejack disappeared, "I can't bring myself to think of anything that might offend somepony," she admitted, looking back at him, her smile brightening, "Besides, we're friends, Emerald," her cheeks reddened slightly, "I don't really know a lot about you. You've moved a lot, you've had problems with eating," she narrowed her eyes at him when she said that, "but apart from that, I don't know you," she laughed, although it sounded a bit hollow, "I don't really know a lot about any of my friends when I think about it," she shook her head, "So I'd really like to start getting to know all of you! Sooner rather than later," her face suddenly took on a haunted expression, "I... I don't want to lose any of you... hydra or otherwise."

Emerald stared at her, barely comprehending.

Twilight Sparkle, a mare who'd spent nearly her entire life wrapped up in books and scrolls, with nary a thought for friendship or anything related.

Now, here she was, staring at him with those hopeful eyes, wanting to get to know him better.

His chest felt warm.

But... how to answer?

"Well... I suppose I enjoy reading," he said, hesitantly. He inwardly cursed.

Reading? Really? Was that all he could truly think of that wasn't fighting?

Wait...

"... I'm also rather fond of working," Sparky tilted her head,

"Working? You mean like exercising?"

"Not... well, sort of," he admitted. It was time like these that he really wished he had more hobbies. "A-anyways, truth or dare?" he asked. Sparky tilted her head, a thoughtful look on her face.

A sudden laughing caught their attention, however, and drew their gazes over to-

Applejack?

Indeed. The orange mare had returned, now wearing the, admittedly gaudy, dress that Rarity had picked out for her.

"I take it yer happy 'bout this?" Applejack asked, narrowing her eyes at the laughing diva,

"Yes. Very."

"I dare ya ta enter the next rodeo that comes ta town!"

"Um, girls?"

"Oh? Well I dare you _not_ to enter the next rodeo that comes to town!"

"Girls, it's my turn,"

"I dare ya not ta comb yer mane a hundred times before bed!"

"Applejack?"

"I dare you to comb your mane just _ONCE_!"

"R-Rarity?"

"You know what, forget my turn," Sparky muttered, "C'mon girls, Emerald, let's just do something else," she said, already levitating her book over to her. She scanned it for a moment, before pulling away, confused, "What the heck's a 'pillow fight'?"

"Pillow fight?" Rarity asked, before scoffing, "Please, I am not participating in something so cru-AGH!" she was abruptly cut off when a pillow, from Faust-knows-where, crashed into her face.

It peeled away a moment later, revealing a _very_ ticked off unicorn, whose eye was busy twitching.

"Oh... it. Is. _ON_!" she declared, before throwing the very pillow that hit her, straight towards the farming mare.

Emerald and Sparky watched on in interest and amusement as the apple mare retaliated, bucking an entire stack of pillows back at the white unicorn, who, in return, lit up her horn and returned fire.

"Oooohhh!" Sparky lit up in realization, "Pillow. Fight. Fun!" she said, before Emerald abruptly pulled her back, just as a pair of pillows collided mid-air where her head had been.

Sparky let out a sheepish chuckle, before thanking the stallion. Emerald sighed,

"Why don't you two settle down for a bit?" he suggested.

"I will if she will!" Applejack yelled, jumping over a pillow,

"She started it!" Rarity defended, catching a few pillows with her magic. Emerald growled,

"I don't care who started it, I'll end it if you two don't fucking stop!" he snapped, snatching a pillow out of the air.

He was broken from his thoughts when he felt Sparky prod him in the side. He turned to her, his expression softening slightly at the honestly confused/worried look on the mare's face.

"W-why don't we all just turn in for the night?"

* * *

Emerald gave a soft sigh, even as he forced the bed into place.

The four of them had relocated to Sparky's room upstairs, although they had to stop and haul a second bed frame and mattress from the attic into her room.

It had been made even more aggravating when it was just him and Applejack doing all the work, although given Rarity's mannerisms and Sparky's focus on the book, he supposed he couldn't really be surprised.

He heard Applejack sighed beside him once they finished moving the bed.

"Mind tellin' me what's with you and Rarity?" he asked, turning to her. Applejack huffed, but it quickly morphed into a sigh,

"I jus' don't get that pony," she began, "Always fussin' around with the littlest details. Never botherin' ta see the practical side'a things," Emerald frowned, even as he raised an eyebrow,

"What brought this on?" he asked. Applejack shook her head,

"I've always been thinkin' 'bout it," she admitted, "Guess it jus' reared its head earlier taday. I was breakin' off some tree branches, when I saw Rarity was puttin' 'em back on, even fixin' up the leaves ta make 'em look all pretty. She was supposed ta be tearin' 'em down, but instead she was too busy workin' on makin' everythin' look all nice an' pretty that she wasn't even thinkin' about what could happen if one'o those branches came tumblin' down 'cause'a this darn storm and hurt somepony!"

She had started out rather calmly, but as she spoke, her breathing had started picking up, and Emerald could plainly see that this issue, as small as it was, had been building up for a long time, just like she said. By the end of it, she was on her hooves, panting rather hard, with a furious glint in her eyes.

It faded abruptly, alongside a heavy sigh, before the mare plopped back down onto her flank.

Emerald sighed, but, after deliberating for a moment, he gave Applejack a gentle push, similar to the ones he'd occasionally given Wisp.

It seemed the meaning of the push wasn't lost on her, as Applejack chuckled, before returning the favour, though her shove was a little rougher than his.

The door to Sparky's room opened abruptly, revealing the two resident unicorns.

Although, Emerald noticed, they were... different from before.

Rarity, who'd been in a rather foul mood, was practically skipping into the room, a bright, but mischievous, smile lighting up her features.

Sparky, however, was beet red, and seemed to be having trouble meeting the eyes of the other occupants.

"A-alright girls!" Sparky began, having shaken her head to rid herself of whatever had been plaguing her, "And Emerald. It's been fun, but it's time we get to sleep," she said.

"Indeed," Rarity agreed,

"Fine."

"Eeyup."

"So..." Sparky trailed off, her eyes darting between the two only beds, as well as her three house guests, "Uhh... how should we split up?" she asked.

Emerald stiffened minutely, and began to back away,

"I'll just sleep on the floor... or the couch," he said, already almost to the door, only for it to slam shut in a flash of purple magic,

"_No_!" Sparky vehemently denied, already dragging him back over with her magic, startling the thestral, "You're my guest, and as the host I can't let any of my guests just sleep on the floor!" she said, before sending a discreet glance to the book she had laying next to her bed, "Besides, the book clearly states that everypony should have a sleeping bag... although none of us have those, so a bed will have to do!" Rarity spoke up,

"Hold on, wouldn't that mean that we'd have to share?" she asked, before her eyes lit up and darted over to Emerald with a gleam that he really didn't like seeing, for some reason. Sparky flushed,

"W-well, yeah, I suppose..." she murmured, idly cupping her chin. Applejack shrugged,

"Emerald an' I can share. Mac an' I used ta have ta sleep in th' same bed when we were foals, so I don't mind," she said diplomatically, and Emerald found himself nodding along.

Then again, he really didn't care who he ended up sleeping next to. Ponies might find it odd, but thestrals usually shared beds anyways. His only issue was that he'd be stuck in the same room as Rarity and Applejack all night.

Hopefully their arguing would get toned down, if only for his and Sparky's sake.

"Well, I suppose that solves that, right Rarity?" Sparky asked, already sliding underneath her covers, the dark blue fabric dotted with starbursts similar to her cutie mark.

"Of course," Rarity said, although it seemed subdued for some reason. And, oddly enough, she was taking her time marching over to the bed, her eyes fervently darting over to the non-unicorns, the orange half of the duo already in bed.

Ooohh! This wasn't good!

Come on, Rarity, _think_!

This was the perfect opportunity to push those two oblivious ponies together!

So why did that mare have to go and _ruin it_?!

This was precisely why she just couldn't stand that mare. Practical this! Practical that! Yes, indeed, practicality might be a wonderful thing, but there was a time and place for everything!

Yes, she'd admit that perhaps her attempts to 'pretty up' the Town Square earlier were a bit misguided, and that she really should have been doing the work she'd been initially set out to do. _But that mare_! She took the idea to an entirely different level, and, truly, she could learn to step back and simply think things over, before she went along and did or said something she'd regret.

Applejack just didn't seem to understand that the practical solution wasn't always the best solution. Or even the smart one.

Like sharing a bed with Emerald so that she and Twilight wouldn't have to feel uncomfortable. Yes, she'd admit it was a lovely idea, one that, had she not been intent on keeping those two together, she would've been perfectly content with. But because that mare simply didn't take the time to see the little details that her _practicality_ wouldn't let her see, she was ruining a perfect chance to spark a little romance between Emerald and Twilight!

Though, it did bring a thought to mind.

Why was she so... interested in this?

Was it the romantic in her? Was it her, _completely healthy_, interest in romance novels that just made her want to see one play out in front of her?

No. It wasn't either of those. Thinking about it, she didn't need a reason to do or want this, did she?

After all, what reason did she need to try and make two of her most wonderful friends happy?

Twilight, the dear, was a little genius. Easily the smartest pony she'd ever met, but, at the same time, she could be a little bit of a dunce. A socially inept dunce, at that.

She didn't seem to understand the concept of body language much, if at all. She and Applejack had been, admittedly, at each other's throats nearly the whole night, and yet Twilight didn't seem to pick up on it until Emerald was ready to step in during the pillow fight.

So it wasn't very difficult to pick up on what the mare was thinking. Why, Twilight practically wore her heart on her sleeve!

Though, so did Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rainbow, and Applejack, so... perhaps it would be too much to ask her to learn a little restraint?

Anyhow, it was because of this lack of filter that she seemed to possess, that Rarity was able to tell that Twilight felt a little 'something' for the green stallion. Perhaps it was the beginnings of a crush, or perhaps it was nothing more than Twilight being rather naive and not understanding how to act around a stallion her age.

It wasn't impossible.

But still, Rarity had seen that little 'something' and she just couldn't help it!

She knew her fellow unicorn would _never_ be able to work up the nerve to 'chat him up', as it were, but she also knew that Twilight didn't have to.

There was nothing more romantic than mutual attraction, after all.

She couldn't read Emerald as well as her friend, in fact she couldn't read him at all!

Or at least, she was sure of it. Yes, she had spotted him looking confused before, even worried. Goodness, she was sure she'd spotted him crying when he saved her life during the Best Young Fliers Competition!

But Rarity had this feeling. This... tingling in her gut-_her instincts she knew_-that was telling her that it was all fake.

She didn't know why, but, after all her years climbing the social ladder, she'd learned to trust her gut, and trust it she would.

Emerald was a master actor. Even better than she, herself, was.

And yet...

It seemed to fade just a little around Twilight.

And not only that, but being around Emerald seemed to give Twilight just a bit of a confidence boost.

She wanted them to be happy with their lives and, from the looks of it, they would definitely make each other happy.

So...

How to get them together?

Well, she knew Twilight would jump at the chance to solve a 'friendship problem', as the mare had taken to calling them. So, loathe as she was to admit, she knew that Twilight was likely trying to come up with a way to get her and Applejack to get along once again, something she wasn't sure would happen anytime soon. She could use that, certainly, but... how to do so...

_IDEEEAAA!~_

Of course, her idea would mean that she'd have to share a bed with _that_ mare, but...

Well, she wasn't the Element of Generosity for nothing, now was she?

"Oh, _Twilight!~_" Rarity sang, having stopped just before getting under the sheets with the other mare. Emerald had stopped as well upon hearing the mischievous tone in her voice, having just pulled the covers up to slide beneath them, and looked on, wondering just what the mare was planning to do now.

"Yes, Rarity?" Sparky asked, looking just as nervous as he was beginning to feel. Rarity cocked a hip to the side and placed a hoof on her chin, obviously trying to look like she was deep in thought,

"Well, I was just thinking... Applejack and I haven't been getting along at all since you, oh so graciously, invited us into your home, yes?"

"Umm... yes, I noticed," Rarity giggled, and clapped her hooves together,

"Wonderful!" she gushed with a bright smile, then tilted her head to the side innocently, "So, I was just thinking. Wouldn't it be best if Applejack and I shared a bed for the night? After all, it would be remiss of us to go to bed angry at each other, right?"

_What?!_

Emerald's jaw nearly dropped in surprise, though Sparky's jaw did drop, as she lacked the same control as him.

What was that mare thinking?! Not only was she and Applejack trying to kill each other via pillow earlier, but now she was suggesting that they share a bed?!

Not only but, but she was obviously implying that Sparky and Emerald would have to share the other as well.

What in the name of the sun could she be thin-?!

... No...

There was no way. No way, that she could still be on about him and Sparky!

Emerald had to fight the urge to growl at the alabaster mare, instead settling for a heated glare as she happily trotted over to him, even sending him a cheeky grin as she plucked the bed sheets from his hoof with her own.

"Well?" she asked him, not-so-subtly bumping his flank with her own, sending him stumbling a step closer to Sparky, "Go on, it's time for bed after all.~"

Ohohohoooo...

He was _definitely_ going to get her back for this...

But, as of right now, he couldn't.

Grinding his teeth together, he made his way over to the shell-shocked Sparky, who had finally appeared to realize what Rarity and Applejack sharing a bed meant for the two of them.

Even if he didn't care about sharing a bed with anyone, the memory of Pinkie, Rarity, and even Fluttershy all claiming he and Sparky would be a good couple, coupled with Sparky's obvious embarrassment, served to make him a little uncomfortable with the whole thing.

Luckily for Emerald, he wasn't one to let his nerves show, so he slid right underneath the blankets next to Sparky without any obvious issue.

Twilight was on the verge of panicking.

Not that she could be blamed, of course. After all, two of her best friends in the whole world had been fighting in front of her all day today, she'd had to deal with trying, and failing, to ask another one of her friends about himself, and now she had to deal with sharing a bed...

_With a stallion!_

It didn't bother her much to share a bed with Rarity. After all, they were both mares, and unicorns at that. Even Applejack wouldn't bother her much, but Emerald?

She didn't know how to deal with that.

Her brain, usually filled to the the brim with complex magical arrays, long, but efficient, mathematical formulas designed to properly gauge the amount of ambient magical energy it would take to fuel an active magic capacitor, had gone completely blank as the familiar male slid into the bed.

Right. Next. To her.

She could feel his weight depress the mattress beside her, she could smell the chocolate on his breath.

She could see his ocean blue eyes peering straight back into her own amethyst orbs.

Was it warm in here, or was is just her?

"You okay, Sparky?" the familiar masculine tone washed over her ears, calming her beating heart, and even cooling her burning cheeks, a direct contrast to the effect his presence had.

"I-I'm fine," she stammered, closing her eyes as she gently buried her head into her pillow. It felt strange to have somepony right beside her in her own bed. But, she'd admit that it wasn't unpleasant.

"... If you're uncomfortable, I can leave, you know?" he asked. She cracked her eyes open, finding Emerald laying there, looking concerned, their noses only a few inches apart. She shook her head, doing her best to keep from rocking the bed with the motion,

"N-no. Really, it's fine," she whispered, fidgeting a little, before she gently curled up, "It's... it's actually nice," she admitted, feeling her face heat up at the confession. That seemed to surprise the usually blank stallion, and a soft grin appeared on his face.

"Really?" he asked, his voice taking on a similar tone to Rarity's not too long ago, "You enjoy being in bed with a random stallion?" he asked.

Twilight's face burned at the jab, and, before she could stop herself, she found her hoof colliding with his shoulder, something that honestly hurt Twilight more than it hurt him.

"D-don't say stuff like that!" she whispered furiously, not missing the way he smirked at her, nor missing the way her heart rate picked up at the sight of it.

Honestly, this stallion was going to be the death of her!

* * *

It had taken some time, but Emerald and Sparky had both managed to fall into a gentle slumber.

Unsurprisingly, their unconscious bodies had drifted closer, leading to a slightly awkward awakening when both adults noticed the position they were in upon waking.

Sparky had ended up cuddling into his chest while Emerald had, somehow, wrapped not only his hooves around her, but one of his wings as well, adding a distinct layer of intimacy that hadn't been there before.

Of course any feeling of awkwardness the two had shared were swiftly beaten to the side by their irritation upon realizing what had woken them.

"Keep your muddy hooves away from me!"

"Mah hooves ain't muddy, ya'll know that!"

"Yes, well, they were! There might still be a little on them!"

"There ain't! See?"

"Ewww!"

There was silence for a moment, and both Emerald and Sparky started redirecting their attention back to their own issue, but it was interrupted once again,

"Oh, now who's bein' inconsiderate?"

"Ohhh! I have to remake the bed so the blanket's right! Get up!"

**_*THUD*_**

"Ah! Hey!"

Sparky gave a low growl from her position, but otherwise buried her head further into his chest, likely attempting to block out Rarity and Applejack's incessant arguing.

Emerald attempted to do the same, having to resort to folding his ears over his head. Try as he might, however, he could still faintly hear the two of them arguing, their voices taking on a muffled tone as they started an impromptu game of tug'o'war.

Eventually his patience started to wear down dangerously thin, but before he could voice his thoughts, Sparky beat him to it.

"_ENOUGH_!" she shouted, having shot up, tearing herself out of Emerald's limbs without a second thought, "You two need to quit arguing!" she snapped, glaring furiously at the two mares in question, who had each frozen, wide-eyed at their normally quiet friend's anger.

Of course Sparky ruined the affect by shoving 'Slumber Parties 101' in their faces,

"It says here that a successful slumber party requires ponies to 'have fun!', and thanks to you two I can't check that off!" she shouted, crossing her hooves with a huff.

"W-well, I've been tryin' mah hardest ta get along!"

"No, I'm the one who's been trying my best."

"No, me!"

"No, me!"

"No, _me_!"

"_No_, me!"

"Shut up!" Emerald snarled, sitting up violently.

"Emerald's right," Sparky began, "So I hope you two are happy. You've ruined my very first slumber party! The makeovers, the s'mores, the pillow fight! Can anything else go wrong?!"

**_*CRACK'A'BOOM*_**

The sound of something being struck by lightning echoed from right outside the window, punctuated by a bright flash of light

"... You just had to ask..." Emerald muttered, slinking out of the bed and over to the window, alongside Rarity and Applejack.

The two mares gasped at the sight. Apparently the lightning had struck a tall tree right next to the library. Oddly enough it had been struck more towards the middle of the tree than the top, and it had burned away a good portion of the trunk, leaving the heavy wind to push the weakened tree precariously towards the roof of a nearby house.

"Damn," Emerald growled, pushing open the window,

"What in the world are you doing?!" Rarity asked, backing away from the onslaught of rain now being let into the room,

"I'm jumping out, what does it look like?" Emerald asked, but he had already jumped before she could answer.

"Ya see Rarity?!" Applejack snapped, turning away from the sight of her green friend, "This is why we had ta take down all those branches! Not pretty 'em up!"

"Well, I see that, but-!"

"No buts!" Applejack snapped again, before stomping over to her hat and snatching up the length of rope she had kept in it, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I gotta help Emerald," she said, marching back up to the window.

With practiced ease, the cowmare flung her lasso up into the air, already twirling it like a pro, before snapping it out the window, snagging the tall tree around it's middle, surprising the stallion who was trying to shove it down between houses.

"Applejack, don't-!"

"That's how ya get it done, Rarity!" she interrupted, before yanking hard on the rope.

A moment later, Applejack turned to Rarity with a smug look on her face, but it was quickly wiped away at the wide-eyed looks on both of the unicorn's faces, prompting her to turn back around.

Applejack let out a surprised yelp and tumbled backward in surprise when her nose brushed against some leaves, the tree having been stopped just before crashing through the house. Sparky and Rarity both moved forward, the shock having left their systems rather quickly, and glanced out the window, finding Emerald underneath the tree, having caught it in the nick of time.

"Grr... someone slap that idiot!" he growled, already pushing the tree away from the library, "Honestly, how the fuck did she not notice she was pulling a collapsing tree right on top of her?!" he shouted over the wind.

"Hehe, sorry?" the mare in question laughed sheepishly at the dark looks her two friends were throwing her.

"This is why it's important to pay attention to detail, Applejack," Rarity admonished, feeling a hint of glee at getting to tell the mare off, especially after her last comment, "If you had bothered to actually look, like Emerald and I, you would've realized that you were about to ruin Twilight's house!"

Meanwhile, Twilight herself was busy leafing through her book, wondering exactly where 'outside maintenance' came into play.

... Did this count as camping? If so, then it explained a lot.

Emerald sighed, letting the tree fall safely to the ground with a notable '**_*THUD*_**'**_._** He shook his head, landing on the burned stump left behind by the lightning strike, letting his breathing calm and his heart rate drop.

Seeing Applejack do something that stupid had nearly gotten him to panic. Really, how could anyone be that blind? He would've thought that, as a member of the Apple Family as well as someone who worked with trees, she would've known the number one rule when cutting down a tree.

_Make sure you know where it's going to fall._

Apparently not. Maybe it shouldn't surprise him. The Apple's took very good care of their trees, and, in all honesty, Macintosh was likely the one who dealt with cutting trees down, given his status as the elder sibling.

Whatever. There was still one issue he had to solve.

He glided back over to Sparky's bedroom window, shutting it gently behind him, but his appearance caused all conversation in the room to cease.

His gaze snapped up, focusing immediately on the two trouble mares, Rarity and Applejack.

"You two, front and center. _Now_," he ordered, his tone demanding absolute obedience. They seemed to catch on, as they did as ordered immediately.

"Alright," he began, taking idle notice that Sparky was looking through her book for some reason or another, "What is your issue with each other?" he asked, looking back and forth between them, "Well? Speak."

The two mares glared at each other, before Applejack spoke up.

"Well... like I said earlier, Rarity here is too busy lookin' at all the little detail's, that she won't see the big picture," Applejack stated,

"And I believe that Applejack is much too focused to actually pay attention to certain details... like watching where a tree is about to fall," Rarity said, muttering that last part to herself.

"Right," Emerald said, before taking a deep breath, "You're both idiots,"

That seemed to have startled the two mares, who each sent him a rather affronted expression, and likely would've started to berate him had he not held up a hoof.

"Let me finish, you lot," he snapped, before straightening his back, "Listen, you two. You're both right, and, at the same time, you're both wrong," he began calmly, "The idea of looking at the little details and focusing on the big picture should be one and the same. You can't just do one and forget the other, otherwise things like _that_-" he gestured to the blackened remains of the tree outside, "will happen more often. You have to find the happy medium between the two, or else you'll be in for a very difficult life, get it?"

""Got it,"" they muttered, looking down at their hooves,

"_Good._"

* * *

After scolding the two mares a little more, they ended up talking to each other, an event that Emerald was all too happy to tune out in favour of checking up on Sparky, who had yet to pull her nose out of her book.

Anyhow, they ended up making up rather quickly, making Emerald wonder why the argument seemed to affect them so badly in the first place.

But as it was, the two of them got along pretty well after that. But it wasn't going to last, as the sun finally decided it was time to rise, marking the end of their little sleep-over, with Emerald being all too happy to leave.

Of course, that didn't go unnoticed.

"Leaving already?" a voice asked, causing Emerald to pause in front of the door. He turned around, finding all three mares watching him, each looking a little put off. Regardless, he nodded,

"I've got work, remember?"

"Well, you don't have to leave just yet," Rarity said, smiling slightly,

"Yeah, I mean, we've got some time ta play a few games, don't ya think?" Applejack added,

"After all, I can't exactly check off 'Have fun' without all of us, right?" Sparky finally asked, smiling shyly as she held up her book, gently tapping it with a quill.

Emerald sighed, but, after a moment, smirked.

"Fine. But if I'm late, you're taking the blame."

Twilight smiled gently, watching as Emerald gave the two blindfolded mares directions through a little book maze she'd helped build.

It was a nice feeling, spending time with her friends. Even if Emerald had been a little more distant than usual during the whole thing, he seemed to have loosened up now that morning had come around.

She giggled slightly, before turning back to the blank scroll she had unfurled in front of her.

"'_Dear Princess Celestia_'-" she began under her breath, writing down every word as she spoke, "'_I've always thought that two ponies whose personalities were worlds apart could never get along. But, today, I've learned that if you embrace those differences, you'd be surprised to find that you could be close friends after all! My friends Applejack and Rarity helped me learn that_.'" she muttered softly before taking another look at her friends, stifling a laugh when she saw that Applejack had somehow ended up buried beneath a tower of books, with Emerald shaking his head. She frowned at the sight of him, the memory of their earlier conversation returning, and she sighed.

He said he'd tell them his secret once they were all gathered in the same room, but...

Did she really want to know?

It was his secret after all, and Celestia knows that there were some things that even she could never bring herself to tell her friends. So, was it fair for them to push him into revealing something about himself that he likely wasn't comfortable with sharing?

Twilight didn't know.

But she hoped she'd figure out the answer soon.


	17. Cutie Mark Confessions

**Sorry for the crazy long wait everyone! Time sensitive matters, coupled with the holidays, coupled with the sudden and unpleasant discovery of my shellfish allergy made life a total bitch lately.**

**Regardless of the bullshit that is my daily life, let's get on with the story!**

* * *

Today...

Today was going to be a strange day, Emerald could tell.

Not only had the six mares agreed to meet up at Sugarcube Corner later today, but Pinkie had all but stronghoofed him into agreeing to 'spill the beans' when they all arrived.

As it was, now he was busy trying to come up with what to say.

Oh, he wasn't stupid, far from it. Emerald was fully aware of his intelligence, but right now, it just wasn't responding.

He had to think over every single possible question the six of them could ask.

_What are you?_

_What's a thestral?_

_What do thestrals eat?_

But the one he dreaded most?

_Why are you here?_

True he could come up with some half-assed backstory, but the problem with that was telling the others about it, as well as keeping facts between eight different perspectives straight.

No, he had to tell the truth.

Or at least, some of the truth.

Besides, his life before meeting Celestia had little impact on his job.

At least... for the most part.

He'd likely have to make up something when it came to that. But given that he'd be omitting a lot of details already, he might be able to get away without saying too much on the subject.

Well, no point in delaying the inevitable.

Emerald sighed, glancing up at his namesake, wondering if it would be worth the trouble if he just decided to fly away. It wouldn't be hard. He knew he could outfly Crash any day of the week, and he doubted any of them would think to check the Guard for him.

He shook his head.

No, it probably wouldn't be worth the hassle, he decided.

"Everything alright?" a familiar voice asked from beside him. Emerald shook his head, not bothering to turn around,

"Not really, Drops," he told the candy-maned mare, "Did somethin' stupid, now I gotta tell a bunch of ponies what I am,"

"Really?" she asked, surprised, "What'd you do?"

"Got eaten by a hydra."

"... Yeah that sounds like something you'd do."

"I was afraid you'd say that," Bon Bon chuckled, and moved in front of him,

"So, what are you gonna do?" she asked, before she tilted her head in thought, "Well, aside from be vague," Emerald shrugged,

"Tell the truth. Some of it, at least. The Agency and my Championship are definitely staying a secret. As is my station as their bodyguard. But the Facility and Nocturne aren't exactly top secret. They might not be common knowledge, but anyone looking through the Canterlot Library or Royal Archives hard enough could find the information," Bon Bon nodded,

"I guess that's as good an idea as any," she said, tapping her chin, "If you need any help, don't be afraid to ask, alright?" she asked. He nodded,

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Drops."

"No problem," she said, glancing towards the center of the street, where ponies were happily milling about, "Good luck," she added, giving him a pat on the shoulder, before she walked off, disappearing into the crowd moments later.

Emerald let out a groan, letting his back hit the bakery behind him. This was not gonna be easy, was it?

* * *

He withheld a sigh, closing the register a bit harder than he intended, but no one noticed.

The day had been going by rather slowly, although, considering the amount of anticipation coursing through him, he wasn't surprised.

Certainly didn't help that he was still feeling pent up from lack of action.

Even now there wasn't a single pony in the dining area, or even waiting in line. It was like the entire town knew about his confession later today and was avoiding Sugarcube Corner to give them privacy!

Then again, he supposed it was possible, considering that Pinkie left earlier, for whatever reason.

The sound of the bell ringing broke him from his thoughts, and he was greeted with the sight of the straw-maned mare walking towards him,

"Howdy, Emerald!" she said, smiling brightly at him. He nodded in return,

"Hey Applejack," he replied, before eyeing her curiously, "You seem... oddly chipper. Any reason?"

The apple mare's bright grin turned into a nearly savage smirk as she nodded,

"Eeyup. Some theivin' varmits got their grubby paws on somma mah apples, an' I jus' finished teachin' 'em a lesson," she said happily, before her smirk softened, "Well, that, an' I jus' finished tellin' mah sister an' her friends the story of how I got mah cutie mark. It brought back some happy memories is all," Emerald raised an eyebrow at that,

"Really now? I would've though she'd already known the story, given that you're family, after all."

"Same," she agreed, but shrugged, "but I guess I was wrong. The Crusaders are lookin' fer Dash, but if I know mah sister an' her friends, they'll probably run right inta the others first,"

"Sounds about right,"

They lapsed into a moment of silence, with Emerald idly taking inventory, before Applejack spoke back up,

"So how about you?" she asked, catching his attention, "Wanna hear the story?"

"About your mark?" he asked, she nodded, "Isn't that a little personal?" Applejack shrugged,

"I guess. But I reckon you'll be tellin' me an' mah friends somethin' mighty personal 'bout yerself soon enough, right sugarcube?" he nodded, "See? I think it's only fair I tell ya somethin' 'bout mahself."

"Well... if you're sure."

"'Course I am!" Applejack declared happily, "Alright, here goes. See, when I was a little filly, a lot younger than Applebloom, I didn't wanna stay on some little apple farm, so I went on ta live with my Aunt an' Uncle Orange up in Manehatten," Emerald snorted, causing Applejack to roll her eyes, "Yeah, yeah, I know. Me? In Manehatten? But I did. Took a couple'a days, but when I got there mah Aunt an' Uncle were pretty happy ta see me. Said they were lookin' forward ta turnin' me inta a real Manehattenite, or somethin' like that. So I spent 'bout a month there, learnin' ta talk all fancy, before I really started ta get homesick," Applejack gave a fond smile, "I never realized just how much I'd miss mah life on the farm. But I was committed, I was sure I'd stay, but then, it happened. A massive rainbow came flyin' outta nowhere, pointin' me straight home!" she gushed brightly, not noticing the interested glint in Emerald's eye, "I followed it all the home, how could I not? An' when I got home, I got this feelin' right here," she patted her chest, directly over her heart, "an' I knew I was where I was meant ta be. Then this ol' thing appeared," she said, directing her gaze to the trio of apples on her flank, "an' I've been werkin' the farm ever since!"

"Well... isn't that a... heartwarming tale," he said, a little lost in thought.

His mind kept replaying that one sentence. Was it possible? It certainly was, but...

Applejack didn't say anything about this rainbow being Crash's Rainboom, so... coincidence?

"Thank ya kindly, Emerald!" she smiled, before looking curious, "So... how about you? How'd ya get yer mark?" Emerald shook his head,

"That's... kind of part of the story I'll be telling later. Besides, I'd rather not have to repeat it six times," he said, causing Applejack to nod,

"That's fair, I suppose," she said.

Things were quiet for a moment, before Emerald's ear twitched, just as the door opened once again, the bell ringing through the silence as a familiar yellow pegasus poked her head through the door.

"Oh!" she gasped, looking at Applejack and Emerald, "Hello everypony," she whispered, gently striding into the room, "I'm sorry if I took a little while, I was helping some ducklings find their way into the river," she said, smiling gently.

"No problem Shy," Applejack said, "I jus' finished tellin' Emerald how I got mah cutie mark," Fluttershy perked up slightly,

"Really?" she asked, "Did the Cutie Mark Crusaders ask you too?"

"Eeyup!" she replied, before smirking, "Lemme guess, they ran inta you?" Fluttershy nodded,

"Mmhm," she said with a soft smile, "They were looking for Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo really wants to hear her cutie mark story. I was happy to tell them mine, since Rainbow Dash helped me get it,"

"Really?" Emerald asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief, something Applejack seemed to share,

"How in the world did she help ya, Shy?" she asked, before chuckling, "Did she get ambushed by a bunch'a butterflies while nappin'?" she laughed. Fluttershy earnestly shook her head,

"Oh no, not at all!" she said, "I don't know if you'd guess it, but I was really shy as a filly," she said, not noticing the deadpan look Emerald sent her, "I was also a really weak flyer. I was such a weak flyer, in fact, that ponies tended to tease me about it. But Rainbow Dash always came by to help me, even though those foals teased her too," she said sadly, before brightening, "But one day, she challenged them to a race, and they asked me to wave the flag to start them off," she suddenly blushed, "I... well, they took off really fast, so fast that they accidentally knocked me off a cloud to the ground below Cloudsdale. I would've really gotten hurt, but a big swarm of butterflies caught me! I'd never seen them before, since the only animals that flew up to Cloudsdale were birds, and I had never been near the ground before then. I loved all of it!" she gushed, "The squirrels, the rabbits, the flowers, and the trees, everything! I loved everything about the ground! But, then out of nowhere there was this big explosion!" Fluttershy breathed, wide-eyed, "It scared all of the animals around me, and it made me feel awful. So I went around and tried to calm them all down, and they all just... understood me. I just had this ability to talk to the animals on a whole other level! And then, my cutie mark appeared," she finished gently, smiling brightly.

"Well, ain't that sweet?" Applejack said, smiling warmly at her shy friend,

"Can't imagine your parents were happy to hear about your fall," Emerald stated. Fluttershy blushed slightly, but nodded,

"They were really worried, but when they saw my cutie mark they were very proud of me," she said, "My flying got better after that, since I would spend every recess in Flight School flying to the ground to play with the animals. I moved to Ponyville when I turned sixteen, and I've never regretted it,"

"Well, it's good to-" the sound of the bell ringing as the door suddenly opened cut Emerald off abruptly as the familiar form of Rarity strutted in.

"Helloooo everypony!~" she announced, "I'm soooo sorry I'm la-" she cut herself off, looking around the room, "Oh? My, and here I was under the impression that I'd lost track of time. Well, it's good to know that I'm not late, at least."

"What made you think you were late, Rarity?" Fluttershy asked, worried. She waved off her friends concern,

"Oh nothing much. I had just finished working on some of my designs when Sweetie Belle and her little friends stopped by to ask me where Rainbow Dash was. Of course I didn't know, but Sweetie asked me to tell them about my cutie mark and how I got it. I was so caught up all those old memories that I feared I'd lost track of time. But it seems I was worrying over nothing," she said.

"They got ta ya, too?" Applejack asked, smirking,

"Hmm?" Rarity glanced at Applejack curiously, "Whatever do you mean?"

"Seems those three have been going around, asking the three of you about your marks," Emerald commented, "They're looking for Crash, far as I can tell," he said, idly noting that Fluttershy winced at the name.

"Yeah, an' Shy an' I jus' finished tellin' ours ta Emerald here," Applejack said, before grinning at the fashionista, "Care ta share, Rare?" Rarity tittered, but smiled and nodded regardless.

"Well... I don't mind," she said, before straightening her posture, "Well, I've always been interested in fashion, even as a young filly," she began, "But it wasn't until I was volunteered to make the costumes for a play the schoolhouse was hosting that I discovered my cutie mark. You see, I had already finished the costumes, but I just knew, deep down, that they were missing _SOMETHING_!" she declared dramatically, "I spent all afternoon trying to figure out just what it was, when my horn started acting up. Now, I'm not sure if you all know this or not, but unicorn magic rarely ever happens without a reason, so I was content to let it... well, drag me far out into the Ponyville Quarry. Not that I could've resisted if I wanted to, but, I digress," she muttered, before shaking her head, "Anyhow my magic eventually petered out, leaving me standing right in front of a very large rock formation. I was... understandably upset, of course. My magic had seemingly dragged me out to the middle of nowhere... for a _rock_," she gave a sheepish smile, before it brightened, "Ah, but it wasn't for naught. There was a sudden, and very large, explosion just beyond the rock, out of my vision, followed by an exquisite rainbow, but my attention was more on the rock in front of me. The vibration from that explosion had been strong enough to split it open from the top down. As it turned out, that large rock was hiding a cache of gems inside! Oh it was marvelous! I spent all day transporting those gems back home, and I was finally able to truly finish those costumes, adding a little extra shine to them as I did so! My cutie mark appeared shortly after, and I've been able to use that gem-locating spell ever since," she finished, smiling fondly.

"That's wonderful Rarity!" Fluttershy gushed,

"So that's why everypony liked that darn show..." Applejack muttered.

"So... your mark represents your ability to find and use gems?" Emerald asked. Rarity nodded,

"That's right!~ Although, I suppose one could say it represents my ability to make others _shine_!" she added, smiling brightly.

"Considering those outfits you made us, I'm inclined to believe that," he retorted, smirking. Rarity giggled.

The door suddenly opened once more, nearly knocking the bell down from its suddenness. In direct contrast to the door's violent opening, Sparky came bouncing in, looking for all the world like a purple Pinkie Pie.

There was a bright smile on her face as she bounced in, not even bothering to acknowledge the others in the room.

"Well, someone certainly seems happy. What's the occasion, Sparky?"

Emerald's sudden question caused Sparky to abruptly stop in the middle of the room. Her eyes widened as she looked around, as if she'd been unaware of her surroundings prior to his question. Her face reddened in response as she gave a sheepish chuckle to her friends,

"Oh, uh... h-hey girls... Emerald..." she muttered, looking away, embarrassed.

"My, my, Twilight," Rarity began, "What in the world could've gotten a pony like you so excited?"

"Did you tell the Crusaders about how you got your cutie mark, by any chance?" Emerald asked before she could respond. Sparky blinked at him, stunned,

"H-how did you...?" Applejack laughed at her confused muttering,

"Those girls have been goin' 'round askin' all of us 'bout our cutie marks," she said, gesturing to the other two mares, "An' we've been sharin' 'em with Emerald here too. 'S only fair, considerin' what he's gonna be tellin' us soon enough, right?"

"I never thought about that..." Fluttershy murmured, but otherwise remained silent.

"Oh. That makes sense. Those girls are a little... obsessed with getting their cutie marks,"

"Who _wasn't_ at their age?" Rarity inquired, smiling mischievously,

"So, how'd ya get yers, Twi?" Applejack asked. Sparky smiled,

"Well... it all started when I attended my very first Summer Sun Celebration. I'd never seen Princess Celestia raise the sun before, so I was pretty excited. It was amazing," she breathed, her expression that of total awe, even at the mere memory, "I thought it was the most amazing thing in the world at the time, and I still do. The magic that the princess wielded was... awe-inspiring, and it was that, that got me interested in magic when I was a filly. It might be a little surprising to hear, but I wasn't always enamored with reading. I used to just play around with my Smarty Pants doll until then. But after that I wanted to know everything about magic, I wanted to see if I could ever make something as beautiful as the princess's sunrise, so I started reading. And reading, and reading. I practiced my magic everyday, until one day my parents decided to enroll me in Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. The only problem was... I had to take an entrance exam!" she gushed, a hint of phantom fear in her eyes, "I was so nervous! What if I screwed up?! What if I embarrassed myself?! What if-?!"

"We get it," Emerald deadpanned. Sparky flushed,

"Sorry... a-anyways, my test involved a dragon egg. I was supposed to hatch it using nothing but my magic. It... wasn't going well. No matter what I did I just couldn't get my magic to do what I wanted it to," she admitted sadly, before her eyes took on a haunted look, "Then, out of nowhere there was a massive explosion. I don't know what caused it, but it startled me so bad that I lost control and my magic Surged," she said, causing Rarity to gasp lightly, "It was out of control and my magic was going everywhere. I though I'd pass out before my magic ran out, but Princess Celestia calmed me down. I was scared. I had lost control. I accidentally turned the judges, and even my parents, into plants and animals! I was terrified that I'd get thrown into prison that I hadn't even realized that during my magic surge... I hatched the egg. Not only did I properly hatch the egg, but I'd caused him to spontaneously grow and break through the ceiling, but... I did it," she breathed, but then tensed, "Like I said though, I hadn't realized it until she told me that not only did I pass, but she would treat me to some ice cream as a congratulations for earning my cutie mark!"

"Goodness, was that egg...?"

"Yep! It was Spike!" Sparky gushed, "Since it was my magic that hatched him, Princess Celestia asked me and my family to raise him as our own, and he's been by my side ever since,"

"Well, ain't that jus' the sweetest thing?" Applejack asked, causing Sparky to flush.

"It was nothing..." she murmured, scratching her cheek idly.

"Seems like a bit much to ask a filly to hatch a dragon's egg," Emerald remarked. Sparky glanced at him,

"Well... the Princess mentioned that the test was more about what methods the foals would use to _try_ and hatch it... I... was a special case..." she muttered, turning red.

Once again, the door to the bakery opened up, preventing Emerald from responding, and Pinkie Pie came bouncing in without a care in the world, completely ignoring the scathing look Emerald sent her,

"You're late, Pinkie," he snapped. She stopped bouncing and regarded him with an oblivious grin,

"Sorry!" she said, though he wasn't sure if it was sincere or not, "I heard from Trixie, who heard from Bon Bon, who heard from Carrot Top, who heard from Ditzy that the Cutie Mark Crusaders were looking for stories! So I went around looking for them!"

"I take it you found them?" Rarity asked,

"Yeppers!"

"So... you told them how you got your cutie mark?" Sparky asked curiously,

"Totally!" Pinkie replied happily.

"... Are you going to tell us how you got your cutie mark?" Emerald asked after a minute of silence.

"Oh! Okay!" she responded, before plopping her rear on the ground, "Well, I was raised on a rock farm," she continued, "There wasn't much talking during work, and nopony ever had a reason to laugh on the farm. I was in the south field at the time, getting ready to head in for lunch when out of nowhere there was this big 'BOOM!' and an amazing rainbow appeared! It made me so happy just looking at it! And I'd never felt joy like that before! I just wanted to keep on smiling and smiling forever and ever!" she chirped excitedly, practically vibrating on the spot, before she abruptly saddened, "I wanted to share my joy with the rest of my family, but... rainbows didn't come around that often. So I thought and thought about how else I could get them to smile, and I had the greatest idea ever! It took me the rest of the day, and all night, but I did it! I had set up my first ever party all by myself!" she cheered, "I got my parents and sisters to come in and..." her smile softened, even as a small set of tears began to well in her eyes, "... that was the first time I ever saw my family smile too... it made me so happy, and my cutie mark appeared as we were partying,"

Small tears fell down Pinkie's cheeks, prompting the girls to surround her and practically drag her into a group hug, each one commenting on how lovely her story was.

Emerald however had lapsed into silence.

These mares... all five of them had seen that rainbow too...

It brought Applejack home.

It took Fluttershy to a place where she could be happy.

It jump started a lifestyle that Rarity cherished.

It made Twilight into who she was.

It taught Pinkie to smile.

It gave him _hope_.

The six of them-_likely seven when Crash inevitably told them hers_-all earned their marks at around the same time. That was... odd.

The chances of that happening were...

He didn't even know.

But the fact that, not only had they seen the same rainbow that gave them all their marks, but the fact that they all happened to congregate to the same place, at the same time...

... Was it fate?

Did such a concept exist?

If so, what else did it have in store for him and these mares?

"Wait..." Sparky's voice broke him from his thoughts, prompting him to look up as the mares all separated, "Pinkie... I think I heard the same explosion! And now that you mention it, I could've sworn I saw that rainbow later that day!"

"Yeah... I saw it too!"

"Um, so did I,"

"I did as well,"

"What?!" Pinkie asked, stunned, "Wait, really?!" she gasped, "That's _AMAZING_! We all earned our cutie marks because of the same rainbow?! This calls for a party!"

The mares all laughed at their friend's declaration.

"I can't believe it," Rarity breathed through her laughter, "To think, we were connected before we even met," she added, smiling softly,

"Whaddya think caused it, though?" Applejack asked, "I mean, not jus' anythin' makes an explosion an' rainbow like that," she said, causing Pinkie to perk up,

"Nothing except a-!"

"Sonic Rainboom," Emerald interjected, catching their attention, "After all, Crash has, supposedly, performed two of them. One during the Best Young Fliers Competition, and once when she was a filly... specifically around the same time we earned our cutie marks," he said, causing them to gasp,

"Rainbow Dash?" Rarity asked,

"Her Rainboom... really?" Applejack asked,

"Wow..." Fluttershy breathed.

"'_We_'?" Sparky spoke, bringing the other mares attention back onto him, "Did you just say, 'around the same time _we_ earned our cutie marks'?" she asked, staring intently at him.

"Are you sayin'-?" Applejack was cut off as the door to the bakery opened up, once again, causing Emerald to inwardly curse whatever deity was prolonging his suffering.

However, despite this, he had been half-expecting Crash to come waltzing through the door, but, instead, three familiar fillies marched their way inside.

"We've looked everywhere Scootaloo, I don't think Rainbow Dash is in town today," the high pitched voice of Sweetie chirped,

"Yeah, she might still be up at the weather station," Applebloom added, before frowning "Then again, mah sis says she goes 'round nappin' alot, so she might be doin' that!"

"No way!" Scootaloo snarked, "Rainbow's too cool to just go around napping. She's probably just doing a bunch of super dangerous tricks that she doesn't want anypony to see," she muttered sadly.

"Hey girls!" Applejack said, apparently forgetting about Emerald in lieu of her sister's presence, "No luck findin' Rainbow Dash?" she asked, smirking.

"No," Scootaloo moaned, "And we looked everywhere too!"

"Yeah! Sweetie added, "Do you guys know where she is?" she asked. Sparky shook her head,

"Sorry you three," she said, shrugging with a frown, "But she's supposed to be here later today."

"That's amazin'!" Applebloom said, then turned to her friends, "Why don't we jus' wait here 'til she comes by?" she asked,

"Yeah, alright," Scootaloo agreed, "Beats just running around everywhere," she muttered.

While the two of them were talking, Sweetie Belle had jogged over to Emerald, where she eagerly jumped onto one of the stools, and faced him.

"Can I help you, Sweetie Belle?" She beamed at him,

"Well, since we're gonna be stuck here for awhile, I was wondering if maybe you could tell us how you got your cutie mark, Mr. Emerald!"

That caught everyone's attention. Applebloom, whom had been conversing with Scootaloo had jogged over to him and Sweetie, and the five mares in the room had all locked their focus onto him.

The only lackluster reaction was Scootaloo's, whose head had drooped as she let out a pathetic groan.

Emerald glanced amongst the group, eyeing both the fillies and mares warily. He weighed his options.

Or he would have, had he not realized that he had absolutely no way of getting out of this.

So, with a sigh, he began to tell his tale.

"Alright, might as well," he said, ignoring the resigned pegasus filly hop onto the stool next to Applebloom, "I'm sure you all know about, or at least have heard of, the foalnappings around sixteen years ago?" he asked.

"Foalnappings?" Sparky asked, her question echoed by everyone in the room, save for Emerald and Applejack,

"Ya mean the Lost Hundred?" she asked, causing Emerald to nod, "What about 'em?"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Scootaloo suddenly spoke up, looking more animated than before, "What do you mean foalnappings? And what's the 'Lost Hundred'?" she asked, her curious expression mirrored by the others, save, once more, himself and Applejack.

"Thirty ponies," Emerald began, "Twenty griffons. Twenty minotaurs. Ten dragons. Ten zebra. Five yaks. Three buffalo. One changeling. One thestral. One hundred different creatures from around the globe. Foalnapped, without rhyme or reason, aside from the numbers."

"Oh my, is everybody okay?" Fluttershy asked earnestly, fluttering over to the stallion and the three fillies. Emerald tilted his head,

"... Define 'okay'," he said, "Because none of us were okay after that. Bits and pieces of it haunt us, even today, but, for the most part, we're fine. However if you mean 'okay' as in, 'alive', then no. Of that hundred, only thirty-two made it out. Some not as much as others," Emerald added blandly.

"'_Us_'?" Sparky asked, her voice hoarse. He nodded,

"Yes. 'Us'. I, along with Trixie and Wisp, are, or were, apart of the Lost Hundred,"

"Wh-wh... b-but who would do such a thing?!" Rarity asked, her pale coat having turned a sickly ashen white, "What could have possibly k-... k-killed all those others?!" Emerald regarded the mare for a moment, before shrugging,

"We were... toys. Playthings that our captors used for... their entertainment," he said, his mind running wild to properly go over the details, picking and choosing exactly what he should and shouldn't say, "We were only foals when we were taken, so a lot of us couldn't handle the harsh treatment and labor we were put through, and thus, died. But that's not what I'm trying to tell you," he said, trying to steer them back on track, "I earned my cutie mark largely by chance. I'll admit to that easily. However, as it is, me earning my cutie mark saved my life, as well as the lives of those other twenty-nine. You see I was taken from my home outside of Equestria not too long after my sixth birthday. I'm not sure exactly when it happened, it was hard to tell time from within a cell underground after all, but I do know that it was at least a year or so after my capture. Anyhow, one day, as I was laying in my cell... nursing my wounds, let's say, something happened. Something... extraordinary. The world shook. A massive explosion, the likes of which I had not known, shook the facility we were in. Dust shook from the walls. Floors collapsed. Metal tore. Everything was breaking because of that explosion. Including the roof to my cell. Now, I'm not sure why my cell was located so close to the surface at the time, but a rather large chunk of the ceiling tore and nearly crushed me. I managed to move in time, just as it hit the ground where I'd been, breaking my chains in the process. So now, there was a hole in my ceiling, leading to the vast, open, blue sky that I had honestly forgotten existed. My curiosity got the better of me and, instead of running, I just... hopped up and took a look outside," Emerald closed his eyes, and sighed deeply,

"It was amazing. A massive rainbow, stretching across the sky farther than I could ever see, is what I saw. It was beautiful," Emerald chuckled, bitterly, "I probably should've just taken off, then. But I didn't. I was a young colt, a foal, still. In hindsight that's a good thing. If I had run off I wouldn't have been able to help the others, but..." he shook his head, "Anyways. My little moment didn't last, since I was pulled back into my cell by some of my captors, where they repaired the damages and administered a 'punishment', since I had almost bolted," the mares all winced at his tone upon the use of the word 'punishment', but it seemed to have gone over the filly's heads, at least, "It was while I was laying on the ground a few hours after, where I started thinking. 'I want to see another rainbow.'. It was a simple thought, but it was something new. Something I'd never had in my time there. I'd always wondered how my life would go, even more so at that place. I had something then. A reason. A purpose. Something that would keep me going, even when my body wanted to give in. I wanted to see another rainbow, and in order to do that, I needed to be free. Then this appeared," he said, glancing at the unassuming mark on his flank, "Even now, I have no idea what it means," he admitted, "I also didn't know what life would have in store for me, but so long as I could free myself and find another rainbow, I didn't care. That's how I got my mark. I'm not repeating this to Crash, by the way," he said, adding that last part dully.

The eight females in the room were silent as they processed the, admittedly, abundant amount of information he'd all but dropped onto them. Eventually, one of them spoke.

"That's... wow..."

Well, it was better than he'd been expecting, at least.

"Yeah... wow..."

Emerald glanced over each of the mares, taking in their reactions.

Predictably, Rarity and Fluttershy held expressions of varying horror, Applejack seemed angry, Pinkie was dejected, and Sparky was staring off into space, likely trying to piece together some bit of information she'd heard with his story.

The Crusader's, however...

"How'd you get out?!"

"Was it scary?!"

"Wisp was there too?!"

He sighed. Their enthusiasm was completely unexpected, but it was welcome nonetheless. Even if he could do without the questions.

Thankfully, it seemed the Crusader's sudden questioning snapped the five mares out of their thoughts,

"Wha- Sweetie Belle!"

"Applebloom!"

"Scootaloo!"

"""What?"""

Emerald sniggered, but otherwise didn't make a sound.

They were interrupted, however, by the bell above the door ringing for, what was hopefully, the last time today.

He hadn't even realized how much time had passed while they were talking.

"Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo cried, zipping over to her apparent idol, who laughed when she parked in front of her,

"Hey Squirt," she greeted, "Heard you've been lookin' for me and my cutie mark story, right?" she asked,

"Totally! We've had to listen to a bunch of other sappy stories, they were all about finding yourself and doing what you liked and stuff," she complained. Crash blinked, but didn't comment,

"Cool. Anyway, you ready to hear a _real_ cutie mark story?"

"Yeah!"

"Filled with action?"

"Yeah!"

"Awesomeness?"

"YEAH!"

""""""""JUST TELL THE STORY!"""""""" the entire room shouted, causing Crash to violently recoil, although she quickly composed herself,

"Okay! Okay!... Jeez..." she muttered, before standing straight and puffing her chest out, "Alright. It was back in Flight School when I was a filly. Fluttershy over there was getting picked on by some colts, so I swooped right in and told 'em off. You should've seen 'em Scoots, they were terrified of me," she boasted, grinning cockily, although it disappeared at the deadpan look Fluttershy was giving her, "Aaaanyway! I told 'em to back off, and when they wouldn't I challenged them to a race. I won, of course," she added, "But see, thing is we were flying across the school's flight track, zipping past clouds. I'd never flown that like before, and it was amazing! The freedom was the greatest thing I'd ever felt! The speed, the adrenaline, the wind in my mane! I loved it! Of course, I liked winning a lot more than going fast, so as I was coasting towards the last ring, _BOOM_!" she shouted, throwing her hooves out wide, "A Sonic Rainboom, just like that! It was awesome! Not only did I discover racing, but I proved those old mares tales about the Sonic Rainboom true!" she gushed, before calming herself down, and relaxed her posture, "And that girls, is how ya earn a cutie mark," she finished in a would-be-cool tone, had the massive grin on her face not contradicted it.

"""Woah..."""

"Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy began, marching forward, "I heard that explosion too. If it hadn't scared the animals, I wouldn't have learned I could communicate with them!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, and so did I!" Pinkie jumped in, "The rainbow I saw taught me how to smile!" she added,

"An' when I earned mah cutie mark, I saw a rainbow pointin' me straight home,"

"Indeed, there was an explosion that I could never explain when I earned mine,"

"And if that explosion had never happened, I would've absolutely blown my entrance exam!"

"And if I hadn't seen that rainbow, I would still be rotting away in my old cell."

"Cell?" she asked, but she went ignored as Pinkie tackled her in a hug,

"We owe all of our cutie marks to you, Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie exclaimed,

"Don't you realize what this means?" Fluttershy asked, "The six of us all had a special connection before we'd even met!"

"I think you mean 'the _seven_ of us', dear," Rarity interjected, smiling gently, "And we've all been friends before we even knew it!"

"Come 'ere ya'll!" Applejack exclaimed, excitedly dragging the six mares into a hug.

"You too, Emerald!" Sparky said, smiling as her horn lit up, causing Emerald to flip over the counter, and land next to Crash in a burst of light, just as they were swept up into a seven-pony hug.

Emerald fidgeted from his position amidst the six giggling mares, feeling rather uncomfortable. Even so, there was little he could do to escape, so he just sighed and accepted his fate, ignoring the slight grin that wormed its way onto his face.

* * *

"So... you gonna explain now?" the scratchy voice of Crash asked.

After the hug had ended, the Crusaders had ventured off to do who-knows-what, leaving the seven adults behind in Sugarcube Corner.

Sparky, however, had adamantly insisted that they move over to the library, as she wanted to write one of her friendship letters to the princess as soon as possible, and had only been stopped when the memory of Emerald's confession was brought up.

As it was, the seven of them were sitting in the middle of the library's ground floor, with the mares forming a half-circle in front of him, each of them looking at him with expectant eyes.

Applejack elbowed Crash,

"Simmer down, Rainbow. Give 'im a minute, I can't exactly imagine how hard it must be fer 'im ta explain what happened,"

"Speaking of," Rarity cut in, "What _did_ happen, exactly?" Emerald frowned, and glanced at Sparky,

"Didn't you tell them?" he asked. Sparky flushed, but shook her head,

"W-well, I meant too, but... Pinkie sense kinda snuck up on me after that," she admitted, "Plus I figured that since four of us knew, one of us would end up mentioning it to the others..." she muttered.

"Well, they didn't, so what's this all about?" Crash asked again.

"This whole thing, is about what species I am, since it's become rather apparent that I'm, at least, not _completely_ pony," Emerald admitted,

"What?!"

"Emerald's right," Sparky began, "When that hydra was chasing us, you ended up getting hurt. Your wing," she glanced at the appendage in question, "was injured and bleeding, but I couldn't see the wound at all. Plus, it was coming from your feathers. That's... that's not possible," she said.

"An' ya breathed fire," Applejack added nonchalantly.

"I'm sorry... what did you just say?" Rarity asked, staring at Applejack as if she'd just grown another head,

"He breathed fire. Yes, Applejack is telling the truth," Sparky clarified, her gaze not wavering from Emerald at all, "So, Emerald... what are you?"

He frowned.

How to answer this? He could easily just go and tell them the truth. That he was a member of a species known as thestrals. He could, also, lie and say he was half pony, since that was what Fluttershy thought. At least, she did think it at one point. She may have put two and two together already, but he wasn't sure.

In the end, it boiled down to one thing.

Should he be honest?

It didn't affect his job too much. Of course if he did tell the truth and they spotted him around at night, they may become suspicious, but the chances of that were low, and even then, he was sure he could avoid it when necessary.

With that thought in mind, he began.

"I'm a thestral," he admitted, taking note that Fluttershy was the only one whose eyes had widened.

It seemed she _hadn't_ put two and two together after all.

Oh well.

"A... a what?" Pinkie asked.

"A thestral," he repeated, "Bat-pony, pony-dragon. A thestral."

"Bat-pony?" Sparky asked, before her eyes widened and, a flash of light later, she shoved a familiar book in his face, "Y-you mean like Sky?!"

Was _that_ the first thing to come to mind for her or something?

Regardless, he nodded.

"Pfft, yeah right," Crash snarked, waving her hoof dismissively, "You don't look like a bat-pony," she said.

"Thestral," he corrected, then lifted his left hoof, where his bracelet sat, "And of course not. Ponies are a very skittish lot. If a race as peaceful as zebra are enough to send you all running-" he ignored the six of them wincing at that, "-then who knows how you'd react to the very thing that inspired vampires?" he questioned, "This bracelet is enchanted to hide my appearance so long as I wear it," he admitted once again.

"... C-can we see...?" Fluttershy asked,

"See... what?"

"Wh-what you really look like..." she specified.

Emerald bit his lip. He was fine with telling them the truth, but actively showing them was another matter entirely. Had any of the other five asked him that, he would've declined immediately, but... Fluttershy was family, and half thestral as well.

Half-thestral...

"I'll show you, if you promise to tell them about your father, Shy. Deal?" Fluttershy's bright yellow coat went the colour of sour milk, but, after a moment of hesitation, she nodded,

"O-okay... deal."

"Shy, what is he talkin' 'bout?"

"M-my dad... he's a thestral too," she admitted.

"What?" Crash asked, before laughing, "Come on, Shy. I've met your dad, and he's no bat-pony," she said, smirking,

"That's because he's not my _real_ dad," she said, her confidence rising the more she spoke, "My dad left me and Mom when I was a filly. My Step-Dad is Zephyr's real dad, but... not mine."

"Yeah, and her real father just so happens to be my worthless uncle," Emerald snapped, idly fiddling with his bracelet, ready to take it off.

"Oh yeah?" Crash challenged, "And why should we believe you? You haven't even-" she cut herself off with a gasp that the other mares echoed as Emerald's bracelet hit the ground.

They watched, stunned as a spell they didn't know he had flashed, before fading away, revealing his real appearance.

Stunned eyes roamed his form, taking in the leathery appearance of his wings, his large, curved ears, each tipped by a small tuft of fur, even his long, almost fierce looking fangs that jut out from his upper lip.

But the most noticeable feature was, of course, his eyes.

Just as deep a blue as they'd always been, only now the pupil had elongated and sharped at the tips, looking every bit like a dragon's eye, as he said. What had once been an admittedly dull gaze, was now primal, strong...

_Predatory._

In that moment, five of the six mares understood why he'd been hiding his appearance.

The sixth however, marveled at what a pure-blooded member of her family looked like, as the image of her father was fuzzy at best.

"Wow..." Sparky breathed, absentmindedly trotting forward, the scientific part of her mind taking over.

The presence of fangs suggested a carnivorous diet, but she'd seen him eat grasses as well, so... herbivorous, with fangs being used to bite through tough fruits or nuts? No, he claimed that he was similar to a dragon so... was his stomach like one as well? She knew from experience that Spike could eat pretty much anything so long as he could stomach it, and, since dragons regularly ate gems and other minerals, was virtually everything unless they specifically didn't like it.

That in mind, his large ears were likely for hunting prey, but... he hadn't gone into the forest since arriving in town, so, maybe they were for something else? Then again, they were called bat-ponies for a reason, so, echolocation? She knew that there were some species of sea dragons capable of that.

Regardless, his wings were leathery, suggesting he was a quiet flier...

Speaking of quiet, now that she thought about it, she couldn't recall a time when she could actively hear him doing anything other than talking. His breathing and movements were completely silent, for the most part. Was that a thestral characteristic, or just something unique to him?

"Something you wanna say, Sparky?"

Twilight blinked at the sound of his voice, her mind still working over the various details she had yet to analyze. A moment passed, before her mind finally caught up with the rest of her, leading her to realize how close she had drifted to him while lost in thought.

"Uhh..." she began intelligently, her mind working overtime to come up with _something_ to say. A second passed, with her eyes roaming his form once again, when something clicked.

"Is this why you're always so guarded?" she asked. Apparently the question surprised him, as he didn't answer for a moment, but eventually, he spoke,

"I suppose it's one of the reasons," he said carefully, "You're all... surprisingly calm about this," he noted, his eyes roaming over each of the gathered mares, "Fluttershy, I can understand, but the rest of you...?"

Rarity laughed,

"Well, I've come to learn that you're full of surprises, Emerald," she said, smiling, "Though, I'll admit, you being another species, especially one I've never heard of, never crossed my mind," she joked.

"Yeah," Applejack added, looking sheepish, "'Sides, I learned mah lesson from Zecora. I won't be makin' that mistake anytime soon, I hope."

"Even if you're kinda scary now, you're still Emerald, silly!" Pinkie interjected cheerfully, practically hopping in place, a smile as bright as the sun adorning her features. Crash just shrugged,

"Eh, you're not as tough-looking as some griffons I knew a couple years ago," she remarked, unimpressed.

"We're still friends, Emerald," Sparky began, smiling gently at him, "Even if you're not what we thought you were, you've still proved that you're a friend," she said, before her smile brightened suddenly, "Besides, I can't wait to learn all about your species! Just think about it! A whole new species that nopony knows exists! I can ask so many questions!" she gushed, clapping her hooves together, "What do you eat?! Where do you live?! Why can you breathe fire?! _Do thestrals need to-?!_" an orange hoof slapped itself over her mouth, and a chuckling Applejack slid next to her, looking embarrassed,

"Ehe, don't mind her any, sugarcube. Ya know how Twilight can get," he chuckled,

"I suppose I do, don't I?" he asked, pleasantly surprised at their reactions, or, rather, their lack thereof.

"So... you're half thestral, Shy?" Crash asked the timid mare, who nodded,

"Well, could you tell us about it?" Rarity asked, walking over to her. Pinkie, and the others began migrating over to the normally timid mare, who was looking more and more confident the more she spoke, leaving Emerald sitting by himself, wondering what life would have in store for him now that the cat was out of the bag.

He sighed. Hopefully nothing too bad would come of his species being revealed to these six mares. Regardless, however, he had priorities.

Celestia needed to know about this.


	18. Fear Master

Today, was the day.

He'd do it.

Nothing would stop him.

He'd visit Zecora.

He'd stop by to say hello.

_Just_ as soon he took a shower.

Oh, and he couldn't forget about making breakfast either.

Plus he had work, obviously, so he might not be able to make it until _much_ later...

He was also expecting Fluttershy to come by, but he wasn't sure wh-

**_*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*_**

Speaking of...

Emerald quickly strode over to the door, opening it just in time for a familiar weight to land atop his head, accompanied by a familiar screech from his favourite, and only, little lemon fruit bat. Emerald chuckled lightly,

"Well, Bolero seems happy," he remarked, glancing down from the little bat to the equally yellow pegasus in front of him, "I hope he wasn't _too_ much trouble," he added. Fluttershy simply smiled and shook her head,

"Oh no, not at all!" she insisted, "He was wonderful, and such a little helper as well," she said, smiling up at the little bat. Emerald smirked, raising an eyebrow as he did so,

"'Helpful', eh?" he asked, glancing upwards, "You sure you had the right bat? Bolero's a little troublemaker most of the time... although, he _has_ been better behaved since he came here," Emerald noted.

Maybe it was because Emerald actually allowed Bolero to go hunting in the Whitetail Woods here in Ponyville, something he'd never been allowed to do in Canterlot.

Emerald dropped his gaze back to Fluttershy, but a slight flicker of movement behind her caught his attention.

"Uh, Fluttershy?" he asked, looking past her, "Are you aware the Crusaders are right behind you?"

Indeed they were. Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo were all sitting perhaps ten feet away from the two of them, fidgeting in place, each of them wearing a patchy red cape with a blue and yellow crest on the sides, and...

... Was that _gold silk_ on the underside?

Where in the name of Tartarus did those three get golden silk? Emerald knew from experience how difficult that stuff was to make, so how in the...

Rarity. She was, without a doubt a pony who wouldn't mind going through the process of making it, which was a bitch to do. But given those fillies' pension for destruction, what could have possibly made her think it was a good idea to give them something so precious?

"Oh?" Fluttershy turned her head to glance at the Crusaders, who gave her a sheepish wave, before she looked back at him, "Yes, I know," she said, smiling gently, "Rarity has to make twenty robes to send to Trottingham by tomorrow, but because she'd out of gold silk and has to make more, she can't supervise the girls' sleepover, so I volunteered," she explained, that smiling not leaving her face. Emerald blinked,

"... Shy, I know you're good with animals, but are you sure you can handle three fillies?... Especially _those_ three fillies?" he asked. Fluttershy simply nodded,

"Of course. How different could it be from looking after my animals?" she asked, "I'm sure I'll be fine, they're only fillies, after all," she added, before she brightened, as if an idea had come to her, "Oh! Do you think Wisp would like to come along?" she asked excitedly,

"Wisp?" Emerald asked, surprised, "I mean, I suppose she wouldn't mind," he said, "... And I don't think she's made any friends since coming here... that I know of, at least," he added under his breath, before glancing back up, "I... I'll have to ask, but I'm sure she'll come along."

The sound of small hooves clopping down the stairs caught his attention,

"Speak of the devil," he muttered, turning around, finding his little sister sleepily trotting towards the kitchen counter, missing her glasses, her mane sticking up and out, and her coat looking just a bit unkempt. He chuckled, catching her attention,

"Wh~~~at?" she asked him, yawning,

"Have a nice night?" he asked, smirking,

"Yeah, why?"

"What would you say to a sleepover at Cousin Shy's cottage?"

* * *

Emerald sighed, burying his face in his hooves.

He was stalling, and he knew it.

But what else could he do? He'd been putting off visiting Zecora and the twins since he learned they were in town. He had little idea how they'd react to him suddenly showing up out of nowhere.

Really, at this point he was contemplating avoiding them, and just letting the confrontation happen naturally, even if it meant he'd have little control over the whole thing.

And he couldn't just keep justifying putting it off with random shit either. He could only take so many showers, cook so many meals, work so many hours, before a truly free moment came along, leaving him with nothing to put it off with.

Not to mention his lunch break in an hour.

Faust, what was he gonna do?

"Are you okay, Emerald?" he twitched slightly at the voice, but sighed and turned to face the pink mare, who had stuck her head though the kitchen window,

"Yeah... just wondering how to go about a situation that I put myself into," he muttered, "It's nothing too special though, so I'll be fine," he added, noticing the interested/worried look Pinkie sent him.

"Really?" she asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously, "Are you _suuuurrrre_?" Emerald rolled his eyes, but smirked,

"Yes, Pinkie. I'm sure."

"Okay!"

Emerald chuckled at his... friend's demeanor.

Pinkie really knew how to make someone smile.

* * *

"Damn... now what?"

True to his thoughts, his lunch break came around, leaving him with nothing to do _other_ than go and visit his old friends.

Of course, he wasn't making it easy for himself, oh no. His mind was running a mile a second, trying, and currently failing, to find something to fill the time with.

As it was, it was looking more and more likely he'd have to-

"Hey Emerald!"

-commit _all_ of his attention to the purple mare running up to him. Yep, _all_ of it.

For _nooooo_ reason, other than it was the polite thing to do.

Honest.

"Sparky?" he asked, raising his head from the table he'd been laying it on, "Somethin' ya need?" he added once she came to a stop in front of him. Sparky took a moment to catch her breath, before straightening herself out, and spoke,

"Well," she began, her eyes twinkling already, "I was just thinking, we didn't get to ask a lot of questions when you told us about-" she went quiet and looked around, as if worried that somebody would overhear, despite there being nobody else for several dozen feet, "_your species_," she whispered, before her volume rose back up, "and now I have so many!" she gushed, smiling brightly, even as she practically vibrated on the spot, "I was hoping that maybe you had some time to spare so we can head over to the library for some questions, and, maybe, one or two tests?" she asked.

Her folded ears, small smile, and tilted head spoke volumes about her lack of confidence in asking, but her studious nature seemed to drive most of it out the window, right up until she asked the question itself.

Normally Emerald would think for a minute or so, debating on whether or not allowing himself to fall to the clutches of the little bookworm in front of him was a good idea or not.

As it was, this wasn't a normal situation, not with the procrastinating stallion he'd momentarily turned into.

"Sure, I have time," he said easily, shrugging as he did so.

Hopefully, he wouldn't regret this.

* * *

"I'll start brewing some tea," Sparky announced as the door shut behind him, "Oh this is gonna be so much fun!"

Emerald wasn't sure he'd agree, but he wouldn't fight it, at least.

He sighed, planting himself on the nearby couch. He didn't know how long this would take, but hopefully it would fill up his break.

He could hear Sparky moving around in the kitchen, and a quick scan revealed that they were the only ones in the library, meaning the hatchling was out doing... whatever.

"Okay!" Sparky chirped, walking back into the room, a notepad, quill, and inkwell floating next to her, "Let's get started!" she added, plopping down onto the couch next to him.

"You were able to breathe fire when you, uh... went against the hydra, how?" Emerald shrugged,

"The same way a dragon can breathe fire, Sparky. I'm sure you'd know that, right?" he asked.

Twilight blinked, but nodded, only to stop and start shaking her head a moment after.

She... honestly didn't know how Spike breathed fire. Of course, she assumed that it was either some kind of dragon based magic, or even some organ that only dragons had. Even so, she wasn't about to start... experimenting on him, or anything. And she doubted he knew the answer either.

A pit of excitement started building in her stomach. Oh, she knew that asking Emerald these questions would turn out to be a good idea! Her friends had tried convincing her to let him talk about it on his own, but that would waste so much valuable information that could further relations between ponies and bat-po- thestrals!

So engrossed in her thoughts of academic pursuits, Twilight hadn't taken notice of the flat look Emerald was sending her.

"I have a flame sac," he deadpanned, "My body produces a flammable liquid that's stored in my flame sac," he explained, before shrugging, "It's not complicated."

Twilight hurriedly wrote down his words, even as he spoke them.

But a flame sac? Where was it? What chemical did his body produce? _How_ did his body produce that chemical? Did he have to maintain a specific diet to promote his body into producing more of it? Did he ever burn his throat when breathing fire?

So many questions!

Evidently her excitement was visible, if the look of amusement on Emerald's face was anything to go by.

"Where do ba-thestrals come from?" she asked, correcting herself once more, she'd have to get the word to stick to avoid insulting him, "I mean, thestrals seem to be a hybrid species of dragon and pony, so when was the first thestr-"

"I'm gonna cut you off there, Sparky," Emerald snarled, his venomous tone startling the lavender mare, "I'm not a _hybrid_" he stated vehemently, a low rumble emitting from his throat, "Thestrals are their own species, _completely_ separate from ponies. If you even imply that one more time, _I swear_-" he cut himself off, breathing out heavily, before redirecting his gaze back to her, his frigid blues nearly freezing her in place, "Next question," he demanded.

Twilight swallowed, but nodded,

"S-sure," she muttered, and flipped the page of her notepad, "Um... where do thestrals live? I've never come across any mention of them in any book I've read, other than vampony legends, of course," she said, muttering that last part. Emerald relaxed slightly,

"Well, we're from up in the Frozen North," he said simply, "I was born up in a... village of sorts called Nocturne, up in the Tramplevanian Mountain Range."

"Really?!" Twilight asked, leaning forward excitedly, "What's it like there?!" Emerald winced slightly, but she didn't notice,

"I... don't remember much, aside from stuff my Father practically drilled into mine and my sibling's heads," he admitted, choosing each word carefully, "I do remember that Nocturne is divided into eight sections, one for each of the seven mountains surrounding it, with one directly in the center. Two residential districts, the commercial district, the training district, two agricultural districts, the artisan district, and the Gathering House in the center."

"Gathering House?" Twilight asked. Emerald fidgeted slightly, but nodded,

"Yes. There aren't many thestrals to be honest. Only several hundred," he said, causing Twilight's eyes to go wide, "Birth rates... aren't exactly high, you see, and infant mortality rates aren't really low, either. Most thestral families are lucky to have one foal, let alone three like mine did," he admitted, before shaking his head, "Anyways, there are a total of ten clans in Nocturne, and the heads of each clan meet up in the Gathering House to discuss pretty much everything. The hunting routes, trade, the market, everything. It's also used for gathering the thestrals together during holidays, thus its name."

"Ten clans?" Twilight muttered, before glancing at him, "What are they?"

"Well... there's the Royals, the Winters, the Tides, the Days, the Midnights, the Skies, the Tamers, the Runners, the Arias, and the Hammers."

"Wow..." she breathed, "Do they... why are all split up like that?" she asked.

"Well, they're split because of their jobs."

"What?"

"See, originally, when Nocturne was founded, the leaders thought it would be best if the duties were mixed up between groups, to make things more efficient. So they made the clans to decide who would end up doing what. Originally, the Hammers were the construction workers, the Winters were the farmers, the Tamers the healers, Arias the entertainers, the Days and Midnights the hunters, the Royals the teachers, the Runners the artisans, and the Skies and Tides the warriors. Over time the barriers between the clans started to fade, and, nowadays anyone can be anything," he said, "A Tame could fight, a Skies could hunt, a Royal could build, a Midnight could teach, and so on."

"That's... amazing," Twilight said, smiling, even as her quill furiously scribbled against the pad. Emerald shrugged,

"It's nice, but it's no Equestria," he said, before frowning, "Even with all the flaws of its inhabitants, Equestria is a wonderful place," Emerald breathed, his eyes filled with wonder just thinking about it, "It's better than Nocturne in so many ways, but worse in others," Twilight blinked, her quill coming to a halt for a moment,

"Worse?"

"The diversity isn't ideal," Emerald explained, as if it was as obvious as the sky being blue, "Since the thestral population is so low, we need to branch out to other species to ensure that we survive. So even though Nocturne is thestrali land, you're likely to see just as many griffons, yaks, zebras, and even dragons walking amongst us as thestrals, than here in Equestria," he frowned, "I've been all over Equestria. I know it like I know the back of my wing, and I've never seen any town that has a significant population of non-ponies," he said, then paused, "Actually, Salt Lick City and Trottingham are pretty diverse, but that's only because one's a port city and the other is near the Griffon Kingdom."

Twilight frowned slightly, but she didn't say anything. Part of her wanted to argue with him, say that Equestria was a wonderful where every species could, and did, come to.

But the memories came flooding back. Of the town's reaction to Zecora. Of her life back in Canterlot, where unicorns were the majority, and had a tendency to look down on other races, even earth ponies and pegasi.

So she didn't say anything in response, knowing she'd be wrong.

Emerald withheld a sigh as he watched Sparky look through the notes she'd written.

Evidently, she didn't like his opinion of Equestria's lack of diversity, but didn't have enough evidence to back up her own thoughts.

A sharp whistling interrupted his thoughts, the sound coming from farther into the house.

"Oh! The water's ready!" Sparky chirped, setting down the pad and quill. She jumped to her hooves and trotted off to the kitchen, leaving Emerald behind to wait.

He leaned back in his seat, eyes lazily roaming the room, before landing, once again, on that damned notepad of hers.

Nocturne...

Sixteen years had passed since he'd last seen his home. Since he'd seen his mother and sister, as well as his father and brother. Even if he didn't necessarily miss those last two, the fact remained.

He hadn't seen his family in so long. He could scarcely remember what they looked like, in fact.

He tried to recall the image of the thestral he knew best, his dear mother, but all he could summon were colours and blurred shapes, with nothing but the ghost of a voice, singing him a soothing lullaby coming to him.

And yet, despite those hazy memories, despite the knowledge that he'd likely not see them again, he was not sad.

In fact, he could hardly bring himself to care.

... No.

He _didn't_ care.

That fuzzy image faded away. His mother was gone to him, a stranger in familiar colours. She could no longer care after him, and was no longer a part of his life.

Another image began taking shape the more he thought of a mother he no longer had.

_A brilliant white, shining with a nearly divine radiance. Blue, green, and pink swirling around it, gently caressing the almost-familiar image. Glinting golden light winked through at times, like a beacon in the dark, fuzzy image._

_No shape, no sound, no nothing._

_Despite this, he could clearly see a pair of magenta eyes peering through at him, as if waiting, watching him._

"_Nooo!_"

The image vanished, lost in the rush of adrenaline as the thestral leapt from his position, already halfway to the source of the scream.

"Sparky!" he called, barreling into the kitchen, eyes scanning the room, searching for any sign of danger, only to stop once he spotted the mare in question.

She was not underneath a pony wielding a knife.

Nor was she laying on the ground, covered in blood from an unseen wound.

Rather, she was staring despondently into a small, empty jar, labeled 'Tea Bags'.

"Stardammit, Sparky..." Emerald muttered, "That's _twice_ now..."

Seemingly not hearing him, Sparky sighed,

"But that was my favourite tea..." she muttered, "and I know I still had enough left for a few ponies... at least I did last night..." she added.

"Weren't you drinking tea when I came by with your delivery yesterday?" Emerald deadpanned. Sparky blinked, then looked up at him,

"Right, I was, wasn't I?" she muttered, staring at him. Her eyes locked with his for a moment, and she frowned,

"Somethin' on my face, Sparky?" he asked, but she ignored him,

"Your eyes... they're... strange," she remarked, setting the jar down as she moved closer to him. It was Emerald's turn to frown,

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, not quite sure if he should feel offended,

"It's just..." she trailed off as her eyes fell, until they landed on his bracelet, "... I think it has something to do with your disguise," she said, looking back up at him, "Ever since we first met, I've noticed that your eyes are kind of... dull. Like you're never really focusing on anything, they're just... dark. But once you took your disguise off last week, suddenly, there was just so much light in them!" she gushed, staring into his, apparently dull, eyes, "I... suppose it makes sense. Most spells that hide appearance are aesthetic, and generally for short periods of time. Even then, most of them are just for mane or coat colour. I've never seen one for eye colour... I guess I can understand why if this is the result," she said, muttering that last part to herself.

"Riiiight..." Emerald replied, not entirely feeling comfortable with the sudden turn of topic, "Anyways, my lunch break should be just about over so-"

"No!" Sparky snapped suddenly, stunning Emerald, her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed once she realized what she'd done, "I mean-! I need your help to get more!" she stuttered.

"... Why?"

"Well, uh- Zecora!" she said, causing Emerald to blink, "Zecora makes the tea I like. Apparently it's Zebrican, and since it's super expensive to order it, she offered to make it for me at a lower price," she explained, her magic already lighting up, the faint sound of jingling bits ringing from upstairs, "But since she lives in the Everfree, I usually ask Fluttershy if she could come along to help with any of the animals, but..." she trailed off, thinking, before huffing, "I know she's doing something today, but I can't remember what..."

"She's foalsitting Wisp and the Crusaders," Emerald replied easily. Sparky nodded,

"Right," she said, nodding, before looking at him, "So... will you help me?"

Emerald bit the inside of his cheek.

He could refuse. After all, he wasn't exactly keen on visiting Zecora, especially so soon after he'd decided he'd put it off.

But, at the same time, he had every reason not to.

He couldn't just let Sparky head into the Everfree on her own. That would be idiotic. By going, he could make sure she was safe, and get the visit over and done with. Plus he could even pop by Fluttershy's on the way home and check up on Wisp to see if she was okay.

As responsible as he knew Fluttershy was, he also knew the Crusader's would be a hoofful, and, as a result, take up most of her attention with just reigning them in, nevermind her having enough left over to look after a fourth filly, especially one who was very well behaved and somewhat independent.

So, with those thoughts in mind, he gave her an answer.

"Alright."

* * *

The Everfree Forest had always been a mystery to pony society.

Unlike the rest of Equestria, the Everfree was dark, foreboding and, as it name stated, completely and utterly free from their control.

Plants grew on their own, the weather controlled itself, the animals followed a different lifestyle than what the Equestrians expected of them.

All in all, it reminded Emerald greatly of home. As well as the rest of the planet.

He could never understand why ponies would fear such a natural place. If anything, they were the strange ones, forcing the world to follow their own ideals.

Equestria was the only place in the world that actively controlled their own weather and the growth of their crops, and it was all due to their unusual magic. There were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of theories these ponies created regarding the Everfree's existence, as well as its continued refusal to allow them control over it.

Some claimed that it was created by the malicious entity Discord, as a way to continue his reign of terror, even so long after being imprisoned in stone.

Others believed that some spirit resided within the forest, one older than Equestrian society, and one that especially didn't take to their penchant for controlling every little thing.

Personally, Emerald just thought that it was Mother Nature's way of telling them to fuck off.

Then again, the Everfree wasn't unique.

There were three other places in the world like the Everfree. Places where nature acted differently than the world beyond its borders.

He'd only ever been to one of them before, with the Everfree being his second, but it had left him in awe.

The Everfree Forest. The Everdark Sea. The Everfall Cavern. The Everlost Mountain.

He'd been to the Everfall Cavern. It was a beautiful place, hidden deep within the Amarezon Jungle. Glorious deposits of a strange glowing material, which was practically invulnerable to outside force, grew along the walls and ceiling, giving it the appearance of perpetual dusk. Wonderful stretches of water flowing all around, leading downwards where a whole new ecosystem thrived beneath the surface.

It was, without a doubt, one of Emerald's favourite places in the world.

How will the Everfree compare?

"Well?" Emerald asked, glancing at the nervous mare to his side, "Lead the way,"

Sparky returned his glance for a moment, before sighing, and started forward.

He simply watched for a moment as her purple form disappeared beyond the trees, the light failing to penetrate farther than a few feet into the forest. He nodded to himself, and followed after her.

Twilight couldn't help her shaking.

Dark brown, nearly black, trunks reached upwards, their expansive branches might have left enough room for some light to filter through, but the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of leaves kept the light out almost completely. Only the rare shaft of light managed to sneak through the canopy, and even then, it only lit up their surroundings enough to see, perhaps, a foot in front of their faces.

And even then, it didn't help much, considering just how thick the foliage was. Wild flowers and bushes grew sporadically, their thick weeds spilling out onto the lone trail they walked on.

Even within this, seemingly infinite, forest, it was not silent. She could hear the faint call of birds, chirping merrily as they flew through the trees. The soft thumping of small paws as various rodents scurried through the undergrowth. Even the occasional growling of a predator reached her ears, though it was thankfully too far away for it to be aimed at them.

Yes, the Everfree Forest was terrifying, no matter how many times she had to come through. The only thing that had mitigated her fear, so far, were her friends.

She had Emerald with her, so... she knew she'd be okay. She trusted her friends to help keep her safe, just as they trusted her, so...

Why was she shaking this time?

She hadn't known him as long as the other girls, six months less, in fact, but she _did_ trust him, even more so now that she knew his secret.

She frowned, but it was wiped away when she felt Emerald's coat brush against hers. Immediately her face started burning, and she was certain her heart rate had started to pick up, but she did her best to ignore it, choosing instead to focus on the feeling of their coats rubbing against each other.

It... only made it worse.

In hindsight, she probably should've guessed it would, but...

Her hoof caught on something, nearly sending her tumbling down, if it weren't for Emerald's quick reaction. His hoof snaked around her barrel, catching her just before her face smacked against the forest floor.

"Careful, Sparky. You never know when you'll end up getting pitched off a cliff if you don't pay attention to where you're walking," the thestral lightly remarked from right by her ear, his breath gently tickling said appendage, causing it to twitch.

"R-right... c-can you put me down, now?"

He chuckled, but did as she asked.

Twilight fidgeted slightly once she was back on all fours hooves, steadfastly ignoring her reddening face,

"Come on!" she said, ignoring the way her voice squeaked, "Zecora's isn't too much farther!" she added, before breaking into a mild jog, likely hoping to escape her embarrassment quickly.

She heard Emerald laugh once more behind her, and it didn't take long for him to catch up to her, even beginning to overtake her. It was likely the knowledge that she was the only one between the two of them that knew where they were going that caused him to slow down slightly, returning the lead to her.

* * *

The duo soon arrived in a small clearing, where a small hut sat, dead in the center.

Emerald smirked at the sight of the tree turned workshop.

It stood at the same height as the other trees of the forest, however the signs of woodwork were clear to see. Multicoloured phials of unknown liquids were suspended from several branches that stuck out from the trunk. Given their slight glow, it was likely these were used to see the hut from within the darkness of the Everfree.

A set of windows had been carved into the trunk, a single wooden door sitting between them, fit with a set of carved stairs just below it. It could've belonged to anyone, or anything, but Emerald recognized the Zebrican masks that hung above the door and out on the 'lawn', not only as welcomings, but as belonging to his old friend.

"Okay!" Sparky chirped, her breathing heavier than it should've been, "We're here..." Emerald chuckled,

"You need to start exercising regularly, Sparky," he commented, "If a little run like that tired you out so much, imagine what would happen if you were getting chased by something _much_ faster than a hydra."

The memory caused her to twitch.

Throwing the memory aside, Sparky trotted up to the door, Emerald following behind her, and knocked.

A moment passed, in which the sound of hoofsteps slowly grew louder, before the door was opened, revealing the hut's sole occupant.

Zecora was a zebra with a gray coat littered with stripes of a much darker gray. Her salt and pepper mane was styled into a fine mohawk, and her tail wrapped up in a simple black wrapping. Her bright blue eyes shined with suppressed wisdom, framed lightly by several wrinkles, showing that age was beginning to catch up with her. Large golden hoop rings hung from her ears, with similar jewelry wrapped around her neck, signifying her skill in the arts of potion-making, Emerald knew. Altogether, Zecora seemed rather normal and nonthreatening, despite what Ponyville seemed to have thought of her.

"Ah, Twilight! What brings you to my home this night?" the lone zebra asked, her breathy tones giving her an air of mysteriousness that Emerald completely ignored.

"You're still rhyming?" he asked abruptly, cutting Sparky off before she could speak, catching their attention. Zecora blinked, staring at the familiar stallion, before her eyes lit up in recognition,

"Emerald, my green friend!" she smiled, before glancing back inside, "Come in, I have a brew to which I must tend," she said, waving them both inside.

The inside of Zecora's home was about as much as Emerald would've expected from his potion-making friend. The tree had clearly been divided into several sections, with the front door leading into what was obviously her brewing room. Bottles of every shape, colour, and size rested on dozens of shelves that had been carved into the walls. A large cauldron rested in the center of the room, laying atop a group of logs that had been stuffed down into a hole in the floor, glowing with a soft light. Various candles rested throughout the room, providing the necessary light for any non-thestral.

Within the cauldron was a strange blue liquid, softly bubbling, producing a light glow as it did so.

Zecora moved back over to the potion, taking a moment to add some seeds to the mix, before turning back to him and Sparky,

"I must say, I did not expect a visit today. I don't mean to pry, but what brings you by?"

"W-well, Zecora, I ran out of tea recently, and I was hoping to maybe get some more..." Sparky muttered, sounding both guilty and embarrassed. Zecora nodded,

"Very well, though I must admit, I was not expecting you to visit. I'll need to make more. Emerald! Please, assist me with this chore," she rhymed, turning around and walking off through one of the doors. Emerald shook his head,

"I'll be minute," he said, glancing at Sparky, "Try not to cause any trouble," he said, smirking at her indignant protest. After that, he followed the zebra into another room, one that was completely filled to the brim with shelves full of various ingredients, as well as a small table with a mortar and pestle.

"Alright, what do you need me to do?" he asked, only to blink when Zecora simply shook her head,

"My friend, there is nothing to do, for I have already made the brew," she said, holding up a small jar, labeled "Tea". She gave him a mischievous smile, "I merely sought a way, to get you alone to talk of your stay," Emerald frowned,

"You're _still_ doing that?" he asked, "Rhyming," he elaborated at her confused look. She smiled at him,

"Why, of course. There is little else to do. Why? Does it _still_ annoy you?" she asked. He growled,

"_Yes._" he growled, before shaking his head, sparing a glance towards the door they came through, "_Let's just speak in your tongue, alright? I'd rather not have Sparky out there eavesdrop on us._" he said, swapping to her form of Zebreis, then shook his head when she nodded, "_Why do you still rhyme when you speak Equestrian, anyways?_" Zecora shrugged,

"_I find that it challenges my knowledge of the language. I do not get to speak to many ponies out in this forest, so I must do _something _to keep my Equestrian sharp. I suppose it merely developed into a habit,_" she explained, then smiled, "_Besides, it is rather amusing to watch others try to understand what I'm saying._" Emerald sighed once again, only in a more irritated fashion this time.

"_Whatever._"

"_Tell me, how have you been?_" Zecora asked, "_I regret not keeping in contact with most of the others when the agency went down,_" she added morosely. Emerald shrugged,

"_I've been working, mostly. Once S.M.I.L.E went down, Celestia kept me around, made me the Champion after a couple missions,_" he admitted, earning a wide-eyed stare from his zebra friend,

"_Truly?_" he nodded, causing her to laugh, "_That's wonderful! It must be nice to be finally acknowledged for all the hard work you do, Emerald,_" she said, smiling, though it quickly at his disgruntled expression, "_What is the matter?_"

"_It's kept secret, Zecora. No one knows about my position. Not even Spa-Twilight out there. Far as she's aware, I'm just a regular Royal Guard who's here to keep an eye on the Everfree._"

"_I see,_" she said, then glanced down at his bracelet, "_I take it she's aware of your species?_" she asked. He nodded,

"_Yes, though not without a bit of a fight on my end._" he said, then grumbled at her knowing smirk, "_I didn't have a choice, alright?_!" she merely laughed at him,

"_I take it you've been residing within Ponyville for some time now, correct?_" she asked, then continued at his uneasy nod, "_Hmm... then tell me, why have you not come to visit sooner?_" she asked. Emerald twitched at her tone. It wasn't accusatory, like he'd expected. Faust, it wasn't even disappointed either. It was as though she had already figured out the answer, and was now just waiting for him to confirm her suspicions.

He cursed inwardly. Zecora had always been a shrewd one.

"_No matter,_" she suddenly said, likely having taken his silence as an answer, "_Let us return to dear Twilight. I dare say she must be getting suspicious, since I've never taken this long to prepare her tea,_" Zecora suggested, already walking out.

"I apologize for the delay," Zecora said as she walked out into the main room, where Sparky was waiting for them, "But worry not, for I enjoyed your extended stay," she said warmly. Sparky smiled levitating six bits from her bag over to to the older female.

"Thanks again, Zecora," Sparky said, but she was waved off,

"Think nothing of it, my dear. Having a friend come by is something I hold very close to here," she remarked, gently holding a hoof to her heart,

"I know," Sparky began, "But I can't help but feel like I'm just using you sometimes. It... makes me feel a little guilty," she added, her expression falling. Zecora's sudden, but light, laughter, caused her to look up, confused.

"Things are not that bleak," Zecora gently admonished, "If you are using me, be assured that I _will_ speak," she said, before a sudden howl rang through the forest, causing her eyes to dart to the window, "You must go. The timberwolves grow hungry. I'd rather you run, and not be slow," she said, already beginning to push the two of them out the door.

He and Sparky were shoved through the door, landing back outside before he could say anything in return. He growled, but turned to the mare beside him.

"C'mon Sparky, you heard her."

Sparky nodded, sending a glance back at the hut, but she followed after the retreating stallion regardless.

* * *

The trek back through the forest was calmer than the first, despite Zecora's warning.

So, of course, Emerald was on edge.

If Zecora's warning was necessary, and _not_ her being paranoid, than that meant there was a reason for the timberwolves howling. Be it hunger like she said, or something else, he didn't know, and he was sure he didn't _want_ to know.

Even so, he couldn't exactly alert Sparky to his growing paranoia without causing her to panic slightly. And even if she didn't panic, which he was sure she would, at the very least she'd pester him to move faster, and the noise she'd make while running could very well attract some predators to them.

Alone, the Everfree wasn't a threat to him. But with Sparky along for the ride, he'd have to split his attention constantly during a fight, which could end up getting one of them killed if he wasn't careful. Best to stay on the safe side, rather than risk it, he thought.

Right as he finished thinking that, a sudden rustling from the nearby bushes set them both on edge, even as their eyes locked onto the shaking bush.

No words were spoken for the seemingly endless instant in which they waited, cautiously awaiting whatever sort of monstrosity that lie before them.

That same tension, which had been building steadily, died a vicious death as the small white head of a chicken popped out of the bush.

"Bawk...?"

Emerald and Sparky twitched at the sight of the seemingly harmless fowl, but a sudden memory caused Emerald to immediately avert his eyes, and he would've shouted at Sparky to do the same, when the chicken jumped out of the bush.

It landed squarely on its claws, pecking at the ground, completely unconcerned by the fact that its sudden movement had nearly caused the nearby thestral to roast it alive.

Be that as it may, Emerald was having a hard time _not_ roasting it on principle.

That and the thought was giving him cravings.

_Not_ what he needed.

"Damn bird," Emerald snarled, already walking past it, only to pause and turn when he realized Sparky wasn't following. In fact, she was staring at the chicken, "What's the hold up?"

"Sorry," she said, obviously distracted, "it's just... isn't this one of Fluttershy's hens?"

"And why would I know that?" Emerald snapped,

"I don't know!" Sparky retorted hotly, "Aren't you family!?"

"Just because we're family doesn't mean I know what each and every one of her hens look like!"

"Well... it should!"

"Why in the name of-!" Emerald cut himself off, his ear twitching as it caught the faint sound of movement just beyond the treeline around them.

Small, rapid steps, followed immediately by the sound of something dragging along the ground, likely a tail of some sort.

"Uhh... Emerald?"

"Quiet," he answered immediately, then paused, his eyes trailing over to the chicken, before they narrowed, "... We need to go. Now," he said. He didn't wait for her response, instead choosing to grab her hoof and drag her along behind him as he hurried down the path,

"What?" Sparky asked, nearly stumbling over a root, "Why? What's wrong?"

A loud screeching from behind them shut her up, one he'd recognize anywhere,

"Don't look back, Sparky!" Emerald shouted, speeding up, being forced to let go of her in the process, "It's a cockatrice!" he added for her benefit, just in case she decided to look back anyways.

"What?!" she shouted from just behind him, even as the sound of her hooves against the ground came faster, signalling him that she had just sped up.

Emerald and Sparky ducked and weaved through the incoming trees and undergrowth, but the cockatrice behind them was just as fast, if not even faster, than they were. After all, this was its home.

And it would be damned if it let it's prey escape it, especially in its own territory.

_The Hunt was on._

Emerald risked a glance back, making sure his eyes wouldn't catch the damned lizard-bird's behind him.

The damn thing had the head of a chicken, the only thing truly able to discern the difference between the two being its malevolent red eyes. Its body was a greenish blue, covered in scales, and it extended back into a long tail, covered in red spines. Though it lacked arms, it made up for that with a pair of wings as wide as it was long, the joints tipped red. Its feet, like its head, were reminiscent of a chicken's, which was one of the reasons he'd been ready to kill the chicken from earlier.

Regardless, it looked pissed, and it was obviously very determined to catch up with them.

Emerald knew he could outrun the thing, if not outright out speed it, especially with all the trees eating up the cockatrice's stamina. Sparky, he knew, couldn't. Even if she had a completely free path, she simply wasn't fast enough. She might be able to outrun it, since ponies could run fairly long distances before they dropped, whereas cockatrices couldn't, but even if she could outrun it, it would easily out speed her, catch up, and kill her.

She might be able to use a spell to save herself, but he wasn't sure he'd trust her casting ability while under this kind of stress. A mob of ponies after them, sure, but a very _real_, very _deadly_ creature chasing them? Hehe, no.

He growled slightly, tearing down a tree branch as he passed, hoping it'd stall the lizard-thing behind them for an extra second or two so he could think.

He knew he would need a plan. But, really, even though he was running through everything he knew about cockatrice's, he wasn't having much luck.

He didn't have any weasels to kill it, and he didn't have any roosters nearby either. Fluttershy _might_, but there was no way in Tartarus he was bringing this thing anywhere near her unless he was certain.

Well, at least it was a cockatrice and not a full-blooded _basilisk_. The gaze of a basilisk could kill, whereas the cockatrice's tended to only petrify, something that was much easier to cure than death. Not to mention its venom.

... Actually...

Petrification took some time for the cockatrice to pull off, due to its limited magical capacity. Unlike the basilisk, whose gaze could kill in an instant, it took the cockatrice about ten seconds or more to fully petrify anything.

... Ten seconds that Sparky could use to escape.

... Sparky better find the cure for petrification.

Or kill the cockatrice.

That would work too, though he doubted she'd ever do that.

"Sparky, I have a plan."

"_WHAT_?!" Twilight screeched, looking at her green companion, internally debating on whether or not he was completely sane,

"You heard me," he snapped, "You'll keep running as fast as you can, while I step back and let the cockatrice petrify me," he repeated, seemingly exasperated by her, completely _natural_, concern for his mental health.

"_No!_" she shouted, "No! I'm not leaving you behind! And why would I ever agree to something like that?!"

"I wasn't asking for your permission," Twilight winced slightly at his harsh tone, which nearly caused her to trip, but relaxed when he sighed, "Listen, Twilight, I'm going to get petrified so you can get to safety," he said, causing her face to heat up, "You're just not fast enough to outrun the cockatrice like I am, and by letting myself get petrified, you'll have enough time to run. If you don't, you'll get petrified too. It's not abandoning me if you run away and come back with the cure when it's safe, now is it?" he reasoned.

His words caused Twilight to bite her lip.

Could she really go along with this?

Emerald suddenly coming to a stop, then bolting backwards towards their pursuer, gave her her only option.

Twilight growled at herself, hearing his words echo in her head.

_You're just not fast enough._

From this point on, Twilight swore from the very bottom of her heart to be faster, more fit, so that if something like this ever happened again, Emerald wouldn't have to get hurt so she could be safe.

Twilight screwed her eyes shut as she ran, ignoring the sounds behind her.

_In the distance, a victorious cry could be heard as the Hunt came to an end._

* * *

Fluttershy regretted her decision.

She didn't realize just how... _difficult_ these fillies could be.

The only saving grace was little Wisp, who was extremely well-behaved. Though, she might be a bit _too_ well-behaved, since she really didn't try playing around with the other three fillies. She seemed to prefer helping her out with her animals whilst she was busy trying, and somewhat failing, to reign in the excitable Crusaders.

Thankfully, the sun was setting, so it wouldn't be too much longer before she could send them all to bed without feeling guilty about it.

**_*CRASH*_**

"""SORRY!"""

_One... Two... Three... Four..._

Okay, she was calm.

_Alright, Fluttershy, you just need to find a way to channel their energy..._

Ooh! A game might work!

"Girls," she called, using her loudest voice, though she doubted it was much more than a whisper, regardless, it was enough to make the three fillies pause their activity, which involved messing around with her table and a few hammers, "would you like to play a game?" she asked.

"A game?" Applebloom asked, already looking skeptical, though Fluttershy wasn't sure the reason, "What kinda game?"

Fluttershy smiled at her curiosity, seeing as how it was enough to get the other two interested as well, though she noticed Wisp, who was already sitting on the only chair, looked bored. She gently steered the fillies over to the couch, where they happily hopped into position.

"Well, the game is called 'Shhh!'," she began,

"'Shhh!'?" Wisp asked, raising an eyebrow, a gesture Fluttershy couldn't help but imagine Emerald using.

It seemed Wisp took after Emerald more than she thought.

"What the heck is that?" Scootaloo continued.

"Well, it a game about who can stay quiet the longest!" Fluttershy said excitedly, before calming herself, "I'm the world champ, you know?" she bragged humbly, though something about what she said caused Wisp to snicker, "I bet you can't beat me," she challenged, inwardly hoping that at least Scootaloo would've had enough pride to jump at the challenge.

Alas, it was too much to ask for.

"I lose."

"Me too!"

"Me three! C'mon girls!"

Fluttershy sighed as the Crusader's hopped away, giggling to themselves.

_Really, what was she doing wrong?_

"Well, for starters, you're expecting those three to listen to you, like your animals do," Wisp suddenly said, startling the shy mare.

_How did she-? Could she read minds?_

"No, you're just talking out loud to yourself."

"Oh," Fluttershy went red, "Sorry," Wisp shrugged,

"It's fine. Emerald used to do it too, sometimes," she said, hopping over onto the couch, where she could face Fluttershy better, "I think it's a thestral thing," she added, smiling. Fluttershy giggled at that.

"Maybe," she admitted lightly, before frowning, "But what did you mean?" she asked. Wisp blinked at her, seemingly confused for a moment, before her eyes lit up,

"Oh, well... Emerald mentioned that you thought looking after us would be just like your animals," she began, before looking to the side, "So Emerald asked me to help you out, since he was afraid something bad would happen with the Crusaders," she said, before shaking her head, "Anyways, I mean... well, your special talent is working with animals, so... you have a lot of experience getting them to listen to you. Like... being quiet and gentle is a good way to get them to trust and listen to you, right?" she asked, Fluttershy nodded, "Well... we're not your animals. I mean... you've seen how Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Emerald treat us, right?" she asked, she nodded again, "Well... that's because that's how it works. We need a firm hoof and a stern attitude sometimes to keep us in line, you know?" she asked, her cheeks turning a faint red after a moment.

Fluttershy stared at the little unicorn for a few moments, before sighing, though she smiled regardless,

"I guess that's true..." she admitted, before glancing at Wisp, a new, appreciative look in her eye, "You're awfully mature for a filly your age," she noted, though it might've come out as a question. Wisp frowned and looked out the window, as if she didn't want to meet Fluttershy's gaze.

"... Didn't Emerald tell you all about the Facility?" Fluttershy frowned, racking her brain, before shaking her head,

"Um, no?" Wisp's head snapped back to look at her, surprised,

"He didn't?" she asked, sounding surprised, "But... but he said he told you how he got his cutie mark!" she shouted, before turning a bright red and rapidly looking back out the window.

His cutie mark?

Fluttershy thought for a moment.

Yes, he'd told them all about how he got his mark, although he didn't really go into much detail of how he got where he was.

Where he was...

His cell. The foalnappings. The Lost Hundred.

Was... was he being held captive in this 'Facility'?

But... what did that have to do with Wisp being mature for her age?

... Right, him, Trixie... and Wisp had all been there...

"Um... Cousin Shy?" her small voice broke her train of thought. Fluttershy returned her attention back to the blue filly, who was squinting her eyes as she gazed out the window, "Are those... a bunch of chicken tracks leading into the Everfree, or am I just really tired?"

Fluttershy blinked at the strange question, before the implication suddenly struck her. She practically jumped over to the window, pressing her hooves and nose against the glass in an effort to see better,

"What?!" she shouted in shock, even though it probably wasn't very loud, since Wisp didn't flinch from the volume. Fluttershy traced the path from the Everfree, hope dying with every print as she realized where it originated.

"No..." she breathed, before hopping away from the window and jogging out back.

She quickly pushed through her backdoor into her yard, then wasted no time in crossing the short distance between her home and the chicken coop, when she spotted it.

The small wire fence she kept around the coop, used mostly for keeping stray Everfree critters out, had a small, chicken sized gap between a post and the wire.

"B-but... how...?" she breathed, staring, stunned at the scene before her. It took her a second, but her brain suddenly rebooted, and she jumped over the fence, and rushed over to the coop, all but throwing the little door open and peering inside, immediately, searching for the empty nest.

She needn't have bothered. There was only one hen in her entire coop who _ever_ wandered off.

"Elizabeak," she stated. She pulled her head out of her coop, ignoring the feathers that came with her. Her eyes trailed back over to the path that Elizabeak had made, and she managed to spot a small gap between some bushes at the treeline, where the tracks disappeared.

This... this wasn't good.

It was late, her friends were likely all asleep by now, so she couldn't just run on over to their houses and ask for their help.

Even that strange blue dome over town hadn't popped up yet, though it usually waited until about one in the morning when everybody was asleep, meaning that there was no one out that could help her.

Well... there _were_ the Crusaders and Wisp, but Rarity, Applejack and Emerald would kill her if they ever found out she let them into the Everfree!

So that idea was out.

But even knowing that, it wasn't like she could just put Wisp in charge then head out on her own!

Could she?

After all, Wisp was a very responsible filly, and Emerald had told her to help out around the house while the Crusaders were here...

She winced at the thought, but made up her mind regardless. She just hoped Emerald wouldn't be mad.

She marched back over to her cottage and trudged back inside, finding Wisp sitting where she'd left her, looking as though she hadn't bothered to move.

"Everything okay, Cousin Shy?" she asked. Fluttershy could only shake her head,

"No. One of my hens got loose and she's in the Everfree. I'm sure she's fine though, since she does it so often. But still, I can't help but worry," she muttered, before looking up, "Um, Wisp? I hope you don't mind, but I have to go and get her before she wanders too far, okay? So, um..." she trailed off, wow this was harder than she'd thought! "I'm putting you in charge, alright?"

Wisp blinked, then stiffened, her eyes going wide as she snapped her head in the direction the girls had wandered off to earlier,

"Me?!" she asked, looking back at her, "In charge of _them_?!" Fluttershy nodded,

"Um, yes."

"Wha-?! Bu-! Guh-... Fine," she muttered, crossing her hooves and pouting. Fluttershy actually had to fight a slight grin at the sight, but she managed to nod instead,

"Thank you," she said as she walked over to the front door, "Um... it's almost time for bed, so... could you...?"

"Yeah, yeah... I get it."

"Thank you... again."

And she left.

Fluttershy took a deep breath once she reached the treeline, hoping to steel her nerves.

Okay... okay. Alright Fluttershy! You can do this!

All you have to do is go save Elizabeak! Just walk right into the forest, there's no need to be afraid!

Just walk into the dark, cold... scary... predator infested... forest.

Nothing to be afraid of.

Right?

She swallowed a heavy lump in her throat, already beginning to regret her life choices, but she forced herself to take that first step-!

Only for something to come running straight out of the forest, crash heavily into her, and send both herself and whatever it was flying backward.

""AAAAHHHH!""

Fluttershy landed heavily on her stomach, but was otherwise unharmed, save for some dizziness. Her head rolled to the side a bit as she tried to stand up. She stumbled a bit, but managed to get her hooves under her properly, before she shook away the dizziness.

Feeling just a little miffed, and just the slightest bit grateful, towards whomever had stopped her journey into the Everfree, she turned around, preparing herself to either, politely scold and/or thank her assailant, only to pause at the familiar face.

After all, she only knew one pony who had a coat that purple.

"Twilight?" she asked, surprised.

Her friend, who was currently laying on her back, groaning, suddenly perked up. She had to strain her neck to spot Fluttershy, but when she did, she scrambled back onto her hooves, and practically jumped at her, her eyes wide and panicked. The twigs and leaved suck in her mane certainly didn't help her friend's case, especially since she was talking too quickly for Fluttershy to understand.

"Fluttershy, you have to-! Emerald he-! There was a-! We were getting chased, and-!"

"Shh! Shhh!" she shushed her urgently. She didn't think it would do much, but it did get Twilight to stop talking, "Okay, okay... take a deep breath," she instructed, remembering the instructions her old therapist used to give her, "Okay... hold it... now let it out... good," Twilight's breathing had slowed down, and she definitely looked calmer than before, "Okay. What's wrong?"

Her little exercise might have calmed her down, but the question immediately brought her panic back, and Fluttershy found herself being gripped tightly in her friend's magic.

"Emerald's been petrified by a cockatrice!"

Fluttershy's reaction, Twilight found, was... about as bad as she had expected it to be.

At first, her only response was to blink owlishly at her. It was a lot to process, especially given how much trouble the Crusaders had to have gotten into by now.

Eventually, however, the information finally processed, and her eyes widened,

"What?" she asked, "How?" she added. Although it wasn't her intention, the question caused Twilight to wince, feeling a small pit pf guilt build up in her gut,

"He sacrificed himself so I could get away," she admitted, looking away from her friend. Fluttershy just blinked at her for a moment longer, before her face hardened.

The suddenness of the action took Twilight by surprise. Her normally soft features suddenly sharpened, her eyes narrowed slightly, and, unless Twilight was seeing things, a small pair of fangs seemed to just poke out from her upper lip.

The stark contrast between the Fluttershy she was used to and the one in front of her threw her for a loop. In addition, she was hit with a sudden realization of just how much Emerald and Fluttershy looked alike.

It was... _eerie._

"Then we can't waste any time," she stated, already walking back towards the forest, leaving a stunned Twilight behind.

"W-wait!" she called, jogging to catch up to her suddenly confident friend, disappearing into the Everfree right after her.

Twilight managed to catch up to Fluttershy, who was too busy pushing through the foliage to pay much attention to her companion, further stunning the bookworm.

The last time she and Fluttershy had gone on a "mission" of sorts was to face that dragon who'd been smoking up Ponyville, and, though she was loathe to admit it, Fluttershy had been a heavy burden for the group to carry at the time. She had been slow, easily frightened, and had nearly gotten them crushed underneath an avalanche, all because she was too scared to admit that she was afraid of dragons, as ironic as that sounded.

But now here she was. With Twilight being the scared one as they walked through the forest she had been attacked in, while Fluttershy was confidently leading them forward, not even the slightest trace of fear on her otherwise gentle features.

It was a sobering experience for the naive unicorn. Ever since she met Fluttershy, from the moment she had barely gotten her name to right now, she had always thought the mare couldn't work up a nerve in her entire body, and was, in short, unreliable most of the time. While, yes, she seemed confident when dealing with animals, which was the only reason she would ask her to accompany her on her trips to Zecora, at any other point in time she doubted she'd be able to trust the sweet pegasus. Not because she was untrustworthy, absolutely _not_! No, it was because she was just too kind and shy. She'd crack under pressure faster than Twilight could solve Hoofstein's Theory of Magical Divergence.

Which was _very_ fast, mind you.

Fluttershy would get flustered, panic, and ultimately screw up in some manner, so long as whatever she was doing did not involve animals in any way, shape, or form.

Yet here she was, proving her wrong.

Twilight would admit, it took a lot of courage for her to stand up to that dragon, and in the name of her friend's safety no less, and while Twilight's respect for the pegasus had jumped up several notches, her expectations had not.

Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, even Pinkie, leading this exposition would not have surprised her. Applejack was just the sort of pony who'd help out if she felt it was the right thing to do. Rarity was rather fond of the green thestral, and Pinkie no doubt looked up to the fierce stallion, if the way she often talked about him to herself and the others was anything to go by. While Dash and Emerald didn't get along too well, she would never leave somepony to rot, especially after giving themselves up for one of her friends.

Which reminded her. _Tell Rainbow Dash about this, then apologize for not involving her_.

But _Fluttershy_?

She guessed it just went to show how much her friends, and family, meant to the yellow pony if she was willing to do this.

"Elizabeak," Fluttershy spoke up, suddenly stopping, which caused Twilight to bump right into her, though it seemed she hadn't noticed. Twilight peered around the pegasus, finding that she was staring directly at a set of prints, vaguely resembling that of a chicken's.

Her mind, fuzzy from stress, recalled the hen she and Emerald had encountered earlier, before they had been found by the cockatrice.

_... Thoughts... slow..._

_Hard... to... think..._

"Come on," Fluttershy said, walking forward, leaving Twilight to catch up once again.

They followed the tracks farther into the forest, with Fluttershy's ears twitching every now and then, reminding Twilight that, once again, Fluttershy was apparently half-thestral.

She could only imagine, and shudder, at what sounds that Fluttershy might be privy to, sounds that lay beyond her own range of hearing.

She shook away the thought, lest it make her more paranoid.

They continued walking, veering off to the right somewhere along the way, before Fluttershy came to a stop just before a clearing.

An eerily familiar clearing.

Twilight, curious, and dreading, the cause of the stop, walked out from behind her friend, only to freeze at the sight that lay before her.

_How... long...?_

_Help... coming...?_

Coloured in a dull shade of gray, a statue stood before them.

Wide, draconic wings spread out wide, making the figure appear nearly twice its own size. With hooves spread out, its head slightly lowered, Twilight did not have a hard time imagining the threatening growl that had to have emitted from its throat.

It was very life-like.

Every individual strand of hair stood out amongst the sea of gray. Every single chord of powerful muscle lay just behind the skin of stone. A broad, wide torso, where a beating heart had laid not an hour ago, was still, no sign of breathing, as if to deny the fact that it had once been alive.

Emerald stood, a lone, silent sentry amidst the army of darkness around him.

Even in stone, Twilight could practically feel the fire in his eyes, burning just as bright, despite looking dead.

A soft glint of light caught her attention, forcing her to rip her eyes away from the bone-chilling sight. She searched the forest floor for a moment, when it caught her eye once more.

Her horn lit up, the sound and light catching Fluttershy's attention. They both watched as a soft lavender glow lit up a small, circular object as it floated over to them. The glow around the object died once it was close enough, and Twilight gently caught it.

Emerald's bracelet lay clutched in her shaking hoof. Twilight took a shuddering breath, holding the golden metal close to her chest. That pit of guilt burned colder for an instant.

A soft hoof on her shoulder snapped her to attention, and her head nearly tore off her shoulder from how quickly she whipped her head to face Fluttershy, whose face held a soft, but sad, smile.

"It's okay," she murmured, "We'll help him, I promise."

_... Anyone...?_

_... Spar... ky...?_

Fluttershy's ears perked up suddenly, and she stiffened, her eyes going wide with fear.

The sudden change startled Twilight, and she felt her own heart rate increasing.

Without a single word of warning, Fluttershy darted away from the clearing, towards the entrance of the forest. Twilight, both afraid and confused, followed after her immediately, absentmindedly slipping Emerald's bracelet onto her own hoof in the process.

"C'mon girls!" Applebloom shouted, "We gotta chicken ta find!"

"Yeah! _Cutie Mark Crusaders: Chicken Finders_!" Scootaloo cheered,

"Umm... are you guys sure we should be here?" Sweetie Belle asked, looking around timidly, "I mean... I don't think Fluttershy or our sisters would want us here," she reasoned. Beside her, Wisp shook her head.

She knew it was a bad idea, being left in charge.

Fluttershy was an adult, albeit a shy and non-confrontational one. What made her think that she, a filly only a few months to a year older than the ones she was tasked to watch, would be any more effective at controlling them than she had?

She had some success, sure, but that had gone completely out the proverbial window when Scootaloo looked out the literal window, and spotted the same tracks that she had not ten minutes before.

She and Applebloom had immediately spotted an opportunity to find their cutie marks, ignoring Wisp's comment on how stupid the idea was, and had proceeded to stronghoof Sweetie into going along.

Wisp had tried to stop them. Oh how she had tried! She had told them how dumb the idea was, how they were likely to get killed or eaten out in the forest. Hay, she had gone so far as to threaten to tell their sisters/parents about the whole thing, even if her insistence of the fact was rather weak.

But no. Nothing she did had gotten them to even reconsider going into the forest!

Well, that wasn't true. She had managed to convince Sweetie Belle that it was a bad idea, though she was beginning to believe that her fellow unicorn had already thought that.

Either way, with the two of them going, Sweetie had little choice but to follow along. And, as the one in charge, as well as the one with more experience dealing with deadly situations, Wisp had come as well.

Of course, she wasn't stupid. She knew from the stories told by Miss Cheerilee, who had _expressively_ forbidden the entire class from going into the forest, that the Everfree was dangerous. Couple that with experience from the Facility, and her own brother's paranoia, and Wisp was prepared, as well as she could be at this age, to defend herself and the others from the smaller dangers in the forest.

The knife and first aid kit she had swiped from Cousin Shy's kitchen and bathroom didn't hurt her chances either.

Hopefully she wouldn't be mad.

Hopefully Emerald wouldn't be either.

She wondered what he was up to right now. Wisp shook her head.

The answer was rather obvious. He was getting ready for work, of course. He was probably already out and about, setting up the dome as they walked, waiting until he was certain everybody was asleep.

"So... uh... how're we supposed to catch a chicken?" Scootaloo asked, slowing down as she thought,

"Well, I guess we can jus' call it," Applebloom suggested, turning to face the three of them,

"Call it?" Sweetie asked, "How?"

"With a chicken call a'course!"

Chicken call? Really?

"Are you kidding?" Scootaloo asked, before shaking her head, "Whatever. Let's just find that stinking chicken already and head back," she said, looking around nervously.

"What's the matter, Scootaloo?" Applebloom asked, a mischievous grinning forming on her face, "Are ya... chicken?"

"I'm not chicken!" Scootaloo defended hotly, whirling to face her sudden tormentor,

"Suuuurrrrre yer not!" Applebloom agreed sarcastically, before brightening, "Ooh! I know how ta call a chicken!" she said, before taking a deep breath and yelling, "SCOOTALOO! SCOOTALOO!"

"Stop that!"

"SCOOTALOO! SCOOTALOO!"

"I am not a chicken!"

Applebloom just grinned at the orange pegasus' fury, and took another breath, ready to yell once again-

"Girls!"

Only for Cousin Shy to suddenly come running through the bushes, followed by a tired looking Miss Light not too long after.

... Miss Light really needed to exercise more.

Maybe she could ask Emerald?

"Fluttershy?" Applebloom asked, her teasing forgotten for the moment, "Whatcha doin' here?"

"That doesn't matter," she answered quickly, setting Wisp on edge. That was the same tone Emerald used whenever they were in danger, "We need to get you four out of the forest, now!"

"What?" Scootaloo asked, "But we haven't even found the chicken yet!" she argued. Fluttershy shook her head,

"There's no time!" she said, glancing back in the direction she and Miss Light had come from, "There's a cockatrice on the loose, and it's already got Emerald, so-"

"A cocka-what?" Applebloom asked, but Wisp mostly ignored her.

A cockatrice... got Emerald?

But-but-but... how?!

There's no way a cockatrice could got the drop on him like that! He was way too observant for anything to surprise him! And a cockatrice definitely couldn't've beaten him in a fight, he was too strong!

... Also, what's a cockatrice?

"A cockatrice," Cousin Shy corrected her, "It's a creature with the head of a chicken and the body of a snake- we need to go!" she implored, but the Crusaders ignored her and walked off,

"Head of a chicken and the body of a snake?" Applebloom asked, smirking, "That doesn't sound scary at all!"

"Yeah, it sounds _way_ too silly to be dangerous!" Scootaloo added,

"Yeah, if I saw that, I'd been too busy laughing at it ta do anythin' else!"

"Girls!" Miss Light suddenly yelled, having caught her breath, startling the three into stopping, "This isn't something to laugh about!" she scolded, "Cockatrice's can turn ponies into stone by looking them in the eye, it's dangerous!" she said.

Her words had actually gotten the Crusaders to pause, and even look around in worry. However that only led to-

"Look! It's the chicken!" Applebloom shouted, pointing at a nearby bush, where a lone chicken head had popped out from the leaves, looking around curiously. Suddenly, a second head popped out from a nearby bush,

"It's... another chicken?" Scootaloo asked,

"But, I thought only one got out?" Sweetie muttered. Wisp blinked.

Did... did... DID THEY JUST FORGET THAT COCKATRICE'S HAVE THE HEAD OF A CHICKEN?! ONE OF THEM IS OBVIOUSLY THE COCKATRICE!

These girls would be the death of her, she just knew it.

"Well, c'mon, let's just get 'em both!" Applebloom commanded, just as the three of them launched themselves at the first head, startling the chicken into jumping out of the bush, landing near the other one.

The cockatrice, who had been watching the proceedings with disinterest, suddenly perked up, and all but jumped out of the bush, landing heavily on the ground in front of its semi-look-a-like.

Malevolent red eyes burned into the coal black one's of its adversary, and, in a set of ten seconds that stretched for much longer than they should have, the chicken was turned to stone.

The Crusaders, as well as Wisp, watched on in horror as the chicken, once full of life, suddenly fell to its side, stiff as, well, stone, and completely lifeless.

"""AAHHH!"""

Their shrill cry was enough to stun the cockatrice long enough for them to bolt away, with Wisp, Cousin Shy, and Miss Light not to far behind them.

Unfortunately, they all ended up running in the direction that Cousin Shy and Miss Light had appeared from, and, in their blind panic, the three fillies ended up running face first into, what felt like, a solid rock wall.

The three of them shook away the daze from their skulls, and looked up at whatever they had run into, only to come face to face with the stony expression of Emerald's statue.

"""AAAAHHHH!"""

_... Screaming...?_

_... Danger... near...?_

_What's... happening...?_

_... The... Crusaders...?_

_... Wisp...?_

"Girls!"

"""AAAHHHH!"""

"_Girls!_"

"""AAAHHHH!"""

"GIRLS!"

The loud yell caused the three fillies to halt their panicked running. Cousin Shy's tone had hardened once more, the sound so uncharacteristic that the Crusaders couldn't bring themselves to _not_ pay attention,

"Calm down," she ordered, her hardened tone leaving no room for argument, "We need to get out of here, quickly!" she said, glancing back towards the bushes they'd entered from. Wisp stiffened from her place beside Miss Light, staring past Miss Light's anxious form,

"U-umm... i-it's a little late for that..." she squeaked, pointing towards the area behind them, before quickly averting her eyes, Miss Light's warning coming back to mind.

The two older ponies whirled around to face the direction that Wisp had specified, before they too, were forced to look away.

The cockatrice gave a low hiss as it stalked towards them, its evil red eyes glaring hungrily at the group of six before it.

Wisp and Miss Light backed up frantically, though the older mare ended up tripping over Applebloom since neither were paying attention.

Fluttershy looked back between the approaching cockatrice and the others, who had begun to huddle around Emerald's statue, as if hoping it could protect them from their inevitable demise.

She could feel it bubbling within her. Anger. _Fury_.

It was threatening her friends, her family!

Her throat felt warm, for some reason, but it cooled down once she began marching towards the snake-chicken.

Unbeknownst to her, her teal eyes had begun to glow faintly.

"How _dare_ you!" she snapped, all remnants of fear driven from her mind. She glared straight into the eyes of the cockatrice before her, mentally beginning a countdown, as she could already feel the mildly uncomfortable sensation of stone creeping up her legs, "Who do you think you are?! Turning others into stone, you should be ashamed of yourself!" she scolded, desperately hoping she could convince the monster to let them go, she could feel the stone encroaching upon her wings after all, "I have half a mind to find your mother and tell her about what you've done!" the stone was nearing her neck now, but the cockatrice didn't look like it was going to back down, though it was shaking, "And just what would she think, young ma-?!"

_Too late._

The cockatrice let out a victorious cry at having petrified yet another victim, though Twilight noted this one sounded a lot more triumphant than the other one, for some reason.

She let out a small squeak, however, once the cockatrice set its sights back on her and the fillies. She swallowed stiffly, but, with a quick application of magic, she pulled the girls directly behind her. She glanced over at Emerald's stoned form, bit her lip, but nodded.

"Okay... okay. Girls, listen to me," she began, sending them a frightened glance. Their attention focused on her immediately, "When the cockatrice starts petrifying me, run."

_... Cockatrice..._

_... Fluttershy...? ... Stone..._

_It's... moving... towards... them..._

_Have to... help..._

_... Move...?_

_Can't... move...?_

_... Stuck...?_

_.. Trapped...?_

_Stuck...! Trapped...! Bound...!_

_STUCK! BOUND! TRAPPED! **CAGED!**_

_CAN'TMOVECAN'TMOVELETMEGO**IWANTOUTIWANTOUTIWANTOUT!**_

**_OUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUTOUT!_**

""""WHAT?!""""

"Ya can't be serious Twilight!"

"I am," she said, making sure her voice was firm, though it wavered slightly. Thankfully the girls ignored it, "When I say run, _you run_. I'll buy you girls some time," she added, taking a step in front of the statue, her eyes firmly shut. The cockatrice let out a frustrated hiss at her defiance, but she heard it take a step forward.

**_*...*_**

"Okay... on three..."

**_*...ck*_**

"One..."

**_*Cr...ck*_**

"Two..."

**_*Crack...*_**

"_Thr-_!"

**_*BOOM*_**

A massive cloud of dust suddenly burst outwards from right next to her, followed instantly by a shower of debris. Twilight coughed a little, having accidentally inhaled some of the dust in surprise.

Her eyes stung slightly, but she pushed through the uncomfortable feeling and, using a quick wind spell, she swept the dust away, only for her eyes to go wide at the sight in front of her.

Emerald let a threatening growl escape from his throat, his livid, glowing blue eyes staring straight into the cruel, but frightened, red eyes of the cockatrice that had dared to attack his family, the stone spell of the creature rendered null from fear.

"_Release her_," he growled, letting a few embers of flame escape his maw, causing the cockatrice beneath him to squawk in fear, "**_Now_**," he ordered.

The faint sound of cracking stone coming from both behind and somewhere to the left of him signaled that the cockatrice did, in fact, have a sense of self-preservation. Emerald backed away from the fearful lizard, who took that opportunity to escape, promptly vanishing into the undergrowth.

Emerald stared in the direction the little bastard took off, before letting out a sigh and straightened himself out. A moment passed, before he turned to face his little audience.

He had to suppress a wince at the looks he was receiving from the group. A mixture of awe, wonder, and total shock was what he'd been met with, most of the two former from the fillies, with the latter mainly from Sparky.

Not that he could blame her. Petrification was a notoriously difficult thing to cure/escape from. Curing it, while difficult, was a lot more common than someone escaping from the stony prison. The number of creatures that had been recorded breaking free on their own didn't reach double digits.

Or at least, it hadn't.

He already knew this was ending up in his nightly report.

Luna was definitely going to get a kick out of this.

He pushed aside whatever awkward feeling he could feel bubbling in his chest, and gave them a simple grin instead,

"You lot alright?"

* * *

After a small reunion between himself and the others, mostly Sparky, the six of them, seven if you included the chicken, returned to Fluttershy's cottage, where his cousin was nice enough to brew them all some tea.

Thankfully, the trip was nowhere near as exciting as the several before it, and they arrived without issue.

After that, however...

"That was so cool!"

"Yeah, you were like 'Go away!' and the cockatrice was like 'Ah!'!"

"You sure are brave Mr. Emerald! Mah sister could never'a done that!"

It would appear that he's made himself a few fans.

Again.

He sighed, but smiled when he spotted Wisp's smug expression. Honestly, the look on her face just screamed, 'Yep. I have the best big brother ever!', and it didn't look like she'd be letting it go anytime soon, especially now that the danger was gone.

Speaking of...

"What were you all doing in the Everfree anyways?" he asked, leaning onto the arm of the couch, watching in mild amusement as all four of the young fillies flinched. Sparky perked up as well from beside him, looking curious herself.

"Well..." Scootaloo began,

"Ya see..."

"One of Fluttershy's chickens kinda... got loose," Sweetie Belle finished,

"Yeah, an' we thought maybe we could get our cutie marks if we tracked it down," Emerald blinked at the admission, before shaking his head,

"I shoulda known," he muttered, resting his head on his hoof, before glancing at Wisp, "But what's your excuse?" he asked. Wisp fidgeted slightly, glancing at the Crusaders from the corner of her eye more than once.

Her nervous twitching and eye movements practically told the story. She had, in some way, been stronghoofed into going along with the three of them, but, at the same time, she hadn't been resisting their efforts.

Shaking his head, he spoke once again,

"What precautions did you take?" he asked. Sparky, Fluttershy, and the Crusaders all blinked at his strange question, with the elders idly wondering what he was talking about.

Wisp, however, seemed to understand immediately, and actually perked up.

"Oh! Well, I left note behind on the door so that if somebody came by, they'd know where we were, and send help. I also brought along a knife to defend us, and a first aid kit in case somebody got hurt," she explained easily, "I even made sure that I was in the middle of the group so I could get to both the front, rear, and sides quickly," she added, smiling at him.

Emerald nodded at each task she listed, before humming to himself for a moment.

"Hmm... alright," he said, nodding, "You did good, Wisp," he complimented her. Her smile brightened, but Emerald wasn't done, "However, you still entered the forest without either my permission, or Cousin Shy's," he added, causing her grin to vanish, as well as her blue coat to turn white, especially upon seeing his wicked grin, "Since you're so eager to get into danger without permission _or_ supervision... two hours. After school. Alternating magic training with Trix, then CQC lessons with me,"

"D-don't you think that's a bit harsh?" Fluttershy asked, staring at him in surprise. Emerald responded with a shrug,

"If Wisp wants to go out into dangerous territory, then it's my job as her older sibling to either stop her or make sure she's safe when I inevitably can't or won't," he said.

"Uh, what's CQC?" Applebloom asked, looking between the older ponies in confusion,

"Close-quarters combat," Sparky answered, staring at Emerald, eyes narrowed slightly, "Why would you teach...?" she muttered, but trailed off. Eventually she just sighed, "Nevermind," she muttered.

Emerald rolled his eyes at her, when the window caught his eye. It was dark out, with Luna's moon high in the air, shining brightly. He frowned,

"It's late," he stated, sliding out of his seat, "I'm gonna head home," he added, glancing at Wisp, "You wanna come, or stay here?" he asked.

Wisp stared at him for a moment, before her gaze trailed over to the Crusaders, then over to Fluttershy, before once more landing on him.

"Umm... is it okay if I stay here for the rest of the night?" she asked, as if fearing his response. He nodded,

"Of course. I'll see you girls in the morning," he said, heading to the door. He heard Sparky stand as well,

"I should be heading out too. Tonight's been... an adventure. I'll be glad to put it behind me with a good night's rest," she said, muttering that last part to herself.

Fluttershy nodded,

"Oh, alright," she said, smiling meekly, "It was nice having you over, even if it was because of that mean old cockatrice," she said, shuddering at the memory of her stony prison. Emerald nodded,

"Night Shy. Night girls,"

""""G'night!""""

* * *

Emerald and Twilight were quiet as they walked back to town, the cool night air chilling them as they walked. Luna's moon hung high in the sky, illuminating the world below with a soft light.

On the inside, however, Twilight was nearly screaming, as well as crying, with relief.

Emerald was _safe_! He was safe and so was she!

Twilight spared him a sideways glance, watching as his ears twitched around, likely listening to the world around him. Once more, Twilight found herself wondering just what sounds he could hear that she was not privy to.

She shook her head. It didn't matter, not in the slightest, because he was alright.

But even so, Twilight couldn't shake the cold feeling in her chest.

The only reason he might not have been alright was because of her.

Her and her out of shape body.

Twilight grit her teeth at the thought. If only she had been a little faster, a little bit better, then this whole thing could've been avoided entirely.

She needed to improve herself. But how?

The Ponyville Gym was certainly the best choice, only, she didn't know what to do!

She was a little ashamed to admit it, but, she had never truly done any hard labor, at least, not the physical variety.

Well, that wasn't true. She'd helped Applejack on the farm a few times, like during Applebuck season, and when the Flim Flam Brothers came to town, but aside from that she was woefully inexperienced in regards to working out.

She didn't need to be an athlete like Rainbow Dash, or even a strongpony like Applejack or Big Macintosh. She just needed to be a bit healthier, have more stamina and endurance, and a little extra speed and strength.

Speed training... it would probably be a good idea to see Rainbow Dash about that, and strength training with Applejack couldn't be ignored, but the rest?

She needed a daily routine to do.

But... who could help with that?

She shook her head. She couldn't focus on that right now, not with Nightmare Night in a few days. Afterwards, definitely, but not now.

"You alright, Sparky?" Emerald's voice broke her from her thoughts. Twilight glanced over at him, finding the thestral with his attention on her. A glance around, however, revealed that they had stopped in front of the library, much to her surprise. She banished the thought, and nodded,

"I'm fine, just... thinking about earlier," she admitted, looking away guiltily.

She didn't even find a cure like he suggested! What kind of friend was she?!

The cold feeling in her chest grew.

She... she abandoned him when he needed her. She left him behind! She was a terrible friend! Awful, just awful!

_She was a worthless friend. Pathetic! Completely and utterly-!_

A wing wrapping around her side cut her debilitating thoughts off, as well as washing away the coldness that had seeped into her being in one, single motion.

"You're... a good friend, Twilight," he said gently, "I'm... glad to have met you."

She looked back at the thestral in surprise.

_Had he... had he known what she was thinking?_

"No, you're just thinking out loud."

"Oh... do-... do you mean it?"

"You thinking out loud?"

"_No!_" she snapped, shaking her head rapidly, before deflating, even though a small blush spread across her cheeks, "About being glad to have met me?"

Emerald didn't answer right away. Instead he pulled her closer to him, his warmth washing over her, admittedly cold, body.

Had it not been so dark out, she might've mistaken it for day, if only because of how warm he was.

"... Yes, I meant it," he said finally, his words calming down the pony beside him, "You've... grown on me in my time here," he admitted, "All six of you have. Even Crash, in her own way. I... may not understand friendship the way you do, but, I can honestly say I consider you one of mine, Twilight Sparkle," he said, her name slipping from his lips in an awed tone, as if savouring the way it felt.

Her heart lurched when she heard it.

"You are... a wonderful pony. A little naive, a bit of a dunce when it comes to others' feelings, and, generally, a little obsessive," he remarked, each item causing the mare to flush harder, "but, yes. A wonderful pony indeed," he finished, looking at her fondly.

Twilight was sure her heart would burst.

He bid the self-destructive mare goodnight, watching as she disappeared through the library door.

Emerald bit his lip, and frowned.

He didn't know what came over him earlier. Telling her he was glad to have met her... that had slipped out without him realizing it until it was too late.

Her asking him about it hadn't surprised him, the statement having been, admittedly, out of character. But even so, even now, he didn't regret saying it.

His thoughts regarding the mare were... complicated.

Was she naive? Yes. A social dunce? Yes. Obsessed with learning? Again, yes.

But... in spite of all that...

No, _because_ of all that, he found that he genuinely enjoyed the mare's presence.

She had expressed worry regarding his physical condition. She confided her thoughts to him. She genuinely cared for her friends. Enjoyed learning new things. She... wanted to be around him. She honestly sought to learn more about him as well.

Even when he got dragged along on her little adventures, he honestly couldn't say he regretted being around her.

A strange, but not unpleasant, warmth began to permeate his chest, growing warmer the more his thoughts revolved around the lavender mare he'd spent the day with.

His face suddenly grew warm, and his eyes widened in terrified realization.

He was falling in love with Twilight Sparkle.

_Shit._


	19. Night of the Nightmare

Ever since his revelation that fateful night, he'd been, tentatively, avoiding the mare.

Oh, he made sure he had legitimate excuses for leaving quickly, as the last thing he wanted was any of the six mares becoming suspicious and tailing after him, leading to an inevitable confrontation. Of course it wasn't easy. The mare in question was practically _everywhere!_

Sugarcube Corner? Picking up something sweet.

Sweet Apple Acres? Giving Applejack a helping hoof.

Market? Buying groceries.

Fluttershy's? Hoping to spend time with her reclusive friend.

Tartarus, he'd even spotted her a little after six in the morning while he was working, running around Ponyville for some inane reason!

Hopefully, he could use tonight's festivities to avoid the lot of them.

Of course, there were times where he couldn't ditch her without drawing suspicion.

"Hey Emerald!" a voice called, accompanied by the familiar bell above the door.

_This_ was one of those occasions.

Emerald glanced up slightly. The object of his newfound affections walked towards him, a simple smile on her face betraying the excited look in her eye. Swallowing the sudden lump in his throat, he spoke,

"Somethin' you need, Sparky?" he asked, raising his head, only to rest it on his hooves, watching her. Try as he might, he couldn't prevent his eyes from glossing over every smooth curve, few as they were, of the mare before him. Sparky, thankfully oblivious to his lingering looks, spoke up,

"I was just wondering what you were planning for Nightmare Night?" she asked, giving him a winning smile. Emerald found himself momentarily speechless, before he caught himself,

"I don't have anything planned, really. Maybe help Wisp with her costume, but aside from that, nothing," he admitted. Sparky seemed to perk up at that,

"Really? That's great!" she said, before her words registered in her mind, causing her to turn red and splutter, "I-I mean, it's awful that you don't have anything planned, because you're a great stallion and I'm sure there's _plenty_ of ponies who'd love to spend the day with you, but I meant great as in-"

"I know what you meant, Sparky," Emerald said, firmly cutting her off, though the smile he wore dulled whatever edge might've been in his voice. She sighed, but the blush remained,

"Sorry," she muttered, "I was just..." she mumbled something that Emerald, even with his hearing, didn't catch. Despite that, he had the distinct feeling he should be red in the face as well,

"Speak up," he stated, forcing the feeling down. Sparky looked up at him, glanced away, but seemed to steel herself by taking a deep breath,

"I was wondering if you'd like to go to the Nightmare Night Festival with me later tonight?" Emerald blinked at the question, before its implications struck him,

"Y-you mean... like a _date_?" he asked, steadfastly ignoring the way his body began heating up. Sparky's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, her face went the colour of a ripe tomato, and she started sputtering like a broken faucet,

"D-d-d-d-d-_date_?!" she exclaimed, her body twitching in a way that suggested she was fighting the urge to jump away from him, "_Nononononononono_!" she continued, waving her hooves around frantically, "I-I meant like friends! Like, really good friends who are totally comfortable with each other in a completely platonic way!" she insisted, stumbling over her words.

But he didn't hear her.

Emerald was much too occupied inwardly panicking about spending the night with her, for he couldn't come up with a proper reason to refuse her offer, since he'd outright told her he didn't have any plans, an oversight on his part to be sure.

Finally, his mind slowed down, bringing him back to the present situation.

"S-sure, Sparky," he agreed shakily, "Not like I've got anything better to do," he added, hoping it downplayed any excitement he may have let slip. Sparky blinked, going silent. Evidently she hadn't been expecting him to agree to go along, despite working up the nerve to ask.

"R-really? Are you sure?" she asked. He growled at her, but averted his gaze,

"I wouldn't have said yes if I wasn't, _idiot_!" he snapped, flushing, either through embarrassment or anger, even he didn't know. Sparky didn't flinch away at his response, however, appearing lost in thought.

She remained lost in thought for another five minutes, with every one of Emerald's attempts to rouse her proving ineffective. Finally, she came to her senses, completely red in the face,

"I-I gotta go!" she stuttered, before rushing out the bakery door, leaving Emerald just standing there, a little confused.

A moment passed in silence, before he sighed,

"I don't even wanna know..."

* * *

The sun was due to set at any moment, the moon's ascent the signal to start the Nightmare Night Festivities.

It felt strange to even be considering joining these ponies in their celebrations. Especially considering that Nightmare Night had a different name and purpose in thestrali culture, even if he'd never had a chance to participate in it.

The Darkening was its name. Like Nightmare Night was meant to signal the defeat of Nightmare Moon, The Darkening was meant to remember the day the world lost Princess Luna to the darkness of the Nightmare.

It was a somber affair, meant to mourn the loss of their dear Princess.

Though, considering her return, it could very well be a celebration of the defeat of the dreaded Nightmare, nowadays.

Regardless, he had no way of knowing.

Well... that wasn't true, but he would _never_ talk to either Celestia or Luna about Nocturne.

... Unless they asked, of course.

As it was, the bakery had closed early, leaving Emerald with little to do other than pace around the living room of his home, wondering just what the _fuck_ he'd gotten himself into.

Thankfully, something that would give him some time to think was well on its way.

It was as he'd taken a moment to just sit down and think that a sparkling blue trail of magical ash suddenly flew in through a crack in his window and materialized a scroll in front of him. Blinking away the spots in his vision, Emerald regarded the scroll with a mix of resentment, thankfulness, and trepidation.

Eventually he got over himself, picked it up, and read the damn thing.

_Dear Emerald,_

_I require your presence at Canterlot Castle within the next hour. It involves some plans that my sister has brought to my attention, regarding Ponyville and Nightmare Night._

_I'm sure you can figure out the implications on your own._

_Sincerely, Princess Celestia._

He reread the short letter several times, wondering if there was some hidden message he kept missing.

Indeed, Celestia was right. Those four words, "Ponyville and Nightmare Night", combined with "Luna" and "plans" painted a very clear picture of what the princess was going to do.

What it did _not_ paint a clear picture of, was what his involvement would entail.

Did Celestia think he could talk Luna out of it?

Did she want him to encourage her to go along with her plan, but insist on doing so elsewhere?

Or did she just want him to tag along and make sure nothing went wrong?

Well, not like he'd find the answers just sitting around.

Nodding to himself, Emerald burned the letter and collected his bag, before trotting out the door, after leaving a message for Wisp and Trixie, of course.

It was as he was about to take off, that a sudden thought struck him.

Should he tell Sparky?

... He _did_ tell her he'd be joining her for Nightmare Night...

Damn his conscience.

Huffing to himself, Emerald took off, but rather than speed towards the distant castle, he instead flew off into town, aiming for the lone tree near the center of town.

Grumbling to himself as he landed, Emerald marched over to the front door, and gave a set of three firm knocks.

The sound of yelping greeted him, followed by a minuscule crash, before the door was encased in a purple glow and pulled open, allowing him to enter.

He did so, but didn't bother closing the door behind him, not planning on staying for more than a a few moments.

"Sparky?" he called. There was a quiet 'Eep!' from upstairs, the slamming of a door, and the sound of jingling bells, before Sparky appeared at the top of the staircase, looking frazzled,

"Emerald?" she called, blinking in confusion, "What are you doing here so early?" she asked. He frowned, his eyes raking the unkempt mare. Patches of her fur were sticking up, her mane and even tail looked as though she'd been combing it with a rake, and-

Were those bells tied _in_ her tail?

He stared at her odd appearance for a moment more, but managed to compose himself.

"I, uh, came by to let you know... are you okay?" he couldn't help but ask. She regarded him with a curious stare, before she followed his gaze down to her coat, then her tail. She stared at her own unusual appearance for a moment, then her face turned red once more.

Realizing she was about to run off, likely to fix her appearance, Emerald spoke again,

"Anyways," he began, catching her attention, "I came by to let you know I won't be able to join you for Nightmare Night."

"What?" she asked, blinking in confusion, "Wh-why?" Emerald sighed,

"There's been an issue with some family up in Canterlot, and they need me to help," he lied. He trailed off after that, not certain what else to say. Sparky frowned at him, but nodded,

"Well... alright. If it's a family emergency, then I understand. Maybe... maybe next time?" she asked, her eyes lighting up hopefully. Emerald nodded, although it was hesitant,

"Sure," he said, though he doubted it.

* * *

The flight to Canterlot took him about twenty minutes.

It should have only taken ten, but Ditzy had flown by and asked for help. Considering the fact that he needed to keep a decent reputation around town, he couldn't refuse.

So it was with that thought running through his mind that he arrived at the castle, landing heavily in front of the main entrance.

The two pony guards, a pair of pegasi, started at his sudden appearance, and even went to draw their weapons at the perceived intruder, but Emerald, with a roll of his eyes, pulled out his lunar badge before they could do anything else.

Upon sight of the badge, both guards paled slightly, something Emerald found immensely amusing, before stepping aside to allow him entrance.

Canterlot Castle was as magnificent as ever. With high ceilings, a pleasant lavender scent wafting through the corridors, and elegant carpeting and tapestries visible around every turn, it was no surprise that the castle was considered the most noble building in all of Equestria.

Then again, he was sure a broken down shed could be considered the same, so long as the princesses chose to live in it.

Speaking of princesses, the one he was busy looking for was not present in the throne room. He huffed, looking around the throne room, but found no sign of life. He sighed, but trotted forward.

His hooves echoed soundlessly against the carpeted marble floor. He could hear hoofsteps in the distance, likely belonging to the staff. He came to a stop in front of the throne, old memories filtering through his mind.

* * *

_Everything hurt._

_His back. His throat. His hooves._

_Every_one_ hurt._

_Whisper. Trixie. Iron Will._

_But they had to keep going._

_... They... they _had _too..._

_A wretched cough tore itself through his throat, the dry hacking doing a fantastic job of ripping his throat apart. He shook away the stars that danced in his vision, and did his best to ignore the copper taste in his mouth._

_He was going to die here. His vision, blurry and unfocused, scanned over the group he found himself leading._

_Despite only being able to see colours and shapes, he knew each individual beside him by heart. He could recall every detail of the creatures surrounding him, from their height, their names, to how many steps they took before stumbling._

_It was easy to fill his head with that, admittedly useless, information. He had nothing else, after all._

_Equish. Thestrali. He only needed one, so the other was thrown away. His old memories of home faded away, the soothing voices slowly being replaced by inane gibberish._

_It wouldn't be long before his old life would disappear, and this would become all that was left._

_And then that, too, would fade away._

_His hooves glided across the cracked ground. He paused for a second, only a second, to glance up towards the overbearing sun. Its intense heat scorched the ground they walked on, taking away the precious life-giving water that they were slowly running low on._

_They were nearly out of food by now, he distantly realized, before he shook his head._

_There would be more to go around once he, too, breathed his last._

_But he couldn't stop here, not yet, not now. He needed to make sure they were safe. He needed to make sure they lived, even if it meant dying himself._

_So what if he never got to see another rainbow? So long as his new family lived, they'd see more than enough in his place. He was sure they wouldn't mind telling him about them in the Star-Life, if it even existed._

_A small weight adjusted itself on his back, reminding him of his little passenger. He craned his head back to check on little Whisper. A brief moment of panic swept over him when he was greeted by a pair of closed eyelids, but relief soon replaced it as her breath gently caressed his cheek._

_It would be another six hours, as well as one lost comrade, before one of their party spotted something in the distance, something that grew larger with every passing moment._

_It was a group._

_He did not know what the strange metal creatures approaching them were, but he certainly did not enjoy the way in which they moved. Strong, confident, but with an air of cruel arrogance._

_Although, he could be wrong. The only experience he had with any of the sort were the scientists, and he was quite biased against them._

_It was with trepidation that he had the party stop their march, a few of their members dropping to the ground in exhaustion. He could hear some of them squawking in tired alarm, hoping that no one else had passed away, but he kept his attention on the golden... things approaching._

_There were a total of six of them, if his hearing was correct. Two of them hung off to the sides, but the two in the front and the two in the back had several straps, which reminded him too much of the ones that had once bound him to a table, that tied them to a strange... box-like structure. The strange box was golden in colour, and seemed both tall and wide enough to fit Iron Will, the lone minotaur of their group._

_His ears twitched, but he was confused by the feedback he received._

_According to his hearing... there was someone inside the box._

_But... that didn't make much sense to him. Why would someone want to be carried around in a box when they can simply walk around themselves?_

_It wasn't until they got within thirty feet of them that his blurred eyes could make out more detail, even if not much. It was enough, however, to clue him in on several key facts._

_First, the strange golden creatures were actually a set of ponies wearing golden armour._

_Second, they all carried weapons._

_Panic surged through him, and he drew his only weapon immediately, ignoring his body's intense protest at the action._

_A single piece of pipe, having been snapped off at one end, leaving it a sharp, jagged stabbing weapon that had turned red from both rust and dried blood._

_The action caused the armoured ponies to prepare their weapons as well, but a soft, melodious voice stopped them._

_He couldn't recall what the voice was saying, as the prolonged resting period had allowed his exhaustion to finally catch up with him, combined with the agonized protesting of his body. His vision started to darken around the edges, but not before he saw perfection._

_A white coat, of a shade so pure he was certain a whole new shade had to have been created just to describe it. A plethora of swirling colours flowed from the source, most prominently pink, green, and blue, with a pair of wide, worried magenta eyes peering at his falling form._

_He could feel the soft warmth of the large... pony catch him, and he, lost in between reality and dreams, nuzzled closer to the source, his eyes drifting closed._

_So... tired..._

_So... warm..._

_In the final moment of his prolonged wakefulness, his hearing returned to him, and he heard the voice of his -no- _their_ savior._

"Don't worry my little ponies. I'll take care of you."

* * *

Emerald sighed gently, allowing the memory to slip away. The sound of hoofsteps outside the throne room door alerted him, just before the grand doorway was pushed open, and the familiar, and admittedly welcome, sight of the solar co-ruler was revealed, even if he'd never admit it.

Celestia blinked for a moment, as if surprised by his presence, before her features softened,

"Ah, Emerald. I'm glad you could make it."

"I don't hear that often," he remarked, grinning sardonically as he turned to face his superior. Celestia barely withheld a grimace at his words, feeling the never-quite-gone guilt fester in her stomach.

Emerald had to hide a frown at the look on the solar pony's face.

She must've eaten something that didn't agree with her.

Figuring he wouldn't find the answer any time soon, he quelled that line of thought, straightening his posture as he faced his boss head on,

"Well... whatcha need me for, princess?" he asked, "You mentioned it was about Luna," he remarked, "What, do you want me to drag her to Manehatten or somethin'?" he suggested. Celestia gave him a small smile, but ultimately shook her head,

"No, no. Nothing like that," she began softly, "I was merely hoping you'd agree to be her little guide around Ponyville and its inhabitants," she explained, "Heaven knows that Luna has gotten so much better at talking and socializing with you around that I'm sure she'd be able to calm down anypony who would be frightened at the sight of the, ah, 'Ex-Nightmare'."

"So... where do I come in?" he asked hesitantly, "And why not just send a letter?"

"I'd like you to help the town see her as the gentle, and often shy, pony my sister truly is," Celestia said, holding a hoof to her chest, "As long as ponies still see Luna as Nightmare Moon, she'll never be able to truly take her rightful place by my side again," she said, then gave him a small smile, "And as for the letter, Luna wanted your help preparing something for the trip," she said, then frowned, "She... refused to show me," the princess muttered, looking just a little put out.

Emerald blinked, but ultimately agreed, before a thought struck him.

He was going back to Ponyville.

Back to Sparky.

After he blew her off.

...

Shit...

Twilight wished she was having more fun.

Oh she was having fun, absolutely!

Just... not as much as she'd like, honestly.

She had so much planned for tonight too! First, she'd show off her, completely accurate, Starswirl the Bearded costume to Emerald, then they'd head into town and play some of the games, and maybe watch the foals go candy-hunting for a little bit.

Though, Pinkie would probably have popped up at some point, clucking like a loon in her chicken costume, then drag him off to Celestia knows where.

And he'd let her!

Really, he might act like Pinkie's antics annoy him half the time, but Twilight, and she suspected Pinkie herself, could tell he really didn't mind.

The thought made her chest tighten when it brought up the realization that she didn't share the same bond with Emerald as Pinkie did.

Then again, it was Pinkie. She could bond with anyone.

But Pinkie or no Pinkie, she was now stuck wandering around the fair, silently fuming as she realized that nopony knew who Starswirl the Bearded was!

"C'mon Twi," the adolescent voice of Spike came from behind her, "so what if nopony knows who you're supposed to be?" he asked.

"So what?" she asked, stopping in her tracks,

"Ah crud."

"So. What?!" she snapped, whirling to face the unhappy drake, "Starswirl the Bearded is the most famous Conjurer of the Classical Era!" she exclaimed, "He invented over 200 original spells that have uses even today! He has a whole shelf dedicated to him in the Canterlot Library of Magic! Plus an entire wing in the Royal Archives! How does nopony else know who he is?!" she huffed, before turning straight around and storming off.

Spike sighed,

"Me and my big mouth..."

Twilight snorted to herself as she and Spike passed by the stage, where the mayor was setting up for something.

"Maybe I should start up a Classic History Group so I can teach ponies about him?" she muttered to herself, "I'm sure everypony would love it!" she gushed, "Don't you think, Spike?" she asked the drake behind her, though the sound of chewing was her only response.

How he got a pile of candy bigger than he was in the span of five minutes, Twilight didn't know.

She just assumed it had something to do with Pinkie, and promptly ignored it.

"Ooh, Twilight! Twilight!"

Speaking of Pinkie...

"Look at our haul!" the excited pink mare all but shoved a bag of candy into her face, not even bothering to stop running before doing so, "Isn't it amazing?!" she gushed, before shoving her entire head down the bag, the foals following her giggling at her antics.

Twilight watched her excitable friend munch on the sweets. She... had absolutely no idea why Pinkie had chosen to dress up as a chicken of all things, though, knowing her, there was probably some random reason that would give her a headache if she tried figuring it out.

Regardless, seeing her friend wearing it brought some... unpleasant memories of the cockatrice to mind.

Especially ones of Emerald's cold, lifeless, statue.

So lost in her thoughts, Twilight only managed to spot a streak of rainbow a top a gray cloud second before-

*CRACK'A'BOOM*

A massive discharge of lightning erupted from the storm cloud, startling both the chicken and herself, and causing Pinkie to run off, clucking like the animal she dressed as, the foals following after her, their high-pitched yells not helping her hearing.

Twilight slapped a hoof over her chest in a vain attempt at slowing her heartrate. Admittedly this was the first time that her heart-rate had nothing to do with Emerald since coming to town, and, if Twilight was being honest, she preferred the feeling of the one Emerald gave her over the sheer shock and terror of that lightning bolt right in front of her.

A scratchy laughter from above her finally reached her ears once the beating of her heart wasn't the only thing she could hear.

"_Rainbow Dash_!" she snapped, glaring forcefully up at the rainbow tail, moments before the other end of it popped up,

"Yeah?" she asked lazily, smirking, with the occasional snicker leaking through,

"That was highly uncalled for!" she scolded, though it had no effect as the chromatic mare, who was dressed as some dark version of the Wonderbolts, _A Shadowbolt_ her mind told her, remembering the Summer Sun Celebration, simply waved her off,

"Pfft, lighten up Twilight, it's just a harmless prank," she said,

"Not to somepony like Fluttershy or Emerald it's not!" she argued. Rainbow rolled her eyes, though it was difficult to tell behind those goggles,

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. Shy already filled me in on the whole 'super hearing' thing... I wasn't gonna prank either of 'em with this anyways," she muttered, before suddenly perking up, "Oh! There's another group!"

Twilight sighed,

"Are you okay, Spike, Rainbow didn-" she stopped her train of thought upon turning around, finding Spike twitching on the ground. She sighed again, "I wonder what Emerald's up to..."

"Are you sure this a good idea, Lulu?"

"Of course! I have been doing research on this strange holiday ever since Ou-my return!"

"That's nice and all, but what do those bats have to do with anything?"

"Simple. Though this night served as a reminder of my darker half, it has since become a night of joy! Something that I could only have dreamed of, once upon a time..."

"Lulu...?"

"But no matter! This is a night of fun and fright, is it not? Plus it just might help paint a picture of how different I am from the Nightmare, don't you think?"

"I mean... I can't see how that might work, but... that still doesn't answer the question of 'why are you trying to wear a bunch of bats?'"

"It is tradition?"

"Was that a question or an answer?"

"Indeed, this will be a most interesting Night!"

"Aaand now you're ignoring me, aren't you?"

Twilight stared directly at the ground, not allowing her head to raise even the slightest amount.

Whitetail Woods might be significantly safer than the Everfree could ever hope to be, but the Woods were still close enough to the Everfree that weather pony interactions were largely discouraged.

So even though it was safer, there was always the slightest possibility of another attack by that cockatrice.

Then again, with how badly Emerald had to have scared the thing, Twilight wouldn't be surprised if it stayed far away from ponies, and thestrals, for the rest of its life.

"Now, listen close, my little dears, and I shall tell where you got your fears," the familiar tones of Zecora suddenly rang out. Twilight nearly bumped into Spike, who was in front of her, when he came to a sudden stop. Twilight, finally deciding to look up, nearly jumped back in fright at the unexpected sight of...

A statue of Nightmare Moon...?

She breathed a sigh of relief, partially ignoring Zecora's storytelling,

"Of Nightmare Night, so dark and scary," she continued, reaching into a pocket, and withdrawing a hoof full of green dust, "Of Nightmare Moon, who makes you wary," she added, blowing softly on the dust, causing it to billow out around them.

"Every year we put on a disguise, to keep away from her prying eyes," she continued, her voice seemingly coming from all around, leaving Twilight guessing the location of her zebra friend.

A loud shout from behind startled her,

"But Nightmare Moon only wants one thing... to gobble up ponies in one, quick, swing!"

Twilight laughed a little as she watched Pinkie scream when little Pipsqueak bumped into her,

"Hungrily she soars the sky, if she sees nopony, she passes by. So if she comes and all is clear, then Equestria is safe another year!" Zecora concluded, allowing her dust to fade away.

Twilight needed to ask her how she did all that.

But even so, she shook her head. It was probably just another one of her tricks, specifically one of the ones she liked to keep secret.

The foals, and Pinkie, gathered around Zecora one more time, with the newcomer, Pipsqueak the Pirate, gently tugging on her cloak,

"Um... Miss Zecorah? If we gotta wear disguises to keep safe'rom Nightmare Moon, then why do we gotta give 'er some of our candy?"

"A perfect question, my little friend!" Zecora boomed, as if expecting him to ask, "For Nightmare Moon, you must not offend! Fill up her belly with a treat or two, and she might not return to come eat you!"

"AAHHH!" Pinkie screeched from right beside, nearly rupturing Twilight's eardrum, "C'mon everypony, leave some candy and let's _go_!" she shouted, nearly dumping out her entire bag infront of the statue.

Twilight was about to sigh, again, when the sound of beating wings met her ears.

Curious, she looked up, but froze that sight that met her. A dark chariot, black with silver decorations, flew through the skies, pulled by a single... thestral?

Sitting in the seat of the chariot was a lone figure, whose entire body was covered by a dark cloak, masking their features entirely. A sudden bolt of lightning flashed, likely another of Rainbow's pranks, lighting up the figure for an instant, enough to see a pair of glowing teal eyes.

"AAAHHHH! IT'S NIGHTMARE MOON, EVERPONY _RUUUUUUNNNN_!"

Pinkie's shout, combined with her and the foals bolting down the path back to Ponyville, seemed to confuse both the rider and the thestral, if the shared glance they had was anything to go by. Regardless, they didn't stop and continued on their way to town.

Twilight frowned. That chariot looked... familiar, in some way, as well as the one pulling it, but she wasn't sure why.

Regardless, it was clear that whatever was going on tonight might end up spelling trouble, either for her or whomever was on the chariot, so it was best that she follow.

She sighed.

So much for a relaxing Nightmare Night.

* * *

Making it back to town was easy, but she was surprised to find herself arriving ahead of the thestral and rider duo.

As early as she was she could still see Pinkie scrambling around in the middle of town, the foals following her example.

It was cut short, however, as the thestral finally touched the ground, the chariot landing with a loud crash, startling the town square.

Immediately silence fell over the town, with everypony in the immediate area staring fearfully at the cloaked figure as it jumped from the chariot and began to approach.

The figure was surprisingly menacing, with the dark cloak covering nearly every last part of their body. She couldn't even tell the gender of the pony before her. Heck, she only knew it was a pony because of the hooves she could spot poking out from the bottom of their cloak.

The guard behind them, however, narrowed down the list of ponies it could possibly be. The black armour he was wearing only added to her suspicions. A black helmet hid his mane from sight, but a pair of green ears poked out from the top. A single piece of metal hung down, covering the bridge of his nose, as well as helping hold it in place. The black chest piece wrapped around his torso completely, fastened seamlessly around him, with the only noticeable hole being the ones his wings poked out through. Interlocking plates of black metal coated his wings, providing protection as well as mobility to the rather delicate appendages. Hoofguards surrounded his legs, more plates found at the joints around his limbs, providing proper movement despite the unyielding material. Coupled with a pair of noticeable fangs and slitted pupils, Twilight knew that she'd either met a new thestral, or somepony with a very convincing costume, as well as a strong sense of duty, considering they were still working.

However, the figure soon came to a stop, and Twilight was reminded of her suspicions. Even so, there was no possible way it could be who she thought it was. Not a moment later after Twilight had reassured herself, did the figure flip up their hood to reveal-

"Princess Luna?!" Twilight gawked, her sudden shout causing the rest of the town to fall into a low bow, though it honestly looked more like they had just curled up into the fetal position.

Princess Luna trotted forward, the royal guard behind her having escaped his harness and followed. All at once, her cloak came undone, but rather than fall to the floor, it suddenly split apart into a swarm of bats, who flew off into the night sky.

She looked around for a moment, before setting her gaze on the nearest curled up pony. Twilight recognized the yellow and orange pony dressed as a mouse as Golden Harvest, but filed away that information as Luna walked toward her.

Golden looked up in confusion for a moment, but once her gaze settled on the Princess, she squeaked and curled into herself further.

Luna frowned, and looked back at her guard,

"Perhaps I overdid it," she said simply, confusing Twilight. The guard shrugged, nearly giving Twilight an aneurysm at the sheer disrespect, before he replied in an eerily familiar voice,

"Told you it was a cruddy idea."

"You still agreed to it."

"You didn't really give me a choice."

"I didn't expect everyone to be afraid of me on sight, I didn't even get to finish the-!"

"I! Don't! Care!"

The Princess huffed -actually _huffed_\- at the guard's words, but returned her gaze to Golden, and sighed.

"Why do you fear me...?" the Princess trailed off,

"Golden Harvest," the guard supplied, surprising Twilight further.

"Why do you fear me, Golden Harvest?" Princess Luna finished. Golden's shaking seemed to increase once the Princess finished the question, now fully understanding that she was being addressed,

"U-um, w-well... I-I just... I-I..." Princess Luna sighed, cutting off Golden's lackluster response,

"I see," she said, before turning and marching straight into the center of the ring that had formed around her, "Very well then. Perhaps I shall have to introduce myself after all," Twilight heard her mutter, before she cleared her throat, and spoke, "Citizens of Ponyville!" she called, her voice echoing around the abnormally quiet square, "I am the true ruler of the night, Princess Luna!" she placed a hoof to her heart, "No longer must you fear the rule of the dreaded Nightmare, for it has been vanquished! I have come to your town to partake in this once dark holiday, and turn it into a glorious celebration where we may come together and enjoy the most wonderful feast!" she declared, smiling brightly.

The genuine smile on her face seemed to calm down most of the townsfolk, but before any of them could stand, a panicked shout broke the silence,

"DID YOU HEAR THAT EVERYPONY?! NIGHTMARE MOON SAID SHE'S GONNA FEAST ON ALL OF US TOGETHER! _RUUUUUUUUNNNN_!"

The shout seemed to shatter whatever peaceful air that the Princess had managed to create, punctuated by a crack of lightning once again, casting the Princess in momentary shadow. The darker image, coupled with the shout, seemed enough to drive the townsfolk past reason, as they all scattered, screaming their heads off.

Twilight watched in horrid fascination as Princess Luna simply stood there, not moving save for the single twitch of her right eye. Her smile didn't fade, her posture didn't drop, she didn't even blink for a few moments. Then, all at once, it faded away, leaving behind a brooding figure, who was too busy scowling at the ground to spot the guard walking up behind her.

Twilight balked at the sheer audacity the guard had as he gently patted the Princess-_THE PRINCESS_-on the back,

"Don't worry Lulu, we'll bring 'em around... soon as I beat the stuffing outta Pinkie for that little stunt of hers..." the guard growled.

Twilight's eyes widened at the much too familiar sound, having heard it several times over the last few months. Although, what really tipped her off, was the fact that her heart-rate suddenly skyrocketed at the sound.

"Emerald?!"

"... Ah, _shit_."

Emerald grimaced as the costumed mare marched up to him, dressed as...

"Are you dressed as Starswirl the Bearded?" Emerald asked, looking her costume up and down, eyebrow raised. Sparky stopped in her tracks, staring at him as though he was the last drop of water in the desert, "Uh... Sparky?"

"YOU ACTUALLY KNOW WHO STARSWIRL IS?!" she screeched, making him wince away,

"Yes! Yes! I do, now stop shouting!" he snapped, causing Sparky to blush and laugh,

"Hehe, uh... sorry? It's just, nopony else in the whole town knows who he is! Which doesn't make sense considering he's one of the foremost pioneers in Equestrian magic!"

"Indeed, Starswirl was... intelligent," Luna suddenly spoke up, her gaze rising until it rested on Sparky, "He was also a tad arrogant, a bit rude and sarcastic, but was generally likeable. Much like Emerald here."

"Bitch."

"I must say," Luna continued, ignoring Emerald's remark, "your costume is remarkably accurate. You even got the bells right."

"He... actually wore bells?" a young voice suddenly came from their right. A quick glance revealed the hatchling... dressed as a hatchling, staring at them in exasperation.

Emerald could relate.

"Indeed," Luna said, nodding sagely, "I am unsure of the reasons behind his choice to wear them, however. You'd have to ask my sister, as she always interacted with Starswirl more than I, as he was her Court Wizard and not mine," she said, before she lowered her voice, whispering conspiratorially, "Now, should you ask about his protege, Clover the Clever, then I may provide you with far more information than those wretched books ever could," she added, before clearing her throat, "But that must wait for another time. Now I must think of a manner in which I can earn the trust of these... unusually skittish townsfolk," she said, before walking off, though Emerald heard her mutter something about ponies being tougher back in her day.

He honestly doubted that.

The lunar co-ruler having left for the moment, Sparky turned her attention back to Emerald, who was beginning to regret not following the co-ruler faster.

"So, care to explain why you, oh I don't know... WHY WERE YOU BRINGING THE PRINCESS HERE ON A CHARIOT?!"

"EARS, _DAMMIT_!"

"Sorry," Sparky said, calming down for the moment, "I just... why?" she breathed, sounding defeated. Emerald shook his head,

"I didn't plan on it," he said, "It just... happened to go that way. Listen, Sparky, I'm a member of the Royal Guard."

Not a lie. But technically not the truth either.

"I got sent here by the princesses to watch over the Everfree due to some reports about it spreading on the other side of the forest and make sure it didn't start encroaching on the town. To do that, I go on patrol every night from one in the morning to about eight the next day."

"One in the..." Sparky muttered, before her eyes widened, "You have something to do with that weird dome over town every night!" she accused, pointing a hoof at him. Emerald scoffed,

"Obviously. It's a sound suppressor. With that thing up, another Ursa could be stomping around in town and I'd be the only one who knew about it. Assuming it didn't break anything or leave behind paw prints, of course," he said.

Sparky just shook her head, and plopped herself down on her plot.

"I can't believe it," she muttered, before shaking her head, "No... I can believe it. What I can't believe is how I didn't figure it out sooner!" she snapped, standing up, beginning to pace around in front of him, "I mean, when I first saw you I thought you reminded me a little bit of my brother, who's also in the Royal Guard-"

"Shining Armor, I know."

"-but I dismissed it moments later because you suddenly seemed so relaxed that I thought you couldn't possibly be in the guard considering my brother never seems to relax that much and-did you just say you know my brother?"

"Yeah, who doesn't know the damn captain?" Emerald asked, "He's got one of the higher positions in the Royal Guard. Considering he's only Mage level is also pretty surprising," he added.

"Mage level?" Sparky asked, before she nodded, "Right... there are different levels in the guard... um... darn, I'll have to do some reading later tonight."

"That'll have to wait," Emerald said, jerking his towards the retreating princess, "For now, we've gotta help Lulu with these morons," Sparky nodded, standing back up,

"Of course! I was there when Nightmare Moon was defeated, I saw just how different the two of them we-did you just say 'Lulu'?" Sparky asked, suddenly cutting herself off once more. Emerald blinked at the unexpected question, his eyes widening minutely at the slip-up.

"Uh... yeah?"

"Lulu... as in, the same Lulu you sent some cider to?"

"Uh..."

"As in, the same cider that somehow led to Princess Celestia _herself_ coming down to town to save Applejack and her farm?"

"I really need to watch my mouth."

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"

"You're acting surprised. I thought we already established that I had something to with it?"

"But...! But...! Th-that means that you sent the letter to her directly! That 'Lulu' is Princess Luna herself!"

"You're acting like it's a big deal."

"_IT IS A BIG DEAL_!"

"You have a direct line to Celestia herself."

"W-well, I'm her student!"

"I'm a guard."

Sparky let out a strangled groan, and stomped her hoof on the ground,

"We're talking about this later! When the seven of us are all together!" she ordered, before stomping off in the direction Luna took off in. Emerald sighed, but shrugged it off.

Looks like he had another interrogation on the way.

But that was fine. Sparky was cute when she was angry.

* * *

They found Luna sitting on a bench in the park, alone. Her back was straight and her gaze impassive, so much so that she might have been mistaken for a statue at a glance, but the occasional shuffle prevented that. Though she remained calm and collected, even in the face of this new obstacle, Emerald knew her well enough to understand that this was her version of pouting.

Add a pie and she'd probably try to eat away her emotions.

_Again._

"I'm surprised you're not in town," Emerald remarked as he and Sparky approached, the hatchling have disappeared somewhere. Luna regarded him coolly,

"Of course. In town. Surrounded by my screaming 'fans'. Yes, it sounds _most_ wonderful," she said, monotone, causing Emerald to snicker,

"I'm sorry Princess," Sparky began, "Ponyville is a wonderful town, with wonderful ponies living in it! They're just... wary," Luna shook her head,

"Indeed," she said, "Given that my last appearance in this town was as the Nightmare, perhaps I should've been expecting a reaction as bad as this," she sighed, "No matter," she said, hopping off the bench, "As a princess of Equestria, it is my royal duty to ensure that my subjects are at peace! I'll not give in because of a bad reputation! I'll do all in my power to calm the townsfolk and put their fears to rest. _Permanently_," she said, punctuating that last remark by stomping a hoof, cracking the ground beneath her, which caused Sparky to wince.

"Good to see your fire hasn't burned out," Emerald snarked, fangs gleaming. Luna laughed,

"Truly!" she said, before her smile diminished, and she bit her lip, "I have learned much of this new world I have found myself in. I understand that the old traditions have long become obsolete. As such, I hope that the two of you will assist me in these matters," she said, her eyes darting between himself and Sparky hopefully.

Emerald nodded, even as Sparky chirped,

"Of course we'll help Princess! It'll be an honour!" she said. Luna smiled at her enthusiasm, and gently sat down,

"That is good to hear, Twilight Sparkle," Sparky blinked,

"Y-you know my name?"

"Of course," Luna said, raising an eyebrow, "Not only are you my sister's student, but it was you and your friends who united and, with the powers of Harmony, did away with my darkened powers as the Nightmare. Why would I not know your name, as well as the names of the other Bearers?" Sparky flushed at her explanation,

"Well, when you put it that way..."

"All that aside," Luna began, smirking at Sparky's embarrassment, "how shall I go bout earning the trust of the citizens?" Sparky frowned,

"Well... your approach was a little strong," she admitted, but Emerald shook his head,

"No, her approach is fine. You haven't seen her using the royal We or the Royal Canterlot Voice, trust me on that," he said, ignoring Luna blush at the memory, "No, the issue is Pinkie Pie. I don't know why, but she's acting like a moron. So long as she sees a reason to fear you, the town will follow suit. She's _that_ influential, and she doesn't even mean it," Luna blinked, and frowned,

"What do you mean, she doesn't mean it?" she asked. Emerald shrugged,

"Pinkie's not stupid. Contrary to popular belief in town, Pinkie's actually a fairly smart pony. I've seen her memorize recipes after one glance, and calculate the price of large orders in seconds. She might not act like it, but she's quite observant too. If I wasn't as careful as I am, she'd probably know a lot more about me than I'm comfortable with sharing just by watching me," he said, then shook his head, "No, I have little to no doubt that Pinkie isn't afraid of you in the slightest. She's probably just taking the thrill of Nightmare Night scares a little too far and hasn't realized how it's affecting you yet. Once she realizes her behavior is upsetting you, she'll likely stop and apologize by throwing a party or two to help out."

Sparky grimaced throughout his explanation, but only spoke up once he finished,

"I don't know Emerald. I've known Pinkie a lot longer than you, and she doesn't seem like the best actor. That scream was pretty convincing," Emerald shook his head and sighed,

"Regardless, you're not going to be able to make much progress without her on your side... well, her or Fluttershy," he said, adding that last part after a moment of thought. Sparky gasped,

"Fluttershy! Of course! If we can show the town that _Fluttershy_ is comfortable being around you, then they'll have no reason to believe you're anything but the kind and caring pony you must be!"

"Fluttershy?" Luna asked, then frowned, "She is the Element of Kindness, correct?" Emerald nodded, "I see... indeed, having the Element of Kindness be comfortable in my presence would be most beneficial," she remarked.

"Great!" Sparky cheered, "Let's head over to Fluttershy's right away! Hopefully she hasn't gone out yet."

* * *

"If you do not mind me asking," Luna began as they approached the familiar cottage, "why is it that this Fluttershy lives so far from town? Does it not make things more difficult to be so far away?" she asked. Emerald smirked,

"Not for her. She takes care of the local animals, so it's best she lives this far out. Also, she is extremely shy, if you couldn't already guess, so don't be offended if she's too afraid to talk to you for a minute or so," he responded, trotting up to the knock, and giving it a firm knock.

"I DON'T HAVE ANY CANDY SO PLEASE GO AWAY NOW!" the usually demure mare screamed from inside, causing his ears to fold back in surprise. He blinked after a moment, before shaking his head,

"Cuz, it's me," he called, "I've got a friend who'd like your help."

A moment passed in in which he couldn't hear anything from inside, save her breathing, but thankfully the sound of timid hoofsteps met his ears after a moment, followed by the sound of multiple locks unlocking.

The door creaked open, revealing a teal eye, which brightened upon seeing him,

"Oh! Emerald, it's nice to see y-" there was a sudden flash of lightning, and Fluttershy's gaze locked onto the princess behind him, and widened instantly, "NIGHTMARE MOON!" she screeched, then disappeared, slamming the door. Several clicking sounds came as she locked the door.

Emerald stood there for a moment, before taking a calming breath.

It didn't work.

"Open the door, Fluttershy," he demanded,

"NO!"

"Open. Up."

"NO!"

"Open the door or I'm coming in."

"NO!"

"Well, I warned you," he muttered, before giving the door a harsh kick, forcing it open.

Twilight and Luna watched as he walked in, the door creaking closed behind him. For a moment, all they could hear were voices for a moment, followed by the sound of a struggle, before the door was kicked back open, and Fluttershy was none-too-gently deposited in front of them.

"Fluttershy..." Sparky began hesitantly, "You remember Princess _Luna_, right?" she asked, giving the mare a meaningful look, while stressing the princess' name. The shy pony merely gave a small nod, "Good. Now, I'm sure you know that Nightmare Moon is gone, right?" it took her nearly a minute, but eventually she nodded, seemingly gaining confidence from the admission, as she sat up, though her gaze didn't meet Luna's.

"Listen, Shy," Emerald cut in, "Luna is a pony just like you an-er-just like Sparky and the others," he amended, "It's not very nice of you to scream in her face and run away," he added, raising an eyebrow at her. Fluttershy fidgeted,

"..." she squeaked

"What was that?"

"...rry."

"_Fluttershy_."

"I'm sorry," she managed, looking up at the much bigger pony, wide-eyes brimming with unshed tears. Luna sucked in a breath, before letting it go,

"It is... alright, Fluttershy. If I may call you that," the mare nodded, "Indeed. There is no need to apologize. I know that our first encounter was not... ideal. I wish to make amends," she stated, holding her hoof out, looking unsure.

The shy yellow pony glanced at the offered appendage with the slightest trace of fear in her eyes. She spared a glance towards Emerald, who merely nudged her on, then sent one to Sparky, who only gave her a comforting nod.

Finally, just as Luna was about to pull away, Fluttershy reached out, and shook her hoof.

Luna brightened immediately, and, in a flash of magic, pulled Fluttershy close and embraced her,

"Oh thank you! It is most wonderful to know that there are ponies out there whom are willing to give Us-er- me a chance!" she exclaimed, hugging the shy mare close.

Emerald thought he heard her ribs cracking a little bit, but dismissed it after a moment.

"Fluttershy, quick! You gotta hide us!" came an unfortunately familiar voice from down the path, followed by the sight of Pinkie trotting up the path towards the cottage, the group of foals from earlier trailing behind her, "Nightmare Moon is in town an-" she gasped upon catching sight of the 'hug', "OH NO! SHE STOLE FLUTTERSHY'S VOICE SO SHE COULDN'T SCREAM WHEN SHE TRIES TO EAT HER, RUN!" she screeched, bolting back the path into town, the screams of the little foals followed behind.

Emerald sighed.

Where had she even come to that, obviously false, conclusion?

He shook his head.

"Whatever," he muttered, walking past the frozen Luna and Fluttershy combo, "We can deal with her later," he added, turning to face them, "In the meantime, let's get you two into town. Hopefully the sight of you going with her will calm the rest of the town."

* * *

"I suppose that was wishful thinking."

Emerald grimaced as they walked on. Ponies still looked at Luna with fear in their eyes, more often than not hiding behind their stalls.

Everything had been merry. Ponies had been playing games, chatting, and even listening to some music. The second that their little group appeared, however, that all changed. Games stopped, chatter faded, and music died.

But, of course, it wasn't hopeless.

He could spot a few ponies peeking back out from their hiding places, looking surprised at the sight of Fluttershy standing next to the, in their eyes, monster that was Nightmare Moon.

Predictably, the sight of the most timid mare in Equestria bravely, for her, standing beside a supposed monster seemed to pacify a good portion of the townsfolk after a moment.

But it wasn't enough, not for him.

Sparky sighed,

"Well... maybe there's something else we can do?" she asked herself, "Fluttershy's helping, but its too slow..."

"Perhaps it is my size?" Luna remarked, "I am much bigger than most ponies. Perhaps they all find it intimidating?" she asked, Emerald scoffed,

"Please, if size was the issue, they wouldn't like Celestia either."

"That may be..." she muttered, looking down, until her eyes caught her hoof, "My coat, then? I admit I am a rather dark coloured pony. Much more so than most of the ponies I see in this age," Emerald wobbled his head to the sides for a moment,

"That's... possible. Though your coat is still much brighter than Nightmare Moon's from what I hear, plus there are still ponies who have darker colour schemes, even in Ponyville, so... it's possible, but I wouldn't bet on it."

Twilight's eyes roamed the festival as the princess and thestral talked behind her.

She didn't understand. Well, she understood the reason, but not the _why_.

So what if the princess had been possessed by Nightmare Moon?

She wasn't Nightmare Moon. She was Princess Luna. Couldn't they see that?

Twilight remembered that day rather vividly. How could she not? She remembered the feeling of standing in the crowd, watching the moon with a scared grimace, hoping beyond hope that her teacher had been right about the prophecy being just a story. She remembered the terror that plagued her very soul when the Nightmare herself appeared on stage in place of the solar princess.

She remembered standing up to the mare. She remembered the sheer _presence_ the Nightmare had.

Like everything was going dark. As if the world around her had all of its colour, all of its heat sucked away, leaving her behind, as a cold, empty husk. It was terrifying, honestly! Even now, she sometimes felt that unnatural chill pervade her body at night, even beneath her blankets. If she didn't know any better, she'd think she was going to freeze whenever she felt it.

But Princess Luna didn't have that.

Oh yes, she did have a sort of... presence about her, but it felt similar to Princess Celestia. Warm, comforting. But where Princess Celestia's presence felt like the warm hug of her own mother, being around Princess Luna reminded her of those comfy nights where her father used to teach her to read by the fireplace, illuminated not by the fire, but by the stars outside.

Couldn't they feel it too?

Evidently not, given the way they all skittered away from the Princess of the Night.

Then again, it might be for the best that they couldn't feel... whatever it was.

The memory flew through her mind, of that moment in the Everfree, just after Emerald's miraculous escape from his stony prison.

In that moment, as he stood above the cockatrice, glaring bloody murder down at it...

_Twilight felt like she was going to die._

Like there was a knife at her neck, like the hungry gaze of an apex predator had landed upon her, marking her as its next target. Like there was no way she could even hope for escape from this monster, because it had already caught her, and was now playing with its food.

But of course it had faded away once Emerald relaxed, replaced with the familiar sense of comfort she felt around all of her friends, and Twilight honestly couldn't bring herself to be afraid of that... feeling.

He was obviously the source, just as the princesses were obviously the sources of those other feelings, but she just... couldn't.

She couldn't be afraid of him, even though she, logically, should be. She was a pony, an herbivore and, according to those ancient history books she read, ponies had always been a prey creature.

Given the general skittishness of ponies in Equestria, their herd instincts, as well as their lack of trust in other species, she had a very easy time believing her sources.

Emerald, no-_thestrals_ were obviously not prey. They were predators, especially if those fangs were taken into account. Even if they were, indeed, used to pierce tough fruits, she could easily imagine those fangs just as effortlessly tearing through the fresh body of a p-

She violently shook her head, doing her best to remove the putrid thought from her mind.

Returning her thoughts to the area around her, she watched as ponies began to tentatively start their games back up, the sound of chatter beginning to fill the air once again. She withheld a sigh.

At least they were getting used to the Princess' presence.

Her eyes wandering from booth to booth. There was pumpkin catapulting, spider-tossing, a strongpony set-up, a dunk tank, apple bobbing, run by Applejack, and so many other activities to choose from that Twilight was a little glad Emerald had ended up canceling their dat-_outing_, their outing, as friends, completely platonic friends.

Ponies were laughing and beginning to have fun again, leaving them standing out as the only ones not having any fu-

"That's it!" she exclaimed, startling a few nearby ponies, but she didn't pay them any mind. Turning back to the group, who hadn't noticed the slip in her awareness a moment ago, "Everypony, I have an idea!" she gushed, running back over to them.

"Really?" Fluttershy asked, looking around nervously, "Um, what is it?"

"Have fun!"

"... Have... fun?" Emerald asked, obviously confused, his eyes beginning to roam around the area. It took a moment, but his eyes lit up in realization, "You think that having Luna just, have fun like everypony else will help them see her as just 'one of them'?" she nodded excitedly,

"Exactly!" Emerald looked at her for a moment, his face turning a little red as he looked away,

"It's a good idea," he said, "Simple and easy too. Provided Pinkie doesn't come along and ruin it," he added, before his eyes lit up, and a wicked grin played itself across its face, "Of course, I could always hunt her down first, don't you think?~"

"No hunting," Twilight deadpanned, causing him to huff, "Rainbow Dash is going around pranking everypony with a thundercloud. I'm worried it might make Luna look intimidating if lightning flashed around her, so Fluttershy," she turned to face the shy pony, who squeaked a little at being addressed, "do you think you could go looking for Rainbow Dash and ask her not to prank Luna?"

"U-um..." she nodded, "O-okay, I'll try..." she said, trotting off with a nervous smile.

"Alright," Emerald began, "where to first?"

* * *

"So... what is the point of... this?" the princess asked, staring down at the stuffed spider in her hoof indifferently,

"W-well," the pony manning the booth, Rose, if Emerald remembered right, began, "y-you just gotta throw the spider in the middle of the web..." she squeaked, apparently trying not to curl up and hide in her large pumpkin costume.

Luna frowned as she exchanged her gaze between the spider and her apparent target,

"I see... and this is supposed to be fun?" she asked, glancing at Emerald and Twilight, the latter of whom nodded while the former just shrugged.

"Meh," he grunted, earning a hoof to the side from Twilight. He glared at her, and she met his gaze, before both went a little pink and looked back at her.

Luna smirked a little bit as she returned her eyes to the web before her.

She may not fully understand the customs of this day and age, but she wasn't so out of touch as to not recognize a budding romance when she saw one.

She felt a little happy for the two of them, more so for Emerald than Twilight. No offense to the studious mare, but she was far more comfortable with his presence than hers, though it was only natural.

Still, it was nice to see Emerald finally begin to express himself.

Luna was no fool. She had been informed of the stallion's... difficulties when her sister first met him.

Six-_seven today_-years had passed since her sister had first found that ragtag group of thirty-two out in the Badlands.

Though her return was long after the events took place, her sister had seen fit to confide in her the fears she had felt and kept hidden since that day. A strange green thestral had appeared to be leading this group of starved, dehydrated, and tortured creatures through the most inhospitable place in the world.

His fainting spell had scared Celestia half to death, but she had calmed herself once she noticed he was only falling unconscious, and not dying in her hooves.

According to her, those thirty-two were beaten, but not broken. It took some time and rehabilitation, but they'd live. It had taken her sister nearly three months to sort out their arrangements. The non-ponies would be given the option to stay or return to their homelands, where their respective governments were prepared to take care of them, or they could stay.

Only three non-ponies chose to stay, and one of them was the only griffon chef in the castle, Gustave Le Grande.

Luna was not privy to all of the details regarding the individuals and their new whereabouts, but at the end of the day, they were all happy, healthy, and on the road to true recovery, even the foals.

_All but one._

Emerald Skies, as her sister had told her, was not healthy.

He was a broken stallion, who lost that which made him whole. His sense of individuality had disappeared, likely lost in his desperate struggle to save the others. His emotions had seemingly burnt out, leaving him a husk of whoever he may have been.

Celestia tried. Oh, if she had a bit for every time she tried, her sister told her, she'd have enough to buy another private airship.

She tried to bring him back into society. It worked, marginally. His burnt out emotive abilities had made it difficult for him to socialize, apparently. He seemingly couldn't comprehend even the simplest emotion, and Celestia partly blamed it on the trauma he experienced in the Facility, and partly on the young age he'd been taken.

She believed, and was supported by the doctors taking care of him at the time, that due to his young age at the time, and the cold, emotionless treatment he'd been subjected to, had ended up teaching him to throw away his feelings. That he was a tool, and, therefore, didn't need them.

Of course, things hadn't been completely bleak. After about two years, of which he'd spent working in Celestia's private agency, he seemed to come back to life. Or at least, a good imitation of it.

Celestia worried sometimes that he still didn't understand emotion. She worried that, even now, he merely recognized her worry, and wore a mask of sorts to convince her that everything was fine, and had gone so far as to convince himself in the process. All for her sake.

Luna thought that was preposterous, but watching the thestral switch between angry, annoyed, gleeful, sad, mischievous, and even snarky in under a minute, she was willing to admit the possibility.

But now?

Blushing and looking away from a mare, simply because he caught her eye?

Luna could feel another smile threatening to tear her face in two.

If Twilight Sparkle could make the seemingly hollow thestral whole again, then it was her duty as both a friend and a Princess of Equestria to push them together.

...

She'd have to see if Cadence and her sister wanted to help.

Emerald felt a shiver suddenly run down his spine as Luna finally tossed the damn spider.

Great, someone was planning something, and it involved him.

Luna's spider fell a few feet short of the target, but a push from himself and Sparky got her to try again. Sticking her tongue out in concentration, the lunar princess threw her second spider, this time landing directly in the center of the web.

"Ah, I did it!" she laughed, looking surprised, before a small smile lit up her face, "Haha! Yes!" she cheered, hopping in place a little. Her foalish excitement drew the attention of the nearby ponies, who seemed to suddenly relax at her laughter. Luna turned to them,

"What other games may we play?"

* * *

The three of them migrated from the spider-toss farther into the festival, with Emerald and Sparky trailing a little behind the excited Luna, who was eagerly looking around for a new game to play.

Emerald chuckled lightly when Luna suddenly perked up and began skipping towards the pumpkin'pault game.

"You... seem to get along with the Princess," Sparky suddenly spoke. Emerald glanced at her, finding that she was staring at the princess with a small frown.

A small spike of worry shot through him, unbidden.

Did she think they were together?

He threw the thought away.

What did it matter if Sparky thought anything of the sort?

But... still...

"She's a close friend, Sparky... Like Pinkie," he said, adding that second part after a moment of thought. He watched as the frown marring her otherwise pretty face faded, replaced by a small, content, smile.

His chest hurt.

Damn this feeling! Damn it _to Tartarus_!

He restrained a growl. He needed to nip this crush of his in the bud, keep it from growing and getting worse.

But, how?

He'd already been working on avoiding her, although look where that got him. Still, he hadn't really noted any difference in his newfound feelings by avoiding her.

... Well, thinking about it now, it hadn't done much other than make him want to see her more, even if only a little.

What else, then?

Hmm... perhaps if he focused on her flaws?

He nodded to himself. Yes, her flaws! It was perfect! Surely seeing exactly what was wrong with her, if he could find something, would force this atrocious attraction to wilt and die, right?

He could only hope.

The sound of a mechanism firing, followed by a loud squelch, broke him from his thoughts.

Glancing up, he found Luna smiling brightly at a distant target, which had been painted orange by the splattered guts of a fired pumpkin.

"Yes! Perfect shot!"

"Good one, Luna," Emerald remarked, hoping his lapse in focus hadn't been noticed. Apparently not, as the smile on Luna's face when she turned to him failed to portray any sort of recognition,

"Ha! Indeed!" she gushed, then glanced at Sparky, "Perhaps you would like to try, Twilight Sparkle?" she asked. Sparky swallowed a nervous lump in her throat,

"Uh, no thank you Princess. And, please, Twilight's fine," she said, smiling nervously,

"I see," Luna said, her face grave, "Then you shall refer to me as Luna," she said, a calm smiling appearing on her face, before she perked up, "In fact... EVERYONE!" she suddenly called, startling the nearby townsfolk, "PLEASE, ALL OF YOU, CALL ME _LUNA_!"

The announcement rang through the square, but, much to Emerald's surprise, it was received quite well. Rather than run screaming or hiding from sight, ponies began whispering amongst themselves, with Emerald hearing quite a few ponies commenting on the name and how nice the pony it belonged to seemed.

"Wow, Princ- I mean, Luna!" Sparky gushed, looking around with a bright smile, "I guess everypony has really started to warm up to you!"

"Yeah, and so quickly, too," Emerald commented, looking around as well. He held a small frown.

That was it? Luna playing a few games was enough for the whole town to simply forget their fear?

Where was that response when Zecora was around? Where was that response when the thestrals were attacked so many centuries ago?

He shook his head.

He shouldn't focus so much on what happened. After all, Sparky and her friends responded surprisingly well to his reveal.

Perhaps he'd misjudged ponykind?

...

He doubted it, but he'd reserve judgement a while longer.

"Indeed," Luna repeated, smiling brightly at the two of them, "It is... wonderful to hear my subjects responding to my presence warmly," she said, "'Tis something I could once only dream of," she added, somewhat morosely.

"Luna...?" Sparky muttered, taking a step closer to her, likely to try and comfort the taller mare, but it was for naught, as Luna perked up immediately,

"No matter! 'Tis in the past, and if I wish to be apart of this new world I find myself in, then I must let go of the past, and embrace the present I find myself in!" she declared, then locked eyes with Sparky, "Now, what shall we do next?"

Sparky blinked at the sudden question, likely shocked at how easily the princess managed to switch between topics, the change possibly giving her whiplash.

"Uhh..." the librarian muttered intelligently, her eyes started darting around, "W-well, umm... apple blobbing!" she suddenly squeaked, turning red, "H-how about apple bobbing?"

...

"What is 'apple bobbing'?"

"Ya don't know about apple bobbin'?!" a familiar accented voice suddenly spoke up from behind them, startling the two mares.

Emerald spared a glance towards the farm mare, blinking a little at her scarecrow costume.

"Um, no?" Luna said, regarding the mare with a curious gaze,

"Well that ain't right!" Applejack declared, before grabbing Luna's hoof, causing her to squawk, before she pulled her along.

Emerald and Sparky shared a glance, ignoring the heat in their cheeks upon meeting the others' gaze, then followed after their mutual friends.

* * *

"Well, here we are, Yer Highness-"

"Please, Luna is fine."

"If ya say so!" Applejack agreed easily, "Welp, this is it, Luna," she repeated, happily nodding to the water-filled tub in front of them.

Luna peered into the washtub, blinking confusedly at the many apples she saw floating in the water. She glanced back at the farmer,

"This is... apple bobbing?" she asked. Applejack laughed,

"Well, ya gotta bob fer 'em, o'course," she said, "Jus' stick yer head in an' try to grab one with yer mouth. No hooves, no magic. If ya get one, ya keep the apple. One bit per attempt!" she said, before stiffening, "Er... I mean, firs' game's free if ya want."

Luna frowned, but, in a flash of light, placed a small, but neat, stack of bits into the box by the tub.

"U-uh, thank ya kindly Prin- Luna," Applejack managed, nodding. Luna stepped up to the side of the tub, staring down at the floating fruit. She looked up, spotting Emerald and Sparky sitting across from her. Her horn flashed for a moment, confusing the other three, but Luna only smiled,

"I see," she muttered, then nodded to herself. Before anyone could ask, she turned back to the apples, then plunged her head into the water. She stayed submerged for a moment, then came up with a large green apple clutched between her teeth.

"Mhm!" came her muffled cheer, much to the amusement of those watching,

"Woowee!" Applejack hollered, "An' on yer firs' try too! Yer a natural gamer, Luna!"

Luna smiled past the apple, then used her magic to remove it,

"I thank th-you, Honest Applejack," she said, surprising the apple mare,

"Y-ya know mah name?" Luna nodded,

"Of course. Like I told Twilight earlier, I remember who it was that freed me from the Nightmare's control," she said, smiling softly,

"O-oh," Applejack stammered, flushing slightly.

Luna turned to Sparky,

"Well, Twilight, why don't you have a turn as well?" the mare in question started at the unexpected question,

"Wh-what?" she stammered, before rapidly shaking her head, "Nonononono! You're the one who payed to play so it wouldn't be fair if I-"

"Indeed," Luna interrupted, "I am the one who paid, as such, I am the one who decides who plays. Now play," she said, smirking smugly. Sparky turned a little red, but approached the tub regardless. She took a moment to remove her fake beard, which was attached to her hat, levitating it next to her.

Sparky glanced back at Emerald, took a deep breath, then plunged her head into the water.

Emerald frowned and turned to Luna, intending to confront her about her flashing horn, but found her immersed in a conversation with Applejack, much to his annoyance. He sighed and turned back to Sparky, wondering what was taking her so long.

She was moving, at least, so she hadn't drowned. He felt a smirk form on his face. Was she really having that hard of a time grabbing an apple? Luna did it first try in a few seconds.

...

A spike of worry shot into him. She'd been under for about thirty seconds by now. Sparky's body jerked back suddenly, but her head stayed under.

"Uh, Sparky?" he asked, edging closer to her. Her body jerked again, but, once more, her head remained under. Feeling his chest go cold, he rushed to her side and peered in, but it was for naught, as Sparky suddenly pulled away from the tub, splashing water everywhere.

Emerald shook away the water and turned to Sparky, only to have to clap a hoof against his mouth.

Sparky had landed on her back, apparently hard enough to knock the wind out of her. But that wasn't what Emerald found funny.

Rather, it was the large red apple speared on her horn.

"Th-that's a nice look for ya, Sparky," he said, stifling his laughter. She shook her head, and sent him a confused look, before her eyes started trailing up.

She stared at the apple stuck to her horn for a moment, before her entire face went red.

"Wh-bu-I-!" her horn flashed for a moment, and the apple shot off of her horn into the air, as if it was fired from a cannon.

Emerald couldn't help but laugh at the look on her face after that, which only caused her to blush harder.

* * *

"You all cleaned up now, Sparky?" Emerald asked, smiling cheekily at the purple mare as she exited her library home. The unicorn in question sent him a glare, though it was offset by the small smile she wore underneath.

"Yes, Emerald," she snarked, "You can quit laughing about it. Bobbing for apples is a lot harder than it looks," she defended. He scoffed,

"Yeah? Then how'd Luna do it so easily?" he asked, before frowning, and looking away, ignoring the slight heat build up in his face, "... You had me worried for a second there, ya know?"

"What?" Sparky asked, blinking in confusion. He fidgeted slightly,

"You were under the water for a pretty long time," he specified, "I... got a little worried you'd gotten that horn of yours stuck to the bottom of the tub, or something, and couldn't get out," he admitted. Sparky stared at him for a moment, turning red,

"O-oh... you... you were really worried?" she asked.

"I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't, you idiot!" he snapped, teeth bared slightly, though the blush on his face only worsened.

Sparky didn't flinch away from him, rather his reaction only caused her to laugh a little instead.

"Thanks," she muttered, causing his anger to fade, replaced by confusion of his own,

"For what?"

"For worrying," she replied immediately, then looked away, "A lot of things, dangerous things, have been happening since I came to this town, so it's nice to know that there's somepony-er-some_body_-" she corrected, "who's worried about me."

Emerald blinked at the confession, surprised, but before he could say anything in response, a familiar flash of pink out of the corner of his eyes caught his attention.

"Pinkie?" he asked, turning to face the mare. Pinkie, still dressed up like a damn chicken, was hiding in a nearby alleyway, sticking her head out, looking from left to right constantly.

"What's she looking for?" Sparky asked. Emerald shrugged,

"Dunno. Probably Luna," he reasoned, before cracking his neck, "Well... better address this before it gets worse, right?" he asked, glancing at Sparky, then walked off, followed closely by the costumed mare.

The two of them approached Pinkie, who remained oblivious to their presence, until Emerald stood nearly a foot away from her.

He cleared his throat, startling the pink mare, as evidenced by her jumping a good three feet into the air,

"AH! NIGHTMA- oh, hey Emerald," she greeted, calming down instantly upon seeing him. His eye twitched a little, then he sighed,

"Pinkie... what are you doing?" he had to ask,

"Oh, just looking out for Nightmare Moon, why?" she asked casually.

"Pinkie," Sparky began sternly, "Princess Luna is _not_ Nightmare Moon," she stated firmly. Pinkie waved her off,

"Well, duh."

"I'm serious!" Sparky continued, "She's not- what did you just say?" Pinkie laughed at the stunned look on her face,

"C'mon Twilight!" she said, smiling, "I'm not stupid!"

"So... so you don't think she's going to eat you?" Sparky asked dumbly, Pinkie scoffed,

"Eat me? How's she gonna do that? I'm almost as big as she is!"

"Then why are you screaming and running away from her?" Emerald asked, getting to the point. Pinkie shrugged, but her smile never faded,

"Well, it's Nightmare Night, silly!" she said, as if it was obvious, "Sometimes, it's just fun to be scared!" Emerald frowned,

"While that might be true, Pinkie, haven't you stopped to think about how Luna feels?" he asked. Pinkie blinked,

"Whaddya mean?" Emerald shook his head,

"Luna was trapped on the moon, possessed, by Nightmare Moon for a thousand years. She comes back, and everybody immediately thinks she's still Nightmare Moon, even though the Elements cleansed it from her body. Now here she comes, trying to show them that Nightmare Moon is gone, and here you go, screaming about how she's _still_ Nightmare Moon, the one thing she wants to be rid of. Haven't you thought, even for a moment, about how much it hurts her to hear her subjects run away screaming at just the sight of her?" he asked.

Pinkie stared at him for a moment, before sighing. That one sigh seemed to cause her to deflate entirely, the visible puff of her normally poofy mane seemed to shrink and go flat for a moment,

"I never thought of it like that," she admitted, dejectedly kicking the ground, "I just thought it would be fun getting scared. I never meant to hurt her feelings," she looked up at him, "I... I really messed up, didn't I?" she asked. Emerald stared for a moment, before shaking his head,

"Not quite," he said, causing Pinkie to perk up, "Despite your actions-" she deflated again, "-Sparky and I have managed to help Luna relax, and it's really started to help her fit in. Ponies don't seem so skittish of her anymore. If you just go out and apologize, I'm sure she'd be more than willing to forgi-"

"AHH NIGHTMARE MOON'S GONNA EAT PIP! EVERYPONY RUN!"

"... Oh, _shit_," Emerald muttered, horrified, before he turned and bolted towards the source of the shout. Pinkie and Sparky shared a stunned glance, before following after him.

The three of them rushed out into town, and arrived in Town Square, where they found Luna standing in the center of a crowd, holding some white and brown-spotted colt dressed as a pirate in her teeth above the dunk tank, both of them soaking wet.

"HELP! NIGHTMARE MOON'S GOTTA EAT ME!" the colt cried, his voice laced with a heavy accent. Luna dropped the colt, and watched for a moment as he ran away, screaming. It took her a moment, but her brain seemed to finally reboot,

"Wha-_NO_! I would never eat anypony! You're still in one piece, aren't you?!"

"RUN, EVERYPONY, BEFORE SHE GETS TO US, TOO!"

"AAHHHH!"

"QUICK, _HIDE_!"

Luna looked around frantically, trying in vain to calm down the dozens of ponies running in every direction. Eventually she stood still, her mane shadowing her face for a moment, before she spoke,

"ENOUGH!" she shouted, her voice suddenly magnified, causing Emerald to gasp in pain and drop to the ground, holding his hooves over his ears, even as all the nearby activity came to a screeching halt.

"Princess!" Sparky whispered harshly, running up to the angered mare, "Calm down! Your screaming will make everything worse!"

"**NO, TWILIGHT SPARKLE**," the lunar co-ruler boomed, eyes glowing white, Royal Canterlot Voice in full effect, "**FOR WHAT I HAVE TO SAY, THIS VOLUME IS NECESSARY!**" she turned to the crowd, the wind blowing violently, as if nature itself responded to her anger, "**IF FEARING YOUR PRINCESS IS WHAT YOU ALL TRULY DESIRE, AS WELL AS MOCKING HER WITH THIS WRETCHED HOLIDAY, THEN I AM LEFT WITH NO CHOICE, BUT TO CANCEL NIGHTMARE NIGHT. FOREVER!**"

Her horn lit up, and she disappeared in a flash of light, the wind dying down the moment she vanished, leaving behind a distraught town.

Sparky stared at the place where Luna had been not ten seconds ago, before everything suddenly caught up to her at once.

"What?"

* * *

"Well, it was fun while it lasted," Applejack muttered, looking around dejectedly.

"It's all my fault," Pinkie whimpered, leaning against the wall of a nearby building, "I know it was supposed to be fun, but... this isn't fun."

Emerald sighed, rubbing his still stinging ears,

"Well..." he glanced around, watching as half of the unhappy townsfolk began tearing down decorations, with the other half trying, and partially succeeding, in consoling the crying colts and fillies. "Can't say they don't deserve it," he managed, surprising Twilight,

"What?" she asked, "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked hotly, he just shrugged,

"They took one look at her, then screamed and ran away. Actions have consequences, you know?" he said, "They need to learn to think before they let their emotions take control. If they had just taken the time to notice how different Luna looked from the Nightmare, then maybe they'd have realized that, no, this shy looking mare is_ not_ the evil tyrant who sought to plunge Equestria into eternal night!" he snapped, before wincing and rubbing his ear a little harder.

Twilight flinched away at that, but didn't try to argue.

There has to be a way to fix this, she thought, there has to be.

Her eyes trailed over her fellow townsfolk, before they eventually fell on the group of foals that had been following Pinkie around. She sighed and glanced at the depressed looking Pinkie, before something in her head clicked together.

_Sometimes, it's just fun to be scared!_

"That's it..." she muttered, then laughed a little, "That's it!" she gushed, catching the attention of the nearby ponies and thestral, "Girls! Emerald! I have a plan!"

* * *

"I can't believe it," Pip muttered sadly, "My first Nightmare Night, is also my last Nightmare Night."

Wisp sighed, and shook her head.

She should be more disappointed than she was, really, but she just couldn't be.

She had warned them, time, after time, after time again not to be mean to Big Sis Luna. But Miss Pinkie told her that it was all in good fun, and that they'd all share a good laugh tomorrow.

But _NOOOOOOO_! They just had to keep going, and look at where it got them.

She sighed once more, and readjusted her cardboard guard costume that Big Sis Trixie had helped her make. She'd seen her big brother's armour enough times to remember what it looked like, for the most part, and Big Sis Trixie had been nice enough to coach her through making it as a little magic exercise.

It wasn't perfect, of course. The cardboard chest piece was a little too small, the helmet wasn't tied together quite tight enough, so it kept falling over her eyes, and the hoofguards kept slipping off of her hooves.

Even so, she was proud of her work.

"C'mon, kids," Miss Applejack said, suddenly appearing by their side, "Nightmare Night ain't over yet!" she said, "Let's finish the night off with a good ol' candy offerin'!" she suggested, smiling.

Wisp looked at her, confused, wondering why her eyes were darting around so much, and why was she sweating?

Her costume didn't look stuffy, even with the hay in it.

... Maybe she was allergic to hay?

Was that how that worked?

"Why, that's a fantastic idea!" Miss Mayor gushed from behind them, causing herself and the others to jump in surprise, "It might be the last Nightmare Night, but we wouldn't want Nightmare Moon to come back for us, right?" the mayor asked, leaning forward. Wisp blinked, then tilted her head,

"But we already did," she said. The mayor, as well as Applejack, swallowed nervously, though Wisp didn't notice,

"W-well, the Princess was awful mad earlier," Miss Applejack said, "The candy from earlier might not've been enough, so why not do it again?" she said.

The foals shared a confused look, but nodded anyways and proceeded to follow the older mare to the statue.

...

Emerald had always taught her to pay attention to her surroundings. While she'd admit she might not be very good at it sometimes, she had an easy time spotting something unusual about the statue of Nightmare Moon.

Namely that it blinked.

No one else seemed to notice this, though, not even the adults.

Their group traversed forward, laden with their candy bags, until they reached the base of the statue.

"Well... goodbye Nightmare Night," she muttered, not really feeling as sad as her words portrayed.

"YOU HAVE DONE WELL TO BRING ME THIS OFFERING!" a loud voice suddenly boomed from above her, causing them to snap their heads up, only to come face to face with a wide, fanged smile.

Normally, the sight of a fanged smile would lift up her day, since the only individual she knew with a pair of fangs was Big Brother Emerald.

This was not his smile.

"PERHAPS I SHALL EAT IT, INSTEAD OF EATING YOU!"

And it most certainly did not lift her day.

"""""AAAHHHH!"""""

* * *

As predicted, the foals, even Wisp, much to his surprise, ran off back towards the town.

He frowned. He really didn't think Sparky's plan would work, but it definitely seemed to be going even worse than he'd imagined.

Luna, disguised as Nightmare Moon, lit her horn once more, causing her whole body to glow and shrink, until it dispersed, leaving her looking as normal as ever. She spat out her false fangs,

"Was that truly a good idea, Twilight?" she asked, turning around as the mare in question leapt out of the nearby bushes, with him and Pinkie following after her,

"Just give it a moment, Luna," Sparky said, smiling smugly. Emerald nearly made a snarky comment, were it not for the sight of Wisp tugging on Luna's mane to get her attention.

"Um, Big Sis Luna?" she asked once the princess' attention was on her. She fidgeted under the stare, "I know you said Nightmare Night was canceled and all, but... the others would really like it if you could come back and scare us again next year," Luna blinked,

"Wh-what?" she asked, "You would... they want me to scare them?"

"Yeah!" Pinkie spoke up, though her voice wasn't quite as cheerful as normal, "It's scary, but that's what makes it fun!" she gushed, "Nightmare Night is the one time of the year when it's really fun to be scared!" she smiled, until it fell a moment later, "I'm sorry about everything, by the way. I never meant for it to hurt your feelings. I just though it would be fun to be scared tonight, but I guess I didn't think it through," she admitted.

"'Fun to be scared'...?" Luna repeated, stunned, "Well if that-I mean if you want-I can't really-" she stammered, until she coughed, "Very well then. If that's how you all feel then... Alright! Nightmare Night is not cancelled!"

"""""YAYYY!""""" Luna laughed,

"C'mon along children! Let us head back to the festivities! I am sure there is more fun to be had!"

"""""_YEAH!_"""""

* * *

"Don't you just love happy endings?" Twilight asked, flicking her quill as she penned down her signature for her friendship letter.

"Eh, more of a bittersweet fan, myself," came the thestral's reply from her couch, "Seems more realistic to me."

After Luna and the foals had left to play more games in town, Emerald and Twilight had retired to her house. Her to write the letter, and him because he felt bad about skipping out on their plans.

At least, that was what he told her.

Given how many secrets the stallion seemed to keep, she wasn't sure if that was true or not.

But she didn't hold it against him. Yes, logically speaking, she shouldn't trust him very much, if even at all, but...

He was a guard. Everything strange about him seemed to point towards that being true. The guarded feeling she got when they first met, the dome at night, the princess showing up, even his would-be casual attitude only lent credence to his job.

Then, of course, there was tonight, where it was practically confirmed, shouted from the mountains, and firmly stamped into her memory.

Given that particular piece of information, she understood that he _couldn't_ be honest about everything. That he had to lie, sometimes.

Considering he'd been completely truthful about his species and time at this 'Facility', things that were _far_ more personal than his career, she was inclined to trust him regardless.

"I guess that's true," she said, turning to face him, "But isn't it more satisfying when everything works out in the end?" she asked, "When all those hardships and difficulties make the end so much more worth it?" He shrugged,

"Maybe to you," he said, "But the kind of stories that have you cheering for them the whole way along, only to turn against you by threatening to make you cry your heart out with that character's timely sacrifice? I find those ones speak to me far better than anything else."

Twilight swallowed at the admission.

She wondered...

How did they speak to him? Did they pull at his heartstrings? Or did they remind him of times long since passed?

She... didn't want to know.

She ran a hoof along her chest, feeling her fur brushing against herself. A moment passed, before an unpleasant smell wafted up to her nose. She grimaced at the scent, and looked down.

Her fur was slightly matted in one or two places, a byproduct of tonight's excitement coupled with her costume's heavy fabric.

"Ugh," she sneered, before looking at her armour-clad friend, "Sorry, but I need to take a shower," she said, her eyes roaming his body for a moment. Said amethyst orbs narrowed, "Why aren't you all sweaty?" she asked, "Your armour has to be significantly heavier than my costume was, plus you flew Princess Luna here in her chariot!" she complained, "Those chariots have to be around two hundreds pounds thanks to all that metal, and, no offense, but the princess' aren't exactly feathers either, and you pulled it through the air!"

Emerald laughed.

"Exercise, Sparky!" he taunted, "And a lot of it!" he added, "Maybe you should try it sometime, instead of reading your happy endings so often?"

Twilight went to respond, but a solid knocking kept her from doing so. Using her magic, she opened the door, and was surprised to find Luna standing there, looking grave,

"Um, Prin-?"

"Emerald, I require your presence at your home," Emerald, who had risen to his hooves when the princess spoke, frowned,

"What's happened?" he asked, "Has something gone wrong? Was someone hurt?" Luna shook her head,

"No," she said, "Wisp has made mention of your plans to make pie tonight, and I was wondering if I may join you for dinner?" she asked, her grave tone suddenly out of place.

Twilight blinked, stunned at the casual question, especially one delivered so... seriously.

Emerald, however, completely bypassed the confused state, right into the angry one,

"Next time you come to me with that tone of voice, Luna," he growled, "someone better be _dead or dying!_" he snapped, not-quite stomping over to her, until he paused and looked back, "See you tomorrow, Sparky," he said, "Have fun with your happy endings and all that," he added, slipping past Luna. The princess gave her one last smile, winked conspiratorially, then left, closing the door behind her.

Twilight huffed a little as she walked to the stairs,

"'Maybe you should try it sometime, instead of reading your happy endings so often'?" she repeated to herself, then glanced back at the door, "Maybe I will, Emerald,"

"Maybe I will."

* * *

"Alright, Luna, what's this really about?" Emerald asked,

"Whatever do you mean?" the princess questioned, smirking at him from the corner of her eye. He shook his head,

"I'm not stupid, you know?" he frowned, "I never said anything about a pie, to Wisp or anyone for that matter," he said, his gaze suddenly snapping to meet hers, "Am I being stationed somewhere else?" he asked evenly, though a slightly bitter tone leaked out, unbidden. Luna smiled at him, and shook her head,

"Not at all," she said, "There is merely something I wish for you to see."

"At my own house?"

"Indeed."

With that final word, his curiosity had been peaked. What could Luna possibly be planning back at his own home? Was there some special occasion he'd forgotten about?

... No, there couldn't be. He knew all of the prominent Equestrian holidays. Nightmare Night. Hearth's Warming. Hearts and Hooves Day. The Summer Sun Celebration. The more recent Winter Moon Festival. And finally, the New Year Carnival. There was nothing else.

So what was this?

Five minutes later they arrived at his home, and Emerald knew that something special had to be happening, considering the number of creatures occupying the inside of his home. He looked at Luna, confused,

"What... what's going on?" he asked, only for Luna to smile at him once more.

"You may step inside only after this-" her horn lit up, producing a small orb of light, "-disappears. Do you understand?" she asked. Still confused, Emerald nodded. Luna returned his nod with of her own, before disappearing in a flash of light, a second one appearing from within his home an instant later.

He merely stood there, wondering just what in the name of Tartarus was going on, when the orb vanished, signaling that it was time for him to head in.

Hesitantly, he approached the door, not at all sure what he should be expecting. Finally, upon reaching the wooden barrier, he gave it a small push, allowing the outside light to filter in, before his own lights turned on.

"SURPRISE! _HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EMERALD_!"


	20. A Witness to Fitness: Twilight's Trials

Celestia's gentle sun had risen over the horizon, causing warm sunlight to filter through the open window. The warm rays landed directly on the face of the solar co-ruler's prized pupil, Twilight Sparkle, or Sparky, to one.

It took a few moments, but the gentle light eventually coerced the purple pony awake. Bright purple eyes fluttered open, blankly staring at the wall for a moment, before her brain finally caught up with her eyes, and yawned.

Sitting up, Twilight took a moment to bask in the warmth of her sheets, the thought of simply curling back up and sleeping the day away was oh-so tempting, but no, not this time.

She had work to do.

A rush of magic wormed its way through her as she powered the spiraled appendage on her forehead, using the arcane energy to lift her bedside glass of water to her lips, before taking several greedy gulps, downing the entire glass in one go.

Feeling just the slightest bit more awake, the scholarly unicorn managed to wriggle herself out of bed, the pull of Nature's Call speeding up her journey partway through.

Minutes later found the same unicorn standing in the shower, lightly humming a song to herself as she scrubbed her tail with her favourite blueberry shampoo.

It was an old song, one her mother used to sing often when she was younger. She couldn't, for the life of her, recall the artist's name, but the tune of the song, 'Advent of the Seas', had never left her.

Finishing up her shower, Twilight was busily drying herself off when she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. She hung the towel, and took a moment to look herself over.

Her eyes trailed up her form, and Twilight could tell she'd never be the height of unicorn beauty, like Rarity. Her legs were much too thin, her gut just a little too big, and, while somewhat big, her flanks weren't exactly eye-catching either. She had been thinner, once a upon a time, but then she became friends with Pinkie, and nopony could say no to a couple dozen of that mare's cupcakes.

All in all, Twilight did not like her body. She thought this, even as she brushed down her frizzy mane and tail into their customary style. That was why she was making an effort to change.

Stepping back out into her and Spike's shared room, Twilight's magic reached out, searching for five specific items. It didn't take her long to find them, since they hadn't been moved from where she had previously hidden them, thankfully, and slipped them on.

A set of baby blue sweat bands, one for each hoof, and one for her head, snapped on snugly, as they always had.

She wasn't sure how Pinkie had found out about her resolution regarding her fitness, but she was immensely thankful that the mare had given these to her regardless. A lone saddlebag floated over to her, containing a flask of water and a few apples, was then set onto her back, ready to go. She checked outside, finding that she'd woken up a bit later than usual, but nodded regardless, and headed downstairs, before making her way outside.

Once outside, Twilight carefully looked around, before making her way towards the Whitetail Woods, setting off at a light jog as she did so. It took no longer than usual for her to arrive at her designated secret spot, and in only a minute, she had set herself up, and began to run through her stretches, which she'd gotten from a book on personal health she kept stored in her room.

Ever since that day, that dreadful day, she'd been coming out here every morning to work out. At first, she'd debated with herself on simply going to the gym, both for the access to professional assistance as well as the equipment, but eventually her decision was made for her when she encountered Rainbow Dash and Applejack making their way to the gym not too long after.

They had asked her what she was doing that day, considering that she'd been standing outside of Ponyville's only gym for nearly ten minutes, but, eventually, she told them she'd just been thinking about Starswirl's theory on metaphysical forces interacting with the material world, and they'd been more than happy to leave her be, practically sprinting inside after that.

She might have felt bad for lying to her friends and keeping this a secret, but the memory of their mockery during the Running of the Leaves kept making its way to the forefront of her mind, and she found herself resolutely silent whenever she thought about telling them the truth.

She'd been stuck after that, not sure what to do, but thankfully she'd found the title '_Fit Bit's Guide to Fitness_' in the library's catalogue, and she'd immediately set herself upon finding it.

Oh and what a wonderful idea that had been! It was a remarkably detailed book, lining out proper methods of stretching to prevent cramps, allotted times in which she needed to rest, as well as a good diet to keep so she wouldn't be wasting her time!

Unfortunately, most of it was related to using gym equipment, so when it came to her own little self-made workout the information fell short. Of course there was still plenty left for her to use, but she doubted it was as effective as it should've been.

Still, she was sure she'd made some progress. She'd barely been able to jog around Ponyville one time without feeling like she was going to die, but now?

Now she wasn't reduced to flopping onto the ground, greedily sucking in air like a deprived drug addict. Oh no, she could still stand while doing that now!

...

She needed help.

But how could she possibly ask Rainbow Dash or Applejack? If their reaction during the Running of the Leaves was anything to go by, they'd just laugh in her face if she asked.

Twilight gave a sigh, even as she finished her daily stretches and began jogging back to town, getting ready to start her morning run around Ponyville.

It hadn't been easy finding a good time to do this. Since Applejack got up early everyday, she had to make sure that she was far away enough from Sweet Apple Acres to keep the farmpony from spotting her, as well as keeping far enough from Fluttershy's cottage to avoid the shy pegasus.

She knew she wouldn't have to worry about Rarity or Rainbow Dash, since the former wouldn't be leaving her house for too much, and the latter wouldn't even be awake, that only left two others.

Emerald and Pinkie Pie.

Since Pinkie was already aware of her new schedule, she knew she had nothing to fear from her, rather, it was Emerald that scared her.

His schedule was the most erratic. Sometimes he'd head home after eight, sometimes he'd leave early. Other days he'd immediately head into town, his disguise already up, or he'd sit around, enjoying the morning air. Really, the only thing about his schedule that stayed constant was that the dome, and consequently his duties, would be up at one in the morning and down by seven-thirty.

She didn't know how he'd react if he spotted her new routine. He might laugh at her, and give her some tips disguised as teasing, or he wouldn't do anything. He might even do something else entirely, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to take the chance to find out.

Today was going to be just like every other day of her new routine. She'd be out and about at six in the morning, meaning she was taking a risk since Emerald was still working, and be done with her morning routine, hopefully, by eight.

"Twilight?!"

Today was _not_ going to be just like every other day of her new routine.

The studious unicorn stumbled at the familiar voice, which sent her tumbling to the dirt, a few strands of grass ending up in her mouth.

No way, there was just no way this could be happening.

"Are you-" there was a snort, "... _jogging_?"

Absolutely not! There could be _no way_ that this could happen-!

"Pfft, wait... are you exercising?"

"U-uh-"

"No way! An egghead like you?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking at her like a particularly funny comic, "BAHAHAHA!"

Her face burned at the sound of her friend's laughter. This... this was why she kept it a secret.

"What's going on over here?" came another, terrifyingly familiar voice, causing her blood to freeze.

_No._

"Hey Emerald!" Rainbow greeted, still laughing a little, "Look! Twilight's exercising! She's even got a bunch of sweatbands!"

Twilight could practically feel the stallion stop right next to her, feel his gaze settle on her downed form. Hesitantly, she raised her head from the ground, spitting out the grass as she did so, and looked up at him, wide-eyed.

Could this get any worse?

"Howdy everypony!"

_Of course_ it could.

"Applejack! Applejack! Over here, ya gotta see this!"

"Why, what's goin' on?"

"It's Twilight, she's... she's exercising!" Rainbow whispered conspiratorially, before breaking out into mad giggles once more.

"Really?" the farmpony asked, looking down at the form of her friend, before smiling, "Well that's great!" she said, surprising Twilight immensely,

"It is?" she asked,

"Well o'course! Why wouldn't it be?" Applejack asked. Twilight's eyes darted to Rainbow, who was still laughing, and Applejack sighed, "Right..." she muttered, sending the chromatic mare the stink eye.

The mare in question, despite laughing, still managed to catch on,

"Oh come on!" she said, "It's funny! I mean, look at her!" she said, pointing dramatically, "I'd expect Pinkie to wear those things, but not her!"

"Rainbow Dash, ya need ta quit laughin'!" Applejack snapped, "Ya'll didn't like it when ya thought we'd make fun of you fer readin', so quite makin' fun of Twilight fer this!"

Rainbow Dash, who had been all too ready to ignore the mare and keep laughing, suddenly stilled at that, and sighed,

"Yeah, yeah, alright," she relented, crossing her hooves. Applejack nodded,

"Good, now," she turned back to Twilight, "what's this about?" she asked, surprising her once more, "While makin' sure yer healthy is a great thing an' all, it ain't the kind'o thing somepony jus' wakes up one day and gets started on, so what's goin' on?"

Twilight stared at her friend for a moment, allowing her eyes to drift to the two fliers on either side of her, lingering on the male one for a moment longer, before sighing,

"... A few weeks ago, when Fluttershy was foalsitting the Crusaders and Wisp, I asked Emerald if he could come with me to Zecora's to get some more of my tea. While we were coming back into town, we got attacked by a cockatrice, and we ran," she said, the words flowing out of her mouth without stopping, "We were running nonstop, but I just couldn't keep up for very long. I was going to have to catch my breath eventually, and the cockatrice would catch me, so Emerald sacrificed himself to give me some time. After that, I couldn't help but think, 'If only I was a little bit faster' or 'If only I could've run a little longer'... I made a promise to myself, afterwards, that I'd work out, that I'd get in better shape so if something like that ever happened again, nobody would have to sacrifice themselves, at least not for me. I don't want to be a burden," she admitted.

"Sparky..."

"Geez..." Rainbow muttered, "That's... pretty dark stuff, Twilight,"

"Well... if that's how ya thought, then why didn't ya jus' come ta one of us?" Applejack asked after a moment, "I mean, I ain't no trainer, but I know a thing or two 'bout werkin' out,"

"Yeah, sure Aj," Rainbow scoffed, "but seriously, you totally could've just asked me, I mean, I'd have you whipped into shape in no time!" she boasted. Twilight looked away for a moment, then spoke,

"How could I, when you two just laugh at me?" she asked timidly. Both Rainbow Dash and Applejack flinched at her response, though she didn't see it,

"Hey... I'm sorry, Twi," Rainbow muttered, just loud enough for her to hear, "I mean... I didn't mean to make you feel bad, I just..." she gave a dejected sigh, "You remember Gilda, right?" Twilight nodded, "Yeah, well, the two of us used to poke fun at each other all the time... guess I'm just used to doing that with my friends," she admitted, then sent Twilight a small, guilty smile, "I'm sorry if what I say hurts, alright? I don't mean anything bad, I'm just not good at being all sappy, and stuff," she finished, shrugging.

"An' I'm mighty sorry too, Twilight," Applejack added once Rainbow finished, "I ferget sometimes that yer still kinda new ta this whole 'friendship' business, an' I jus' get carried away at times. I hope this don't affect our friendship, none," she added morosely.

Twilight looked down, hoping to spare her friends the sight of her crying. But it was for naught as a pathetic whimper escaped her, causing the tears to flow. She heard Applejack call her name, and even heard Rainbow panic a little bit, but it wasn't until a welcome warmth suddenly appeared by her side, draping itself across her back in the process, that she looked up.

Emerald had laid himself next to her, and had even enveloped her in his wing, an act that she knew, had he been a pegasus, would've been extremely intimate.

Despite the knowledge of this, as well as Rainbow's furious blushing as the pegasus turned away, she couldn't help but lean into his embrace, feeling a not unwelcome warmth blossom in her chest once again.

Once upon a time she hated that warmth, but now?

She wouldn't mind having more of it.

"Life can be hard sometimes," the stallion's voice washed over her ears, "Especially when it comes to you ponies. So emotional," he muttered, then chuckled, "Might as well take 'em up on their offer, eh, Twilight?" he asked, "I mean, what have you got to lose?"

What _did_ she have to lose?

She had her friends. Her home here in Ponyville. She even had family, both here and in Canterlot.

"Alright," she finally said, looking up at Applejack and Rainbow Dash, the latter of whom was still turned around, her face and ears having gone red, "When should we start?" she asked.

* * *

She was nervous. Very nervous. _Extremely_ nervous.

And who could blame her? Twilight Sparkle: Ponyville bookworm; personal protege to Princess Celestia; a unicorn who literally could have avoided doing hard work her entire life and _still_ come out successful-

-Was about to be trained by a farmpony who'd been doing hard labor since she could walk _and_ a hyper-competitive pegasus with dreams to join the Wonderbolts, a team of pegasi who were considered top-of-the-line-athletes in Equestria.

_She was doomed_.

"Okay Twilight," she said to her reflection in the bathroom mirror, "you'll be fine. Just _fine!_ Applejack and Rainbow Dash know you're not the most athletic pony _yet_, so surely they'll take it a bit easy, right?"

"_Yeah right,_" her reflection spat back at her, "_Applejack, a mare who tried harvesting her entire orchard in a week, _by herself,_ and Rainbow Dash, who resorted to blatantly cheating and sabotaging two different competitions just to get ahead of one other pony, know how to take it easy._"

"Oh sweet Celestia, you're right," she muttered, horrified. They were going to _kill_ her!

_***KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK***_

The sudden knocking startled her out of the downward spiral that was her thought process,

"Come on Twilight!" she heard Rainbow Dash yell, the sound muffled slightly by the walls, "Get your lazy butt down here so I can kick it into shape!"

Twilight gulped.

_Here we go,_ she thought.

Taking one final breath, as well as one last look at her current appearance, Twilight gathered her sweatbands, saddlebag, and headed downstairs. It took her a minute, but she eventually made it to the front door, and swung it open, revealing her chromatic friend hovering in the air, hooves crossed impatiently.

"Finally!" she exclaimed, "Yeesh, you take forever to get ready, you know that?" she asked. Twilight rolled her eyes,

"Everything takes forever to you, Rainbow," she pointed out. Rainbow thought for a moment, then nodded,

"Yeah, _totally_," she said, sounding smug, but shook her head, "My awesomeness aside, we're burning daylight! You ready, Twilight?"

_No,_ she thought.

"Yes," is what she actually said.

* * *

The two of them soon migrated over to Ponyville Park, bringing some unpleasant memories to the resident bookworm, before she threw them aside. Apart from that, the park looked no different than it did during the Running of the Leaves, bar the lack of party supplies that Pinkie had no doubt cleaned up once everything was over.

"Okay, so what are we going to do?" Twilight asked, setting her saddlebags on a nearby bench, levitating a notepad and quill from the bag as she did so,

"Well, first off we'll do some stretches," Rainbow said, "'Cept I don't know any for unicorns," she muttered. Twilight shook her head,

"That's fine, Rainbow. I know plenty,"

"What, from books?" she asked,

"... Yes," Rainbow snorted, but a glare from Twilight shut her up,

"Sorry," she said, holding her hooves up in surrender, though she kept smirking.

Once it was clear she didn't have anything else to say, Twilight started going through her stretches. They weren't anything complicated, since she wasn't trying to improve her flexibility, so the majority of them only lasted a few seconds at most. Still they served their purpose, and would hopefully keep her from cramping or getting stiff later.

"Okay!" Twilight announced once she finished, "What next?"

"_Finally_," Rainbow muttered, "Alright, let's do some push-ups to get started. So, drop and give me twenty!" Twilight blinked, but nodded and did as she was told. Push-ups shouldn't be _too_ difficult, right?

She was _wrong_.

In hindsight, Twilight should have seen this coming, but a combination of her nerves and excitement had blinded her.

Ten push-ups had her legs shaking from the strain, but she had pushed herself, and managed to complete the final ten, but-

"Good job, now let's do some crunches!"

Rainbow continued to run her through those various exercises, but no matter how hard she pushed herself, it was not enough for the chromatic mare.

"Come on, Twilight!"

It certainly didn't help that she had difficulty doing them in the first place.

"You can do another lap!"

Ten push-ups had been a stretch for her. Five laps had her gasping for breath. Ten crunches had caused her abdomen to hurt. Rainbow kept pushing her, and pushing her, and pushing and it just didn't let up! She ran until she had stitches. She did crunches until she felt sick. She kept doing push-ups until her legs felt like jelly and _she kept pushing_.

Finally, she hit her limit.

It had been during, what must've been, her hundredth lap around the park when her legs just gave out on her. She hit the ground hard, landing face-first in the dirt, and she was immensely glad that no one had been around to see that, especially considering she was breathing like a fish out of water.

"You alright, Sparky?"

Nevermind.

Hearing Emerald's voice startled her into shooting right back up onto her legs, but the suddenness of the action, coupled with how sore her legs had gotten, only caused her to go crashing back to the ground. Or she would've, had Emerald not caught her,

"Woah," he breathed, gently easing her onto the ground, "what's going on?" he asked again, looking both confused and worried. Twilight tried to answer him, but her breath just wasn't coming back to her.

"Hey Emerald," Rainbow's voice answered for her, as the mare in question walked up to them, "I'm training Twilight," she added simply, seeing the questioning look on his face.

"Training?" he asked, glancing down at her, his eyes locking with hers for a moment, "This looks more like torture to me," he said. He frowned, and when he realized that Twilight wouldn't be able to answer his next question, he turned to Rainbow, "Where's her saddlebag?"

Twilight tuned out their conversation for a moment, instead choosing to focus on her breathing. It was coming fast and in short breaths. Breathing was hard, she could scarcely get one in before the next forced itself out. Her heart beat frantically in her chest, its rapid pace starting to hurt. She tried to swallow, but her throat was too dry.

Water. She needed water. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't- _she couldn't_-!

A hoof gently grabbed her chin, and tilted her head back, her mouth coming open during the motion. Her eyes focused on the green stallion holding her-

Her flask!

He placed the cool metal against her lips, and she nearly latched onto it like a foal as he poured the refreshing liquid down her throat, letting her take greedy gulps of it. Eventually the flask ran out of water, and he took it away, peering at her with thinly veiled concern in his eyes,

"Feeling better, Sparky?" he asked. Her breath was coming easier now, her heart not beating quite as painfully,

"Y-yeah..." she breathed. Emerald frowned, and looked back at Rainbow,

"What the fuck were you making her do, anyways?" Rainbow scoffed and waved him off,

"Just some warm-ups, why?" Twilight's eyes widened in horror.

Those were just _warm-ups?!_ This mare was going to _kill_ her!

"Warm-ups?" Emerald asked, sounding just as incredulous, "No warm-up is supposed to be intensive enough to render anyone unable to breath, Crash," he sneered. Rainbow shook her head,

"Oh come _on,_ I do these warm-ups almost everyday and I'm totally fine!"

"Of course _you're_ fine, Crash. But Sparky isn't you, moron. She can't do the same shit you can,"

"How the hay is she supposed to get fit quick?!"

"You of all ponies should know that's not possible," Emerald snapped, then looked back down at her, "C'mon Sparky, let's get you someplace to rest, and somethin' to eat. You look exhausted,"

* * *

Rainbow hadn't been happy about him taking her away, but, frankly, Twilight was much to busy thanking him for saving her from that nightmare of a training session to really care.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" she gushed, hugging him around the middle. Emerald turned his head away from her, his nose scrunching up,

"Thank me later, Sparky," he said, "And by later, I mean after you've taken a shower or two," Twilight blinked, the statement confusing her for a moment, before her eyes widened and she jumped back, turning beet red in the process,

"Sorry!" Emerald rolled his eyes,

"It's fine, c'mon, let's head over to Horte's," he said, walking off without a response. Twilight followed dutifully behind him, a thought crossing her mind,

"So, um... Emerald?"

"Hmm?"

"What were you doing in the park?" she asked. It made sense. Today wasn't Sunday, and she was pretty sure he didn't just skip work to take a walk.

"Mrs. Cake is at the hospital, so Sugarcube Corner is closed," he said casually, not noticing the falter in her step, "Her due date is coming up, and they're both getting worried the foals might come early," he explained. Twilight sighed, placing a hoof against her chest,

"Thank goodness," she breathed, "you scared me for a moment there," Emerald hummed,

"I suppose," he said, turning as Horte's Cafe came into view.

A few minutes later and the two of them had found their seats and placed their orders. Now they sat in a semi-comfortable silence, though it was quickly becoming anything _but_ comfortable for Twilight.

"Were you serious?" Emerald suddenly asked, breaking the silence just before Twilight could. She blinked, not understanding,

"Serious about what?"

"About what you said the other day. About not wanting to be a burden,"

Twilight froze for a moment, not expecting that particular topic. But his question got her to think. _Was_ she serious?

"Yes,"

The answer was easy. Easier than anything she'd ever done. Her friends were precious to her, they meant _everything_ to her. If she could lighten their burden by helping herself, then she'd make sure they'd never have to worry about her again.

Emerald didn't seem surprised by her quick answer. If the small grin he now wore was anything to go by, then he'd been expecting it.

"I had a feeling you'd say that," he said, his grin growing slightly. Twilight felt her cheeks flush slightly, but she didn't look away. It was strange, seeing Emerald smile, but a good kind of strange. Like Rainbow Dash reading.

"Howdy Twilight!" Applejack's voice suddenly cut through the silence, causing both of them to turn,

"Applejack?" she asked, wondering why the farm mare was here. Shouldn't she be at her stand?

"That's right!" she said, then frowned, "I ran inta Dash a couple'a minutes ago, an' it jus' ain't right what she was havin' ya do," she said, then brightened, "But don'tcha worry, Twilight! I'll have ya fitter than a fiddle in no time! The right way!"

Twilight's ears flattened against her head,

"What?"

* * *

Thankfully Applejack had been kind enough to wait for her and Emerald to eat their food before she had dragged her off towards the orchard. Twilight had asked him to come along, but he said that it was about time he checked in on the Cakes.

Although, he did drag Applejack off to the side and spoke to her for a moment. Seeing as how Applejack came back looking both amused and a little pale, she wasn't sure she wanted to know what was said between the two.

"Alright, now, I don't know 'bout all those fancy little exercises ya've probably been readin' 'bout," Applejack began as they neared the barn, "but I find that good ol' fashioned hard work is the best way ta get in shape," Once they made it to the Apple Family barn, Applejack all but threw the doors open, revealing the familiar, hay covered barn, without all the party decorations this time.

"Hard work?" Twilight asked, following behind Applejack as she started towards the back of the barn, "What kind of work?"

"Well," she began, pulling a out sizable wagon from behind the large pile of hay, "since we've got Cider Season behind us, and Zap Apple Season ain't till early Spring-" Twilight filed that away in 'questions to ask later', "-we don't got much ta do. Luckily, Winter's comin' real quick, an' we need some new firewood,"

That surprised Twilight. Was Applejack thinking of cutting down one of her family's trees? It made sense, but with how well they take care of their trees, Twilight couldn't imagine any of them being in poor enough shape to warrant being cut down. She voiced her thoughts, which caused Applejack to laugh,

"Yeah, it's hard ta imagine all right," she said, but her smile dimmed slightly, "Not all of our trees 're good fer harvestin'. Much as we like 'em, apple trees aren't the only thing we grow,"

"They're not?" Twilight asked. That was a shock to hear,

"'Course not," Applejack responded, smirking, "If all we grew was apple trees, then we couldn't cut many of 'em down. We got a small patch jus' fer regular oak trees. We mostly use 'em fer repairs when we need 'em. That don't mean we never cut down some of our apple trees, o'course," she explained.

Twilight nodded at that. It made sense, after all. But, it was a bit of a shame that she never really gave any thought to Applejack's line of work. There was definitely a lot more work that went into the orchard than she thought.

"Right, so... you want me to help cut some of them down?" she asked, confused. Applejack snickered,

"'Course not!" she said, gently patting Twilight's side, "Ya ain't got the kind'o muscle I'd need ta cut one down," she turned back to the wagon, "I'll be the one doin' the cuttin. I jus' need ya help me lift it inta the wagon an' drag it back ta the barn. I reckon we'll need 'bout two or three trees ta last us fer awhile," she said, "After that, we can think of somethin' else ta help ya get in shape,"

...

Twilight, once again, regretted her decision. Thankfully it was much better than when she'd been working under Rainbow Dash, but her previous soreness had not quite faded yet, making this much harder than it needed to be.

That, combined with Applejack's insistence that she couldn't use magic, which made complete sense to her, and the work took marginally longer than it probably should've.

The first tree hadn't been too bad. There had been something strangely relaxing about watching her farming friend swing her axe into the tree, over and over. Something about the rhythmic _***THWACK***_'ing just felt soothing. Her first obstacle happened when it came to loading the tree onto the cart. That tree was _heavy_. Thought it was nowhere near the largest tree in the orchard, it still stood almost twice as thick as she was, and more than triple her height, and, as such, weighed a lot. Her legs had nearly buckled when she and Applejack worked to lift the chopped end onto the cart, despite Applejack clearly lifting the majority of the weight. Despite that particular fact, she had insisted that Twilight be the one to lift the other end and push it forward, mainly because she herself needed to brace the cart to keep it from rolling. So she did. She had crawled underneath the space between the lifted tree and ground, and pushed against the heavy shaft, before walking out until she reached the end, and began to push it onto the cart.

_That_ had been terrible. Her legs shook, her back hurt, and, quite frankly, it hurt to walk. The only saving grace was that, unlike the apple trees, the oak ones they were to work with had been stripped of their leaves during the Running of the Leaves. But she kept her complaints to herself. It wouldn't do for her to try to weasel her way out of a promise. So, in spite of her exhausted soreness, she pressed on with a fake smile, savouring the rest as they brought the tree back to the barn, before setting out again.

If the first tree had been bad, the second had been _torture_.

It had proceeded much the same way as the first, up until when she was to lift the tree and push it onto the cart. She had managed to crawl over to the end of the tree, mindful of the branches, but as she tried to take a step forward, shaking all the way, her leg had given out underneath her, sending her nearly tumbling to the ground. It hurt. It hurt _sooo_ much, and it was all she could do to keep from yelling out in pain. Thankfully, she managed to work herself back to her hooves and bush it back into place, ignoring the sharp pain in her hoof that had her walking with a small limp the rest of the trip.

And here she was. Currently staring at the behemoth of a tree that was their final task of the day. Her legs were already shaking, and Applejack hadn't even started to chop it down yet!

"Uh... you alright, Twilight?" Applejack's voice startled her out of her thoughts, "You aren't tired, are ya?" she asked. Twilight swallowed, and rapidly shook her head,

"N-no! Of course not!" she lied unconvincingly, "I'm just... a little... um..."

"Twilight," Applejack said, her voice firm, "Are. Ya. Tired?"

"... Yes," she admitted, turning her gaze away, feeling guilty. Applejack nodded,

"Alright," she said, "why don't ya head back ta the barn? Get some water," she suggested. Twilight's head shot up,

"What? No! I'm fine, I can-!"

"Twilight," Applejack cut her off, voice firmer than before, "Get. Some. Rest," she said, "I shoulda known this kinda thing would be a bit too hard fer ya," she continued, sounding guilty, "but ya were doin' real well,"

"B-but..." Twilight tried weakly,

"Twilight, don't make me drag ya back there m'self," she threatened, setting the axe against tree. Twilight sighed, and began to walk off,

"I'm sorry I couldn't keep up," she said, only for Applejack to shake her head with a smile,

"It's perfectly fine, Twilight," she said, "It jus' looks like farm work ain't yer thing. Even if it was, we ain't got much else ta do. Sorry, Twi, wish I could do more fer ya, but ya jus' ain't strong enough fer much else we do 'round here," she apologized. Twilight swallowed, but nodded,

"I-it's fine..." she muttered, "I mean..." she trailed off, then shook her head, "Sorry, I-I... I'll just be going..." she squeaked out, and sped up until she was certain she was out of sight.

Had she turned around, she would've seen the guilty grimace on her apple picking friend's face.

* * *

Twilight sighed heavily as she walked through town, ignoring the occasional question about her sweatbands.

Today had turned out much worse than she thought it would. Rainbow Dash had put her through Tartarus, and Applejack had inadvertently made her feel guilty for not being strong enough to properly help out.

Still, she _should_ be a little proud of herself, she mused. After all, she might not have been able to finish the job, but she _did_ manage to help with two of those trees, something she _never_ would've been able to do back in Canterlot. So it wasn't all bad, at least.

But now where did that leave her? There was no way she'd ask Rainbow for help with this again, since apparently she took her word _too_ seriously when she said she'd get her in shape in no time. And Applejack had nothing else for her to help with, and she wasn't strong enough even if she did. So, again, where was she?

"Hey, Sparky," Emerald's voice called out to her, breaking her from her ruminations. She looked up, and found him walking up to her,

"Oh, hey Emerald," she muttered morosely, he frowned,

"I take it that things didn't go as well as you hoped?" she shook her head, "I see..." Twilight sighed,

"I just... I want to be better..." she began, "And... I can't do that alone. But there's no way I could ask for the other's to help me, since I doubt they'd know any better either," she began to pace back and forth, "I could just go to the gym now, since Applejack and Rainbow Dash know about this, but after what happened today there's no way I could possibly face them in that setting, so now I'm stuck on my own and I just don't know what to do!" she snapped, coming to a stop in front of him.

Emerald frowned as he stared at her, before his eyes slid to the side,

"Before we continue this conversation, let's head somewhere more private," he said, already turning to leave. Twilight blinked at the sudden statement, before glancing around.

She flushed when she realized that _everypony was staring at her_.

"Uhh... hehe?" she laughed, before quickly following after Emerald.

* * *

She managed to catch up to him quickly enough, but was left confused by the direction he was heading in.

"Umm... Are we heading out of Ponyville?" she asked, sending a worried glance behind her as they passed by the welcome sign,

"Yes. We're heading over to my house," he replied, glancing back at her with a frown, "Wasn't that obvious?"

"You live outside of town?" Twilight asked, surprised, "I didn't know that!"

"You don't?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, before his eyes glossed over slightly, "Oh... right. Of course you wouldn't. Anyways, yes, I live just outside of town, like Fluttershy," he said, "It made it easier to avoid waking up anyone during my patrol," Twilight nodded,

"That's makes sense... although, what's that barrier for?"

"Hmm? Oh, it's an alert," he said, "Let's me know if something's gotten into town,"

"It sounds pretty boring, though," Twilight said, frowning, "I've never heard anything happen outside," she admitted. Emerald chuckled,

"That means I'm doing my job right, then," he said, looking back at her with a grin. Twilight giggled lightly, feeling a little better than earlier. It was surprising, just how talking to a friend of hers, especially Emerald, could make her feel so much better than before.

Dear Celestia, why had it taken so long for her to realized how amazing having friends was?

"Anyways, Sparky, I think I know what your problem is," Emerald said, catching her attention,

"Really?" she asked, perking up,

"Mhmm," he began, "you need a goal. Something more tangible than just 'being better'," he said, "I understand that you don't want to be a burden, really I do, but that's not enough," She swallowed nervously,

"Then... what is?"

Emerald didn't say anything, but he did up his pace quite a bit, forcing Twilight to have to jog to keep up.

Eventually a small house came into view. It was a quaint little thing with bright sky blue walls, a cheerful yellow roof, and white door. It was actually a little surprising. She'd imagined Emerald's house being much darker in colour.

As they approached the house, however, it was becoming abundantly clear that they weren't actually going to go in, rather, Emerald's path seemed to be aimed towards the forest _behind_ his house, much to her confusion. Her thoughts were proven correct when he led them around the small home and through the trees. They came to a large, grassy area, where the grass almost came up to her chest, but that was an observation that came second to the large structure she found waiting in the center of the clearing.

It was a large wooden walkway, filled with all manners of different obstacles. At the start there was a large rock climbing wall that led into a small pit, where multiple sets of barbed wire hung. That section then led into another with a rope hanging above another small, but empty, pit. On the other side of this pit, there was a large gap filled with large poles sticking up from the ground, seemingly placed in random spots across the ground. This led into yet another section where several large walls stood, forming a path in the center, which was filled with a wide net.

Apart from the obvious obstacle course, there was another area filled with multiple wooden and straw dummies, the latter of which looked slightly cut up and the former appearing a little singed.

"Wh-what is all this?" Twilight asked, looking around with wide eyes,

"Well, Sparky, this is my training ground," Emerald said, walking forward, "Not a lot happens during my patrol, so I needed a place to keep in shape, and let out some of my excess energy while keeping my skills sharp. Luna was nice enough to give me this as a birthday gift," he said, sounding a little happier than usual, "It's small and extremely basic, yes, but it does what I need it to do," he said, then spun around, "It will also be _your_ training grounds from here on out as well,"

It took a minute for his words to register in the unicorn's mind, but when they did-

_"WHAT?!"_ Emerald laughed,

"You heard me, this is where you'll be training, alongside me. I run it before and after patrol every. Single. Day," he turned back around, and walked over to a small clothing rack beside the course that Twilight hadn't seen. He picked up a small watch from the box beside it, "We'll start out small. You'll run the course a few times when you're able, and I'll time it with this watch," he held up the small timepiece, then set it back down, "and once you've gotten the hang of it, we'll try beating that time, again and again, until I've deemed you good enough," he said, then gave her a wicked grin that sent shivers down her spine,_ "If you haven't given up by then,"_ he intoned darkly.

Twilight swallowed the lump in her throat,

"I-I don't know..." she began, "How is this any better than before...?" she asked. Emerald's grin fell, replaced by a small smile,

"Because this time, it's all up to you," he said, Twilight tilted her head, not understanding, "When Crash was 'training' you," he began sarcastically, "it was up to her standards, and her standards alone. I'm guessing it was similar with Applejack, right?" Twilight hesitated, thinking back on the work they did, before nodding, "Right. With this course, your standard is set by your first run. Your goal is to simply beat that time," he explained, "Beating that time requires effort. It requires you to be able to run faster. To react quicker. _To be better_," he said firmly, "If you don't manage to beat it, then you keep trying and trying until you do. And after you've beaten that time, you can then try to beat _that_ one. And so on and so forth, until you've reached a point you're satisfied with,"

Twilight blinked, and glanced back at the obstacle course in a new light. This... this could _help_ her. It was a perfect idea. A training regime that was set by her standards, and at her pace. If she wasn't doing good enough, then it would be evident by how long it took her to run _and_ it would keep track of her progress near constantly!

"Keep in mind, even though I'm willing to let you use this thing, I use it too. So please try to keep it clean and in one piece," Emerald said, startling her from her thoughts, "You can use it anytime you want, _except while I'm on patrol_," he stressed that part hard, "but I'd recommend a half hour break between each run for you, at least at first," he added, "Understand?" he asked. Twilight nodded,

"Of course!" she said confidently, then gave him a gentle smile, "And thank you, Emerald. This... this means a lot to me," she added sincerely. Emerald turned away suddenly, chuckling nervously,

"N-no problem, Sparky. Now... I'll give it a go, just to show you how it's meant to be run, alright?" he asked, then held the watch out to her, "Mind timin' it for me?"


	21. Barking Down the Wrong Hole

Admittedly, Emerald had long forgotten about his birthday. Though, he supposed, he really wasn't to blame.

Thestrals didn't celebrate these 'birthdays' like ponies did. Ponies kept track of the very date, and sometimes, time of their birth, and celebrated it every year on that same day. Thestrals generally just celebrated en mass during the last day of every year for every thestral born that year, followed by a small memorial for those who died.

Regardless of his faulty memory, he'd admit that the party was... nice.

Both Princess Luna and Celestia had deigned to show, the latter coming as _quite_ the surprise, admittedly. Wisp and Trixie were, of course, there as well, with Spitfire showing up halfway through. He was a little disappointed that the others hadn't shown up, but Iron Will and Starlight were much too far away, and Gustave and Sapphire both had important work they had to do.

He had no idea what the others were up to, but he knew that they all had their own lives to live and potential families to take care of, so he didn't mind.

While plenty of them didn't show, he did receive quite a few letters greeting him, as well as plenty of cards from those who hadn't been able to come by.

Another thing he'd forgotten about birthdays, was the gift giving. He'd been surprised when Spitfire had all-but-slammed a wrapped parcel in front of him, demanding that he open hers first.

The looks on their faces when he asked what she was talking about had been rather funny.

After some explanation, he'd then been stunned when Trixie had added to his small stack, as well as a small little box from Wisp. But of course the most surprising was when Celestia had merely smiled at him and said that his 'gift' was too large to transport, and that he'd have to see it the next time he was in Canterlot.

He... was a little afraid of what it could be.

Luna had said much the same thing, except that hers could be transported, and that it should arrive the next day.

Nevertheless, the excited looks that all gave him begged him to open them all already, and his hoof was forced.

Wisp had hoofmade him yet another one of her special bracelets, as she had every year around this time. He made sure to thank her, of course, and planned to put it with the rest in his bag.

Unbeknownst to her, Emerald had actually made a special corner dedicated entirely to the gifts she gave him in his bag/pocket dimension, though they weren't all birthday gifts, obviously.

Spitfire, the ever practical stuntmare, had gifted him with a set of solid black goggles, with red tinted lens.

... And the Wonderbolt uniform he'd worn during the Best Young Fliers Competition, much to his consternation.

Her reasoning had been something along the lines of 'if you ever need to go fast again, you won't have to worry about your eyes'.

That had been rather pleasant to hear.

He was still a little pissed about the Wonderbolt uniform.

Honestly, could she be anymore obvious?

Trixie had surprised him with a small book titled 'Hobbies for Idle Hooves'.

He had a feeling that there was an insult somewhere in there, but he was grateful, nonetheless.

After that the party had continued for a few hours, until Emerald had to cut it short so he could get to work, to the surprise of the guests, though the princesses seemed the most stunned.

Evidently, they hadn't thought he'd still head out during his own birthday. Which was idiotic in his opinion.

Of course he'd work on his birthday. Why wouldn't he?

Regardless, his declaration had signaled to Spitfire that it was time she left as well, since she had to be ready for drills in the morning. The princesses had decided to leave after that as well, since they couldn't convince Emerald to stay otherwise.

...

Luna's gift to him was revealed the next day, when a group of guards showed up at his door, and led him over to the nearby clearing behind his house, where a training gauntlet waited for him.

He wouldn't lie.

He really wanted to hug Luna right then.

* * *

A week had passed since his new equipment had arrived, and he'd been spending every morning before work and every night after patrol running through it. It was standard equipment, yes, but it was more action in the past week than he'd gotten since coming to this town. And it was made ever better once he'd offered to let Sparky use it alongside him.

But, alas, he couldn't run it forever, and soon he found himself sitting behind the counter at Sugarcube Corner one again, his new goggles resting on his head.

Evidently, his improved mood hadn't escaped notice.

"You seem a lot happier than usual," Mrs. Cake noticed, glancing at the stallion beside her, "Did something happen? Or are those new goggles of yours that amazing?" she asked, smiling teasingly at that second part.

Since the foals room was mostly done, they had time to, once again, start helping out in their store, with herself working the counter with Emerald, and her husband helping Pinkie in the kitchen.

Emerald shrugged,

"I suppose. I've been getting restless lately, and now I have an outlet for my excess energy, is all," he said, not feeling like going into too much detail, "And, yes, I happen to like these goggles very much," he remarked, gently adjusting them,

"Really?" Mrs. Cake asked, sounding strangely excited, "Well that's wonderful! I'm glad to hear that you've found yourself a nice marefriend," Emerald blinked at the unexpected response, as well as the minor innuendo he'd discovered after as he connected the dots for a moment,

"Uh... what?" he asked. Mrs. Cake tittered,

"Oh come on now, there's no need to be shy," she said, patting his leg lightly, "Pinkie's told me all about you and Twilight, and I think it's wonderful,"

"Umm..." Emerald muttered, sparing a backwards glance, hoping to get Pinkie to explain. He didn't find her, "Sparky and I aren't... _together_, Mrs. Cake," he said simply. She blinked,

"But... Pinkie said-"

"She's joking," he interrupted, "It's in poor taste, yes, but it's still a damned _joke_," he growled, though he made sure to direct it away from his employer, in case he'd offend her.

"I see..." she breathed, then turned pink, "Oh my, I'm so sorry for assuming, dearie!" she apologized, "But..." she continued, "I must admit the thought of you and Twilight together is a rather nice one," she added, smiling gently.

The kind smile did nothing to fix his now ruined mood.

Great, it was spreading!

He slammed his head into the counter, ignoring the sound of the bell ringing from in front of him,

"Why hello! How can we-" Mrs. Cake suddenly cut herself off with a gasp, "_S-s-sapphire Shores_?!" she stammered. Emerald's head shot up immediately, nearly giving himself whiplash in the process.

Sapphire Shores, the famous singer, stood in their very doorway. With a short, but poofy, two-tone blue mane and tail, bright yellow coat, and gleaming yellow eyes that held a strange hint of darkness within them, she cut a regal figure. Tall, thin legs led up to en equally thin torso that expanded slightly towards her flanks, where he could just spot a gleaming sapphire wreathed in ocean blue waves.

She wore a poofy white shirt with a blue and white striped collar, where it flared out at the back into golden-tipped arrows, with small sapphires gleaming in the center. There was also a set of purple horseshoes with golden buttons set in. The outfit complimented her appearance perfectly, and the purple eye shadow she wore only accented it further.

Although this was the natural appearance of 'The Pony of Pop', an irregularity could be found resting on her back. A large white and yellow striped box adorned with a yellow bow stood out impressively, looking completely and utterly out of place on the singer.

"Well, ain't this just a cute little shop?" he heard her mutter, looking around appreciatively, "Sugarcube Corner certainly fits."

Emerald clicked his tongue,

"What in the name of Tartarus are you doing here?" he asked, ignoring the stunned look Mrs. Cake, as well as the looks her husband and Pinkie, who peeked out the second they heard her shout, were giving him. Sapphire jumped slightly at the sound of his voice,

"Wha-? Emm?!" was her stunned reply, before it was broken by a laugh, "Ha! And here I was thinkin' I'd have to run around town to find you!" she said, before her eyes landed on the counter he stood behind, "Hehe, what? Since when did you take an interest in baking?" she asked, waltzing forward, completely ignoring the starstruck looks on the other three ponies.

"Since when did you take an interest in Ponyville?" he returned without heat. Sapphire merely smiled,

"Since Nightmare Night, moron," she said,

"Of course," he muttered, before sighing, "I take it Luna had something to do with that?"

"Of course," was her response, her eyes flickered up for a moment, "Nice goggles by the way," she added, before narrowing her eyes at them, "... Is it just me, or do those look like Heavybolt goggles?" Emerald blinked, his brow rising in confusion,

"'Heavybolt'?" he asked, before it clicked in his head, "Oh, you mean the brand. Yeah, Spits got 'em for me, so..." he trailed off,

"Of course she did," Sapphire scoffed, then grinned, "Well, she always did have great taste in equipment. Helped me out with some of the stage props, and woo! They are perfect!~" she sang, before she snapped herself out of her thoughts, "Right, well, anyways-" she slid the box from her back onto the counter, "sorry about missin' your birthday-" she missed the way Pinkie suddenly stiffened, although Emerald hadn't, "I'm planning a tour around Equestria, but I've been stuck lookin' for a new designer," she admitted.

Emerald frowned for a moment, before a thought crossed his mind. Though he hesitated to speak his mind, fearing the repercussions.

Eventually he disregarded his own thoughts, and spoke,

"I happen to know a good designer. There's one here in town," he said, immediately catching her attention,

"Really?" she asked, "Who?"

"Her name's Rarity," he provided, "If you walk out the door, turn left, keep going until you hit another left, its the giant carousel shaped building. You really _can't_ miss it," he directed. Sapphire nodded,

"Hmm, I'll definitely have to take a look," she said, "Now, enough chatter, open the box!" she said excitedly, waving aside everything else for the moment., "I wanna know whatcha think."

With a roll of his eyes, Emerald complied and carefully tore open the gift, swiping aside the remnants of the paper into the nearby bin. Opening the box, he reached in and pulled out a small, rectangular object.

A moment passed, before he identified the object as a picture frame. Turning it over, he inspected the framed photo, and snickered.

"Really?" he asked, grinning, "An autographed picture?" he asked, turning it to reveal that it was, indeed, a signed picture of the mare before him. Sapphire shrugged,

"Figure you'd want a little somethin' to remember me in my prime," she said, before she tilted her head, "Ya might need to take it out and adjust the photo, though. It doesn't really fit too well, but it was all I had time to grab," she admitted with wave of her hoof. Emerald chuckled, and put the picture into his nearby bag,

"It's fine, Sapphire, I appreciate the thought regardless," he remarked, before another thought crossed his mind, "Heard from Will or Star lately?" Sapphire began to shake her head, but stopped partway through,

"Actually, I did hear from Will not too long ago. He mentioned he was starting a self-help group somewhere in Trottingham, though I'm not too sure how well that'll go down."

"A self-help group?" Emerald asked, "That... doesn't sound like him," Sapphire smirked,

"Well, he might've also mentioned saving up to buy an airship for a touring business, but it was a letter, and you know he doesn't have the best writing."

"Well, that's more like it," Emerald muttered, "The old goat always did like exploring."

"Yep," she said, popping the 'P', then glanced back out the window, "Woo! I'm burning daylight! I gotta head down and check out this designer of yours," she said, before laughing, "If _you_ think she's good, then she's gotta be somethin' special!" she added, already jogging out the door, "See you around, Emm!" she called, waving at him.

Emerald gave a small wave in return, before she disappeared.

He waited for a few beats, then turned to face Pinkie, who was now glaring at him.

"What did she say about your birthday?"

_Shit._

* * *

Thankfully he managed to avoid the worst of Pinkie's misplaced anger, via explaining to her that it was a surprise party and therefore nothing could've been done about it.

Although she had laughed at him when he mentioned having forgotten his own birthday, her response being, _Who could ever forget their own birthday?_.

He... supposed he couldn't argue with that.

Could he?

Whatever. His lunch break had come by after an hour of two after Sapphire's unexpected visit, and he found himself heading over to Horte's Cafe once more.

Perhaps that was poetic, in a sense. It was this cafe where he and Sparky had ended up bonding several times over the course of his stay, and now it was where he found himself congregating to, everyday, for lunch.

Admittedly, some part of him even expected Sparky to show up, given that she had revealed that this was her favourite cafe in town. Perhaps it was that little part of him that kept him coming back?

Inwardly he realized that since that mare had come into his life, it had been getting more and more complicated.

Her questions and beliefs about friendship. Her friends. His job, his station, his everything. Ever since he had come into contact with Twilight Sparkle, his life was taking a very, very strange turn, and he wasn't sure if it was for the better or the worse, yet.

On one hoof, he felt more... comfortable in this town that he had anywhere else for quite some time now. He had... friends whom he spent time with. Ponies in this town who made him... appreciate his life more. Who changed him for the better.

On the other, he knew that whatever bonds he made here would only end up hurting them all when he inevitably left them behind. These bonds would plague him when he left, distracting him from his work, and who knows who would end up suffering if his lapse in concentration cost him precious moments he needed to work?

And then there was this _infernal_ crush of his.

Admittedly that was his main issue. His feelings for Twilight were making him more invested in her life. Her friend's lives, even.

While that was a good thing, given his current job, it was the future that really worried him.

Would this attraction grow? Or would it fade away and die? How would either of those outcomes affect his interactions with Twilight and her friends?

So far his feelings had already started to affect him.

He was kinder. More... sympathetic. He found himself occasionally getting lost in thought whenever the mare would cross his mind, even during patrol. He genuinely started to care for the mare's feelings. He'd even offered to let her use his new training course, for Faust's sake!

The night of the cockatrice incident came to mind. The things he said. What he did.

His feelings made everything harder, yet easier, at the same time.

And the worst part?

_He couldn't bring himself to put a stop to it._

He gave his order to the waitress when she came by, and he was about to return to his meddlesome thoughts, when-

"Emerald!"

He barely had time to register who the voice belonged to when he was all but tackled by a white figure, her hooves wrapping around him wildly.

"Uh, hey Rarity?" he said, only partially confused. Her hooves tightened around him for a moment, her cheek rubbing against his as she hummed happily,

"Oh! I can't _believe_ you sent _the_ Sapphire Shores down to my little boutique! I can't even begin to describe how wonderful that will be for my business! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" she gushed, only to pull away for a moment, in which she took the time to place a very loud, very long, kiss against his cheek, "_Mwah!~_"

He rolled his eyes, and gently pushed her off of him,

"While I appreciate the affection, however unusual it may be, I think you're going a little far, aren't you?" he asked, only for Rarity to titter,

"Oh _contraire_!" she said, smiling widely, "You might not understand just how big this will be for me, but if I have Sapphire Shores wearing _my_ designs during her entire tour, why, I'll be one of the most desired dressmakers of the year! I know I've already been featured in a few articles, but this is the real deal, Emerald!" she gushed, then deflated slightly, "Of course it won't be easy. I'll have to head out into the quarry to dig up more gems," she sighed, "A _lot_ more..." Emerald frowned,

"What, exactly, do you need gems for?"

"My dresses," she responded easily, "My latest design required a rather hefty number of diamonds, and not only did she ask for it, but several others... all done in a different jewel."

"What kinds, exactly?" Rarity gave her hair a small flip,

"Well, I'll most likely go with rubies, sapphires, emeralds, topaz, and perhaps amethysts," she said, "Those are the most well-known gems among the population, though I might change my mind depending on what I find."

"That'll take you awhile," he said, "You sure you've got that kind of time?" Rarity smiled,

"I know a few spells that allow me to find gems rather easily. The only issue is the, uh, digging," she said, shuddering slightly. Emerald could only smirk,

"You afraid of a little hard labor, Rarity?" She scoffed,

"Not in the slightest," she said, tilting her nose up, "Hard work is perfectly fine it's just..." she deflated, and a small sneer found its way onto her otherwise delicate features, "I am not a fan of dirt... or sweat... or anything that would stain my coat, really," she admitted.

"Germaphobia?" he asked, she nodded, "Then I suppose you'd best ask Applejack or Crash to help you out, though I doubt Applejack has the time."

"Indeed. I was actually thinking about asking Spike if he could help out. I'm sure he wouldn't mind the opportunity to earn a few gems for some work, do you?"

"Oh, I'm sure he'll jump at any chance that _you_ give him," Emerald responded with a smirk. Rarity's grin faded into a frown, much to his confusion,

"I... suppose you're right," she sighed, "I'm aware of Spike's affections, yes, but... I really believe he has to learn that there's just too large an age gap between us," she said.

"You think inviting him out to help you... for several hours where its just you two... alone, is going to get him to realize this?" he asked, and frowned, "I might not understand Equestrian customs as well as I probably should at this point, but isn't that what ponies call 'leading someone on'?"

Rarity grimaced at his question, and eventually gave a reluctant nod,

"I... suppose so... but I'm not sure what else to do!" she exclaimed, beginning to pace to the side, "I mean, surely I can't just sit him down and explain all this to him, it would break his heart! He's such a gentledrake, but he's still so young! If I were to do that, who knows how it would affect him down the line! I might make it so he never trusts a mare ever again!" she muttered, then let out an aggravated groan, though she still managed to make it look somewhat elegant.

Emerald's only response was to shrug. How was he supposed to help with this?

"What do you think, Emerald? You were young once an-" she abruptly cut herself off, "I-I mean, as a male yourself, surely you have some idea of how to deal with this, yes?" He shook his head,

"'Fraid not. Before coming to Ponyville, I've never had any sort of romantic affection for anyone, much less experience dealing with someone else's."

"I... see," Rarity muttered, then took in a deep breath, "Very well. I suppose I'll have to ask somepony else to come along to help me," she said, then stopped, "Or... perhaps I _can_ bring Spike along and wait for a moment when he's in a good mood to tell him about it," she muttered, "I may have to sacrifice a few more gems than I planned, but it might work..." she whispered to herself, probably not caring if he could hear her or not.

Emerald rolled his eyes,

"Regardless of what you choose," he began, "at least make sure you know what you're doing. If he senses any sort of hesitation, he might just think something is making you say that and push back harder," Rarity nodded,

"Of course. I'll... keep that in mind. Well, if you'll excuse me, I have a little drake to find," she said, giving him a polite nod, before wandering off.

Hardly a minute passed where he was alone, when the waitress came back with his food. Thanking her, he began to eat the, admittedly plain, salad, when he was interrupted once more.

"Ooh, what about Emerald?!" came the excited voice of Pinkie from behind him. He withheld a small growl and continued to eat,

"Well... I'm not sure. You'd have to ask..." replied the quiet voice of his shy cousin,

"Okay!"

He scarcely prepared for the pink mare when she popped into his vision, smiling her characteristic smile that nearly had the corners of his own mouth turning upward.

"Hello Pinkie," he deadpanned, not pausing the consumption of his salad,

"Hi!" she replied, "Wanna go on a picnic?" she asked. He blinked in surprise,

"A... picnic?" he asked,

"Yeah!" she responded, "You know, food, a basket, a blanket in the park!"

"I know what a picnic _is_, Pinkie," Emerald said, "Why are you having one?"

"Why not?" she asked, causing him to sigh.

"Fine, when is it?"

"After work!" she gushed, smiling widely,

"Alright," he groaned. Pinkie gave a small cheer, before darting away, pulling Fluttershy along with her, leaving him to continue eating in peace.

* * *

"C'mon Emerald!" Pinkie cried as she bounced around in front of him, "We don't wanna leave the others waiting!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Emerald returned with a roll of his eyes.

Sugarcube Corner had decided to close up a little early due to lack of customers, leaving Emerald and Pinkie to head out sooner than they had planned.

Despite that, Pinkie still felt it necessary to rush over to their rendezvous point. Thankfully she wasn't tugging on his leg like she was wont to do, though it did little to appease his souring mood.

"Oh! There they are!" Pinkie squealed, before she started running up to the library, where Sparky, Applejack, Crash, and Fluttershy were waiting.

He jogged after her, idly taking note that Rarity must still be gathering gems at this time.

He nearly frowned. She was taking much longer than he thought necessary, given that she went out to the quarry.

Then again, he didn't how gem rich it was. For all he knew, this was an all night endeavor rather than just a few hours.

"Hey girls!" Pinkie greeted cheerfully, coming to a stop in front of them, with Emerald not too far behind.

"Howdy Pinkie! I see ya got Emerald ta tag along," Applejack observed, "Nice goggles, by the way," The pink mare nodded,

"Yep! We're gonna have so much fun!"

"Yeah, as soon as Rarity gets here," Crash said, looking bored,

"Where is she, anyhow?" Applejack asked, looking around. Sparky shook her head,

"She and Spike are out gem-hunting in the quarry," she muttered, "I don't know why she couldn't just do it herself," she added bitterly.

"An' get her hooves all muddy?" Applejack asked sarcastically, "Yeah right. Rarity won't even touch a little mud unless it's imported," she joked, causing the girls to laugh.

Their happy moment was cut short as a familiar drake suddenly ran up to them, sputtering madly,

"Girls-! Rarity-! Dogs-! Gems-! Help-! _Save_!" he sputtered uselessly, frantically waving his claws around.

The resident thestral shared a confused glance with the five mares, before they all turned back to him,

"Okay Spike, calm down. What are you talking about?" Sparky soothed, placing a gentle hoof on his shoulder. Spike looked up at his sister-figure, and, for a moment, it looked like he wasn't going to calm down. Eventually, however, he took a deep breath, then spoke once more,

"Rarity's in danger! She was foalnapped by a bunch of creeps calling themselves Diamond Dogs!"

That surprised Emerald.

"Diamond Dogs?" he asked with a frown, the sudden question causing the group to focus their attention on him, "Are you sure? What did they look like?"

"W-well, they were pretty tall, maybe as tall as the princess, I think?" Spike began, "They wore a bunch of vests, and they were carrying a lot of gems... oh, and they were wearing black collars and-!" Emerald cut him off,

"Did you say _black_ collars?" he asked fervently, causing Spike to give him a rapid nod. Emerald scowled, "I see, let's go!" he said, before darting off in the direction that Spike had come from.

He heard the mares and drake squawk behind him, before they began chasing after him.

* * *

It took them a little over a minute to make it just outside of the quarry. He took a moment to let the others catch up, but just as he was about to head in, he was stopped by a purple hoof.

"Emerald, what's going on?" Sparky asked,

"Yeah, do you know something we don't?" Crash questioned from behind her. Emerald glanced towards the quarry, then back at the girls, before he sighed,

"Listen, as much as I'd love to tell you the story of the political nightmare that was the Diamond Dog Civil War, I really think that saving Rarity, as well as whoever else these Mutts have taken prisoner, takes a _much_ higher priority than a history lesson," he snapped. Sparky winced at his tone, but nodded regardless,

"I guess that's fair. C'mon Spike, take us to the hole these Diamond Dogs made so we can save Rarity!"

"On it!" the little drake said with a firm nod, before he took off ahead of them.

The Ponyville Quarry was a mostly barren landscape, dotted heavily by large rock formations. The soil was a dead gray colour that proved its infertile nature. Despite this, it was rather well known for the large diversity of gems that could be found in the area, as well as their unusually high quality.

What they were not known for, however, were the dozens of holes that now dotted its surface. The group was stunned heavily by the abundance of tunnels, but the surprise was knocked loose once Emerald managed to confirm that they all led to the same place, making it less of a hassle to pick and choose.

"Alright!" Crash cheered, "Let's get going!" the boastful pegasus dashed over to the nearest hole, and disappeared inside, only to be suddenly ejected bodily from the hole, before a mound of dirt piled itself up, sealing the entrance.

"C'mon everyone, hurry and jump down!" Sparky called, signaling the group to branch out.

Try as they might, however, their attempts were futile. Every time one of them approached a hole, it was sealed off in seconds by the Mutts that created them, which only served to aggravate the group with every failed attempt.

"Ugh! This is hopeless!" Crash snapped, stomping her hoof from her perch a top one of the dirt mounds.

"I agree," Applejack muttered morosely, "I ain't got a problem with dustin' mahself off, but Rarity can't stand dirt if it ain't from the spa," she added.

"Gosh, I sure hope she's okay..." Fluttershy murmured, looking worriedly towards the many sealed holes.

"Hoping isn't going to save her," Emerald said, "Besides, they have to leave at least one hole open for ventilation purposes. All we have to do is find it, and we're golden," he added,

"But where is it?!" Spike demanded, shaking with worry. Emerald ignored the hatchling's words, already walking off.

Honestly, given the sheer number of these dirt piles, it wasn't too difficult for him to spot the one place that didn't have one,

"Over here," he called, stopping by the lip of the hole,

"Huh, that was... easy," Applejack muttered, "I was thinkin' we might have ta dig our way in," she admitted. Emerald scoffed,

"Please, a mole couldn't outdig a Diamond Dog, let alone a bunch of ponies, a dragon, and a thestral," he said, sparing a backwards glance.

"So, how are we gonna do this?" Crash asked, peering down into the hole, her voice laced with skepticism,

"Well-" Emerald began, but Spike cut him off,

"I've got it!" the hatchling cried, pulling out a large, rectangular sapphire from... somewhere, "Pinkie, do you have a fishing rod I can use?" he asked, further confusing the thestral, as well as most of the surrounding ponies.

"Totally!" Pinkie said, pulling a fishing rod from the apparent black hole she called a mane, "I keep one on me in case of fishing emergencies!" she said, hoofing it over to him.

It spoke volumes about the mare when none of them bothered to question her.

"What're you gonna do, hook one?" Emerald snarked as the hatchling threw the sapphire into the hole, the fishing line tied around it. Sparky elbowed him in the side, though he pretended not to notice,

"Well, I for one think it's... nice that you'd be willing to sacrifice the gem Rarity gave you to help her," she said, then turned to Emerald, "And since we'll probably be waiting for a bit, why not tell us about these Diamonds Dogs while we're here?" she asked, the question luring the attention of all but the hatchling onto him. Emerald rolled his eyes,

"Alright, might as well," he said, "About three-hundred years ago, the Diamond Dog Kingdom of Jewelia broke out into civil war. You see, Diamond Dogs, by nature, are prideful. They take great pride in their ability to hunt for gems, and they absolutely refuse to take any help from outsiders because of this. One day, however, a Diamond Dog leader by the name of Hounder decided that this couldn't stand. He believed that Diamond Dogs were above the act of scrounging around underground, and chose to rise to the surface, along with his followers and created the Kingdom of Jewelia, and became its first King. However, there was a small faction of Diamond Dogs who refused to change and war broke out nearly fifty years after the Kingdom's creation. During this war, in order to properly differentiate the two groups, they decided to wear collars. The Newbreeds, as the ones who rose to the surface called themselves, wore white collars to symbolize their new, clean, lifestyle. The Mutts, as those who refused this change called themselves, wore black collars to show their rejection of that new lifestyle. And the fight continues to this day, almost two-hundred-and-forty years later," Emerald explained.

"So what're a buncha Mutts doin' near Ponyville?" Applejack asked.

"Well, as you can imagine, being a rebel group battling a Kingdom with hundreds of thousands of bits worth of jewels at its disposal makes it difficult to fight back. Especially considering that King Hounder managed to broker an alliance with Equestria, and a peace treaty with the dragons before he died. From the looks of it, the Mutts have figured out just how rich in gems Equestria is, likely due to the ambient magic surrounding its inhabitants, and they've probably decided to try and take the territories for themselves,"

"Well... that doesn't sound too bad..." Sparky muttered, "They're just trying to preserve their old culture, right?" she asked.

"Right," Emerald agreed, "Except that this has been going on for centuries, and their views have changed dramatically. As you can guess, they need as many gems to purchase supplies, and as many paws to fight back with. So the Mutts have decided to take ponies prisoner and force them into slave labor to dig for their gems for them," Emerald sneered, "Whatever pride they once had is dead and buried now. And even if it wasn't, they're here illegally. The Guard has standing orders for them to be captured on sight and sent to Jewelia to await their sentence,"

Things faded into silence after that, only broken momentarily by Crash making a joke when it became obvious that Spike had gotten distracted by something.

As it was, this silence gave Emerald a good opportunity to think about the Mutts beneath them.

The Mayor hadn't told him anything about Diamond Dogs being near Ponyville, so it was likely that they'd only recently hauled in. Which was a good thing, as it decreased the chances of them finding other ponies being held captive.

Then again, who knows how many other towns these Mutts have been to before they came to Ponyville? Rarity might be the only pony they've gotten from Ponyville, but it was possible that they had others.

But what were the chances that these mares, and the hatchling, would hunt for these other captives? Plus, they'd made it somewhat clear that they were here for Rarity, not the Mutts themselves. Elements of Harmony or not, they were still civilians, in a way, so it was up to him, the only guard in Ponyville, for some inane reason, to hunt down these criminals.

Which meant he needed to separate himself from the group early on. He needed to take down as many of these Mutts as he could, and save whatever slaves they'd managed to get. This could prove tricky, as he had no idea how many enemies he could expect to find, or how skilled they'd be.

But then again, when had that ever stopped him?

He stayed with the group for a moment, casting his eyes around the field around him, when he saw it. Another unsealed hole, perhaps sixty feet away from their current location. Were the Mutts trying to bait them in, or something?

It was possible, but from what Spike had told them about the three that had taken Rarity, he was a little concerned about their level of intelligence. Or rather, the lack thereof.

Regardless, he'd take whatever they wanted to give him, trap or no trap.

To be honest, he didn't even understand why they were just waiting around instead of jumping in, but, again, traps were a thing.

Either way, it was a simple matter of sneaking away from the mares, who had grown increasingly focused on the hole to compensate for Spike's lapse in concentration, and made his way over to the second hole. He cast a glance back, just to make sure they hadn't noticed, and, when it was clear they didn't, slipped his new goggles over his eyes, pulled his spear from his bag, and jumped down.

Rarity gave a disgruntled huff, though she'd never admit it.

Those brutes had the nerve to steal her away from her work, and then had the gall to place her in such a filthy cell! She could not believe the turn her day had taken.

And to think! She'd been _this_ close to finally telling Spike the truth about their relationship, and how it could never happen!

The sound of paws hitting the dirt caught Rarity's attention,

"So, this is new hunter?" came a gruff, male voice, just as one of those Diamond Dogs came into view, a torch burning in its left paw.

It was much, much taller than her, with dark brown fur, and large yellow eyes. Similar to the three that took her, it stood with a small hunch to its back, possessed a pair of long arms that ended with large, clawed paws, and wore a black collar around its neck, with a white gem at its center.

But the similarities ended there. Instead of a vest of gray or red, it wore a set of brownish-gray armour that extended only to its waist. On its arms were a pair of metal gloves, and a pair of metal shoes rested on its feet. It lacked a helmet of any sort, which let Rarity get a glimpse of its ovular head. It had a pair of long ears that dropped down, framing its pointed snout.

The Diamond Dog growled at her when it noticed her gaze, and she quickly averted her eyes, especially considering she'd just spotted the long sword at its waist.

"Yes, Leader!" the voice of the red-wearing Dog from earlier spoke up excitedly, "Pony find many gems! Pony is better hunter than we!"

Leader turned his head away from her,

"Put pony with others," he said, sending chills down Rarity's spine. Others?

"""Yes, Leader!"""

Leader walked off, leaving Rarity alone with the three Dogs who brought her here. The door to her cage was swung open by the largest of the three, and Rarity couldn't help but back away as they approached,

"C-come on, now," she began feebly, "s-surely you wouldn't hurt a l-lady such as m-myself, would you?" she asked. She was ignored, as evidenced when the large one roughly picked her up by the tail, causing her to yelp in both shock and pain.

They ignored her cries as they carried her from the cell and through one of the many caves that made up their home.

Rarity wasn't sure how long they'd been carrying her, as she tried her very best to block out the pain, as well as the horrid thought of how many hairs she had to have lost by now, so when the big Dog finally dropped her, she was quite happy.

Well, as happy as a lady covered in dirt could be, she supposed.

She let out a decidedly unladylike groan, but she felt it was called for, and sat up, curling her tail to hold it her hooves just in case those brutes decided to ruin it again.

Her thoughts were cut off by the sound of ringing metal, bidding her to turn to face the source on reflex, and she nearly fainted at the sight.

There were five ponies behind her, all of whom she didn't recognize. Three mares and two stallions, the oldest looked to be perhaps forty, while the youngest couldn't be much older than her own sister.

All of them, however, were absolutely covered in filth, and it certainly smelled like it too. All of their coats were so matted down with dirt and sweat that Rarity genuinely couldn't tell what colour their coats or manes had once been.

It painted a _very_ clear picture of what could happen to her if she didn't _GET OUT OF HERE_!

She noticed that, all save for the youngest one, they were strapped to a large metal cart that had to have weighed almost half as much as they did soaking wet, filled near to the brim with gems, which couldn't have made it any easier to pull. They were skinny beyond what Rarity could ever consider natural, though they seemed to be able to use those shovels and pull those carts with minimal issue. The youngest one, however, was busy putting away the gems they'd mined into the carts, since she obviously couldn't do any mining herself.

She also noticed that she was the only unicorn here, with the rest being earth ponies.

She must've let out a small squeak slip through her lips, since the youngest pony, a little filly with bright green eyes-_so very similar to Sweetie Belle's that it almost made her sick-_paused for a moment, and turned her head to look at her.

"No stopping!" came a horrid shout, startling the little filly into rapidly returning to sorting the gems.

Rarity could feel the bile rising in her throat at the sight, and the smell, though she wouldn't say so, but it was easily ignored when compared to the burning anger that surged through her.

But even though the anger threatened to overwhelm her, she reined in it, as a proper lady should, and instead turned back to her captors.

Obviously she didn't hide her anger as well as she should've, as the smallest of the three Dogs flinched away from her, though the other two didn't pay it any mind.

"Find gems," the apparent leader of the trio said, "Saw you earlier. We know you can," he ordered, pointing down the tunnel they were in, where Rarity could spot a few torches burning brightly. Rarity fought the urge to turn up her nose at the crude order, fearing what they might do to her given their apparent contentment with slave labor, and did as she was asked.

She trotted down the path, her horn lighting up as she cast the spell. It took a moment, then she could _see_. And she was struck dumb.

Gems.

Gems _everywhere_!

She could scarcely comprehend the sheer number before her, the feedback from her spell not helping in the slightest. Still, she managed to compose herself enough, mainly to keep them from getting too impatient. Finding the smallest deposit near her, because there was absolutely _no_ chance that she'd willingly give these beasts what they wanted so easily, she pointed it out,

"There," she said, pointing to it, "That's... almost all I could find around here," she lied.

"Almost?" the biggest Dog asked, leering at her, suspicious.

"Yes!" she snapped, doing her best to portray annoyance, not that it was hard, hoping it would get them to believe her, "There's only another two I can find around here!" she added, knowing it wouldn't be too suspicious of a number.

"Hmmm..." the lead Dog thought for a moment, glaring at her with his hateful yellow eyes, then nodded, "Fine," he said, his paw reached out to grab something, before he roughly threw it at her, "Dig,"

The shovel he'd thrown surprised Rarity with its suddenness, though she managed to mostly avoid getting hit. As it was, a small cut had been opened across her cheek by the, thankfully clean, tool. She froze for an instant, her inner germaphobe panicking for a moment, the warm blood dripping down her cheek barely registering, before she broke herself from her ruminations.

She was thankful that the Dogs decided to leave when they saw her pick up the shovel and begin digging.

She was doing her best to ignore the fact that she was rummaging around in dirt, when a ghastly voice spoke.

"You really shouldn't push your luck like that," the voice startled the mare, whose head whipped around to find that one of the five ponies from earlier, a male who appeared around his thirties, had wormed his way towards her. She stared at him for a moment, then spoke,

"I truly don't expect to be here long, Mr...?" she said, allowing her unasked question to hang in air.

"Brake Shaft," he said, then gave her a hollow chuckle, "None of us expected to be here long, yet here we are... nearly a year later," he said, then turned to the little filly, "Even little Cotton has begun to lose hope."

Rarity bit her lip at that, but didn't say anything else.

She knew her friends would come to save her. She had absolute faith in them.

Now, she just needed to wait.

The cave was surprisingly well lit, even if he didn't have his thestrali vision, his goggles wouldn't have impaired his sight at all.

Honestly, aside from the slightly reddish tint the goggles gave everything, he might not have realized that the lenses were there at all.

Spitfire had a _really_ good eye for equipment.

He could hear the faint sound of metal ringing in the distance. Either they were having their little prisoners use pickaxes or shovels. Given the frequency of the ringing, it was more likely they had shovels, but had recently found some gem deposits.

On the bright side, most of the sound came from that direction, meaning that, unless the Mutts were unnaturally quiet, there were only, maybe, ten in total, if not less.

That made things significantly easier, as Spike's description painted at least three of them as miners instead of fighters. Though it was guaranteed that there was at least one high level fighter here, since miners were important in their culture.

A sudden cacophony of sound startled him momentarily, but he managed to deduce that it belonged to Sparky and the others.

It was about time they jumped in.

With no reason to stand around, Emerald immediately darted down the path, aiming to take down the lone figure he could hear not too far from the large group nearby.

Twilight held her head from where it had hit the ground, internally berating Spike for his idea, even if she had acted supportive earlier.

Shakily, she stood up and looked around, only to be mildly disappointed, but not surprised, to find that she had no idea where they were.

"Great," she heard Rainbow mutter, "How are we gonna find Rarity now?" she asked.

Twilight agreed. The area they'd found themselves in seemed to be a hub of some sort. It was a large, spacious area, whose walls were almost nothing but holes, leaving them with a good twenty different paths they could take.

Honestly, if it wasn't for the large support beams she could spot along the walls, she'd be terrified about the stability of these tunnels.

At least these Mutts were competent enough to put them up.

"I'm not sure," she said, gazing down each tunnel. They were all the same, with the only unique feature being a large wooden sign above each, with different, and unrecognizable, writing adorning them.

Emerald didn't mention anything about these Mutts having a different language!

"Hold on," Applejack said, "they wanted her 'cause she can find gems, right?" she asked, Spike nodded, "Well, they've probably got 'er where ever the most gems are," she reasoned.

"But... how are we going to know where all those gems are?" Fluttershy asked,

"Rarity's gem finding spell!" Spike exclaimed, "Not only did she use it to find all those gems, but that's why these Diamond Dogs took her!" Twilight nodded, but a thought struck her,

"Rarity's the only one who knows that spell," she argued, "I mean... she showed it to me once, but..."

"You can just copy it!" Spike said, looking up at her pleadingly, "You're the personal student to Princess Celestia after all!" he added, "One little gem-finding spell can't beat you!"

His words gave her confidence, probably more than they should've, but she wouldn't question it.

"Yeah... you're right, Spike," Twilight said, taking a step forward, "Okay... now if I can just remember how..." she murmured, focusing her magic into her horn. It took her a minute or so, and several failed attempts, but eventually, she succeeded.

Twilight opened her eyes, and was genuinely rendered speechless.

She could see the gems from where they rested in the ground, like beacons in the dark. But that wasn't all. Even the gems that were too far for her to see with her eyes, she could still feel using this spell. Had she not been so used to spells even more advanced than this, she might've been forced to end the spell from the sheer feedback she was receiving.

No wonder Rarity could find so many gems with this.

In the back of her head, Twilight's respect for Rarity rose now that she understood just how advanced this little spell was. Even more so when she recalled that Rarity had _made_ this spell when she was a _filly_.

"Well?" Rainbow asked, "Did you do it?"

"Um, yeah," Twilight answered, taking a moment to adjust to the information rushing through her head, "It's... this way!" she announced, pointing down the correct tunnel.

"Alright!" Spike cheered, hopping onto her back, "We'll save you Rarity!" He pointed forward and, with a roll of her eyes, Twilight complied, and darted down the path.

The cut on her cheek was beginning to really sting, though that didn't come as too much of a surprise.

Her hooves ached from the arduous task of digging. Using her magic would have made this a much, much easier task, as well as kept most of the wretched filth out of her gorgeous coat, but she chose not to.

After all, how could she possibly take the easy way out when there were five other ponies with her, all of whom had been struggling for far longer than she?

Even so, she couldn't simply sit by and let them struggle, not when she could help.

She used her magic to help Cotton with putting away gems, something the little filly had smiled at her for. Rather than make her smile in return, it only served to reignite the anger she felt towards these brutes.

She was a lady, and while she most certainly had a sharp wit, she sincerely doubted she'd be able to outsmart that Leader Dog, at least not to the degree of letting them all go.

But that was fine. She knew her dear friends would do everything in their power to save her, even if it meant contacting the Princess herself.

Her shovel suddenly hit something, nearly startling her at the sudden ringing. She hadn't even realized she'd closed in on the gems! Regardless, she set about piling the jewels into the nearby cart, doing her best to ignore the shooting pain running up her legs.

Goodness! How could ponies do hard work like this everyday?! If this is what it felt like, her appreciation for ponies like Applejack just shot up!

Not that it was exactly low before, but...

She let out a rough breath as she let the shovel hit the ground once more.

"Not used to this kinda work, _princess_?" one of the other mares sneered. Rarity frowned at the rude tone, but held her tongue.

They were entitled to a little aggression, she told herself, after all, they've been here for quite some time.

That didn't mean she had to respond to their aggression, however.

She rested her hooves for a moment, hoping that a moments rest would give her to energy to keep going, but she, along with the others, were distracted by a sudden crash.

"What was that?!" Twilight asked, looking around for the source of the noise, nearly stumbling as she did so,

"Those Dogs might be hurting Rarity!" Spike deduced, "C'mon we need to hurry!"

Metal screeched as blade met blade. Sparks shot away from the point of contact, his larger opponent growling as he was forced away.

Emerald spun his spear, readjusting his grip on it as he did so.

This Mutt had surprised him when he blocked. His intention had been to knock him unconscious on the first blow, since the Guard's standing orders of 'Capture on Sight' meant he couldn't just kill him, but he supposed those longer ears weren't just for show.

How ironic was it that someone else's hearing would be detrimental to his plans?

"What is not-pony doing here?" the Mutt growled at him in broken Equish,

Emerald didn't respond, instead charging forward at his adversary. The Mutt swung his blade to intercept, but Emerald immediately ducked, spun his spear, and jabbed the blunt end forward, straight into the Mutt's stomach.

He doubled over, giving Emerald the chance to swung his other hoof up, solidly colliding with his skull.

He stood for a moment longer, before the Mutt slumped to the ground, out cold.

He sneered at the form of the Mutt. All of that armor and apparently little skill.

Emerald sighed, it wasn't anything less that what he'd expected, but that didn't mean it wasn't disappointing.

His ear twitched, searching for any source of sound, and found one immediately. He frowned,

"What are those mares doing?" he muttered, walking off towards the noise.

It didn't take long for him to arrive at an intersection. It took him a moment to determine the correct path, but once he did it was a simple matter to simply run down the tunnel, spear at the ready.

Unfortunately he didn't quite follow his spear's example, coming to a dead stop when he found, not six ponies and a dragon like he'd expected, but eleven instead.

All of them were completely surrounded by Mutts, and those Dogs did _not_ look happy.

Twilight swallowed, feeling more nervous the farther down the tunnel they ran.

She hadn't thought that this would be as nerve-wracking as it was. Part of her had thought that it would be a simple in and out situation, where they run in, grab Rarity, and run out without having to worry about much of anything.

She did not expect to hear the sound of fighting for a good ten seconds, and for everything to go silent right after.

If it wasn't for Rarity's gem-finding spell she'd managed to copy, then there would be no way for them to navigate their way to her. And that was assuming that they were right to follow the gems.

Her magic was the only source of light around them at the moment, and it didn't provide quite enough to see for more than a foot in front of her. As such, Twilight was only partially surprised when she ended up tumbling over something she didn't see, her fall causing her friends to start cascading over her and Spike, earning more then a few yelps of pain.

"Oww..." she moaned from beneath her friends.

"Oh? You don't look like the Dogs brought you here," an unfamiliar voice suddenly droned, startling the six of them into jumping off of each other.

"What?" Spike asked, staring at the newcomer, his features illuminated by the torch he was carrying. It was a stallion who looked a few years older than them, with a brown coat and a mane and tail of the same colour, with a pair of dull yellow eyes. She couldn't spot his cutie mark for some reason, but after a moment of thought, she realized that he was absolutely covered in dirt!

A few seconds later, she realized that the brown of his mane, tail, and coat, were _also_ dirt.

Then the smell hit, and she couldn't help but scrunch up her nose in disgust, but she kept herself from saying anything.

"Pee-_yew_!" Pinkie had no such reservations, holding her hoof to nose and scooting away from the stranger. Rather than be offended, like Twilight had expected, he chuckled,

"Yeah, I'm sure I smell pretty bad. Been almost a year since I had a good shower," he admitted, before looking past them, "So, where are the Dogs escorting you bunch too?"

"What?" Rainbow asked, "C'mon, do we look like those Mutts could've taken us?" she bragged. The stallion frowned,

"I was in the Royal Guard, once, and they took me down," he said, "No offense, but you're all just civilians. They're better equipped and better trained than you lot," he added, before shaking his head, "Whatever, what are you all doing here?"

"We're here to save our friend!" Spike spoke up, staring defiantly at the pony in front of them. The stallion smirked,

"Save your friend, huh?" he asked, before shaking his head, "Well, too bad. Last time somepony came down here on a rescue mission, they ended up beaten and forced to work. I should know, considering it was _me_."

That was a little surprising to hear, but it definitely explained why the stallion didn't seem excited to see them.

"Who are you, anyways?" Rainbow asked. The stallion smirked, then gave them a lazy salute,

"Soldier Spun Gear, at your service," he mocked. Twilight frowned for a moment, before recalling the Title system she and Emerald had talked about for a moment regarding her brother's position. She couldn't quite remember how a Soldier stacked up to a Mage, however.

"Soldier Spun Gear?" Pinkie asked, then giggled, "That's a funny name!"

"My name is Spun Gear," the stallion corrected her, "Soldier is my Title."

"Title?" Applejack asked, Spun shrugged,

"Read a book on it, or somethin'," he said, "I'm not wasting my breath on you," he said, turning around, "Good luck on your, heh, 'rescue mission'," he said, walking off.

"Wha-? Hey!" Rainbow shouted, nearly charging after the stallion, if Applejack hadn't held her back, "Just because _you_ failed doesn't mean you can just make fun of us for trying to save our friend, _buddy_!" she snarled,

"Simmer down, Rainbow!" Applejack snapped, "Jus' ignore 'im. He ain't who were here fer,"

"B-but... wouldn't it be, um... mean if we just left him behind?" Fluttershy asked. Twilight nodded,

"She's right girls. Spike," she added quickly, "We can't just abandon somepony because they're a little... rough. It would be wrong," Rainbow groaned, but nodded,

"Fine..."

With that out of the way, Twilight and the rest turned to Spun, who had already walked out of earshot, and followed after him.

It didn't take long to find the rest of the group. Twilight was the first to see, and smell, the group, and was the first to freeze in place.

Five ponies in total, all completely covered in dirt just like Spun Gear. They were all skinny beyond belief, in a manner that eerily reminded her of Emerald when he first arrived. Hollowed cheeks, sunken eyes, manes and tails that were dirty and had started to fray at the edges from lack of care. All of them were busy shoveling dirt to the side, hunting for gems without a care. Twilight could feel herself trembling at the sight, but she nearly lost herself when she realized something.

Most of them appeared around her age, with one being much older than her, and another being perhaps half her age.

This might've been her.

Or her friends.

In fact...

"Rarity!" Spike shouted, spotting a familiar white figure farther away from the group of five. His sudden cry had caught the attention of everypony in the room, causing them to stop working and face them.

The group of six didn't bother paying attention to the sudden stares, their gazes focused solely on the white figure that Spike was running up to, with them not far behind.

Rarity jumped slightly at the call, and turned around just in time to receive a baby dragon running into her at full speed, claws wrapping around her neck.

"Oof!" she groaned, having to use the shovel she held to brace herself, "Ooh... Spike?" she asked, staring down in surprise.

"""""_Rarity!_""""" Twilight and the others cried at once, startling her further,

"Girls?!" she asked, before a bright smile wormed its way onto her face, "Oh, girls!" she cheered, lurching forward just as they all collected themselves around her, wrapping each other to a massive group hug.

"Oh! It's so wonderful to see you again!" she gushed as they let go a minute later, "My, I was beginning to worry something had happened to you!" she said, looking over each of them fondly.

"We're okay, Rarity," Twilight assured, but paused as her eyes roamed over her friend's form, "But what happened to you!?"

Indeed, Rarity hadn't come out of this unscathed. Her beautiful white coat had been stained a dirty brown along her hooves, and her glorious mane and tail had become frizzy from the hard work she undoubtedly had to do, with her tail beginning to turn a nasty shade of brown along the tip. Her hooves looked red and swollen, even beneath the dirt, and there was a long cut along her cheek, where a trail of dried blood had crusted over it and down her cheek.

Rarity cast a quick glance down, and sighed,

"Yes, it's awful, I know!" she said, hoof held against her head, as if she was about to faint, "But no worries!" Rarity added, "A few hours at the Ponyville spa will have me fixed right away!" she cheered, surprising Twilight.

"Really?" she asked, "I would've thought you'd be a lot more.. worried about your appearance," Twilight remarked. Rarity nodded,

"Indeed, I would be, but..." she trailed off, her gaze traveling past them, landing on the group of workers. Twilight followed her gaze for a moment, before nodding in understanding,

"Right, of course," she muttered, before shaking her head, "Well, don't worry Rarity. We're getting you out of here! You and everypony else!" she announced, turning to face the others at the last part.

"Are you?" a gravelly voice came from behind them. Twilight whirled back around, coming almost face to face with a gray Diamond Dog wearing a red vest.

"AH!" she squealed, jumping back at the unexpected sight, Rarity and the others following along with her.

"Ponies weak," the Mutt said, sneering at them, "What makes ponies think you can escape?" he asked.

"More workers!" the smaller Mutt said, clapping cheerfully,

"Leader be pleased," the larger one growled.

"Dogs! Put them in chains!" the one with the red vest called. A sudden series of barking from behind them startled the ponies and dragon, causing them to turn just in time to watch as three large Mutts came bounding in, covered in armour from head to toe, each one holding a set of chains and manacles.

Twilight swallowed as their group huddled together, the worker ponies looking almost bored by the whole thing, as if they'd all expected it.

Twilight realized that they probably did, if what Spun Gear had said was true.

Those ponies had already given up hope of ever escaping. What was the point in even trying if they simply didn't believe it was possible?

"Ha! You don't scare me!" Rainbow boasted, holding up her hooves and throwing a few punches for effect, "C'mon!"

"Rainbow's right, girls," Applejack said, "We're gonna hafta get down an' dirty if we wanna get out," Twilight nodded, lighting up her horn, though she couldn't help but send both Pinkie and Fluttershy worried looks.

Pinkie was glaring at the closest Mutt, an action that proved surprisingly intimidating for the usually peppy earth pony.

Fluttershy, as expected, was curled up, looking terrified of the incoming fight, but she stood surprisingly firm despite that.

Returning her gaze to the one with the red vest, Twilight prepared herself to cast the only offensive spell she knew, specifically the Bolt spell, and just about attacked, when-

"I leave you lot alone for _five minutes_ and _this_ is what you get up to?" a familiar male voice echoed from the tunnel they'd arrived from, behind the armoured Mutts.

"Emerald?" Twilight called, startled. She blinked for a moment, then looked around, only for her eyes to widen in surprise.

She had thought he was with them the entire time!

"'Course it's me, Sparky," he said, his disguised form appearing from the shadows of the tunnel, staring coldly at the Mutts blocking his way and- was that a _spear_?!

Twilight's eyes focused on the honest-to-Celestia spear the town guard was holding in his hoof, its silver blade glinting dangerously in the light.

"Really, it's like you girls are magnets for trouble," he added, resting the shaft of his spear against his shoulder, coming to a stop in front of the Mutts in his way.

"More ponies?" one of the Mutts growled, sounding a little confused,

"Not quite," Emerald answered, grinning wickedly, before lashing out.

Twilight blinked and nearly missed it.

Emerald had gone from a stand still, to full on vaulting himself at the closest Mutt, nailing it in the chin with his back leg. In the same, smooth motion, he swung his spear around while he was still in the air, slamming the flat side of the blade against the next Mutt. Using his newfound leverage, he swung himself over the Mutt, his spear's blade pushing the Mutt it hit into the first one, and slammed, back hooves first, into the face of the last Mutt. The last Mutt was slammed into the wall of the tunnel, hard enough to crack the earth.

He landed easily, looking no more put out than he would have walking into the library, staring at the three remaining Mutts, who were looking significantly more worried than before.

"Well?" he asked, staring at Twilight and the others, "Don't just stand there, get out of here," Twilight blinked,

"What about you?" she asked. He responded with a shrug,

"I'll knock 'em out, send a letter to the princess and have 'em shipped out to Jewelia," he said. There was a strangled growl from the Mutts at that, startling Twilight,

"_Never_!" the red vested Mutt shouted, lunging forward, straight at Twilight. She yelled in surprise and braced herself, but a pained yelp stopped her.

Looking back up, she was just in time to see the Mutt fall backward, the blunt end of Emerald's spear having impacted him directly between the eyes.

"You alright, Sparky?" he said from directly beside her, startling Twilight a little.

_So fast!_

"Umm... Yeah, I'm fine," she responded. He nodded, turning to the last two Mutts,

"Good. Now get out of here. All of you," he said, voice firm and unrelenting.

Twilight nodded,

"Y-yeah," she muttered, then shook her head, "C'mon everypony! The exit is this way!" she called, running back down their original path, her five friends running behind her.

Rarity came to a halt just before leaving, and turned to the other five, confused,

"Well?" she asked, "Aren't you dears coming? Or would you rather stay in these dreadful tunnels?" she added.

Brake blinked at her, stunned, and spared a glance at Emerald, who had already begun tying up the Mutts, who were only putting up a small struggle.

"U-uh... y-yeah," he stammered, waving at the others to come along.

* * *

Emerald sighed, leaning back against the couch he was resting in.

It hadn't taken much time to round up the Mutts and send a letter to Celestia, who then sent a group of guards to come collect his catch, as well as hoof him his normal pay.

Celestia also had the foresight to send a second group meant to collect the ex-slave ponies and bring them to Canterlot for identification, as well as whatever reimbursement the princess was sure to give them after all was said and done.

After that was over with, Rarity had suddenly remembered the sheer number of gems she had found back in the caves and very nearly begged her friends, and Emerald, to help her collect some of them for her order.

Which led to now.

"And... Ta da!" Rarity cheered, drawing back the curtains with as much flair as she could muster, coat cleaned and mane and tail groomed to perfection once again. It hadn't taken her long to clean herself up once they brought and stored the gems in the Boutique.

Sparky and the others 'ooh'd at the sight of Rarity's latest design, while Emerald gave it a critical once over.

"Yeah..." he muttered, "That's definitely something Sapphire would want..."

It was completely white in colour, with a long zipper across the back hidden by an added cape. The entire thing was encrusted with polished diamonds, all cut into various shapes and sizes, and, at the angle he was sitting at, he was forced to squint just to look at it thanks to all the light it reflected at him.

"Wow!"

"That's awesome!"

"Ooh!"

"This is amazing, Rarity!" Sparky said with a smile, glancing over at her fellow unicorn, "No wonder Sapphire Shores wanted so many!" Rarity tittered,

"Indeed! I must say, while not my best work, I am rather proud of how it came out in the end!" she gushed, then gave them a determined nod, "I have to get to work right away! This whole Diamond Dog, or should I say Mutt, business has completely thrown me off schedule!" she cried, already levitating around boxes filled with fabric and gems around, "I'll have to work all night to make up for lost time, but it'll be worth it!" she said.

"Do you want any help?" Fluttershy asked, Rarity shook her head,

"Oh not at all!" she replied, "It's a little inconvenient, but I'll be fine!" she stopped for a moment, turning to them with a smile, "I appreciate the worry, truly, and I'm ever so grateful that you all came to save me, but I'll be fine," she assured, then used her magic to open the door and began shooing them away, "No, go on! Much as I love playing host, I'm afraid I'll need absolute peace and quiet for this!" she said.

Emerald and the others began filing out the door, but just before Rarity shut the door, she stopped and peered outside,

"Oh, and don't worry everyone!" she called, "I promise I'll make it up to you for everything you did!" she added, then closed the door behind her.

The group of seven were silent for a moment, before Applejack broke it with a scoff,

"That's jus' like her. Even after gettin' foalnapped by a bunch'a Mutts, she's still puttin' all her time an' effort inta her fancy dresses," she said, shaking her head.

"You have to admire her work ethic, at least," Emerald remarked, earning a nod from the farm mare.

"Well, I don't know about you guys," Crash began, stretching her wings, "but I'm gonna hit the hay,"

"Already?!" Pinkie asked, surprised, "But the sun isn't even going down! We should celebrate with a 'We Saved Rarity From a Bunch of Mean Old Dogs!' party!"

"As nice as that sounds, Pinkie," Sparky said, "why don't we just have that picnic we never started?"

"That's right!" Pinkie gushed, "I totally forgot! C'mon everypony, we've got a picnic waiting for us!" she cheered, and started running off.

Applejack shook her head, but followed along regardless, pulling Crash behind her. Fluttershy smiled, and trotted after them.

"I think I'm gonna stay and help Rarity with her order," Spike said, scooting back towards the door to the Boutique, before slipping inside without another word, leaving Emerald and Sparky alone for the time being.

The two of them shared a look, when Sparky smiled,

"Thanks for helping us save Rarity, Emerald," she said. He shrugged,

"Eh, it's what I do," he replied easily, causing Sparky to laugh. She stared at him for a moment longer, and her eyes flickered upward,

"You know, you look really nice with those goggles," she admitted, her face turning a faint red. Emerald felt his heat up in response as well, though he tried to hide it,

"Really? Thanks, I suppose," he said, "You look nice as well. Though that's normal." he said, muttering that last part.

Evidently he hadn't said it quietly enough, considering the tomato impression that Sparky was currently doing.

He chuckled at the sight, finding it one he wouldn't mind seeing more often. He jerked his head towards the retreating ponies,

"C'mon, Sparky. We've got a picnic to attend," he said, reaching over to grab her hoof, before he pulled her along, ignoring the heat in his face build at the action.

Sparky sputtered behind him, and he smiled.

He was really beginning to like this town.


	22. Party of None

Sunday was his only, official, day off from working at Sugarcube Corner.

Originally, he wanted to keep to himself during these days, though he more often than not found himself wandering around town, bumping into the few ponies he knew fairly often.

So he was honestly a little saddened when he realized that he couldn't head out as early as he wanted to.

During their little adventure with those Mutts last month, he'd used his spear as a bludgeoning weapon, which had ended up damaging the blade. He hadn't noticed until last night when a timberwolf had decided to run at him. He disposed of it as normal, only to find his blade had chipped sometime during the scuffle, meaning he needed to fix it.

Luckily he kept a grinding wheel in his bag, which was where he was spending his time in the early morning.

So there he was, sitting at the grinding wheel in his personal pocket dimension, goggles on to protect his eyes, sharpening the edge of the blade, when he heard it.

Faint as it was, the magic in the bag amplified the sound from the outside world so he could hear it, even here. It was knocking, specifically from his front door downstairs.

He frowned slightly, but figured whoever it was could wait a moment as he finished with the edge.

It took only another minute until he was satisfied with his spear, and two more to make his way back into the world.

It would probably be a funny sight. A non-descript brown bag laying on the floor, only for it to suddenly twitch, bulge a little, and a fully grown stallion to come crawling out of the flap as if nothing was wrong.

He internally snickered at the thought, but another knock from below broke his from his musings.

"Alright, I'm coming!" he shouted, annoyed, but proceeded out his door and down the stairs not too much later.

His ears twitched, providing him a rough image of the pony on the other side of the door. He couldn't identify the individual, but it was clear that there was a smaller creature just beside them, and they were wearing... something.

Opening the door, he was greeted to an immediate expulsion of confetti straight into his face, nearly sending him stumbling back if it weren't for pink pony he recognized doing it.

Pinkie Pie, wearing a strange purple get-up with confetti poppers on the back, smiled widely at him, and just as he went to greet her, she broke into song.

_~This is your singing telegram,~_

_~I hope it finds you well!~_

_~You're invited to a party,~_

_~'Cause we think you're really swell! ~_

_~Gummy's turning one year old,~_

_~So help us celebrate!~_

_~The cake will be delicious,~_

_~The festivities first-rate!~_

_~There will be games and dancing,~_

_~Bob for apples, cut a rug!~_

_~And when the party's over,~_

_~We'll gather 'round for a group hug!~_

_~No need to bring a gift,~_

_~Being there will be enough!~_

_~Birthdays mean having fun with friends,~_

_~Not getting lots of stuff!~_

_~It won't be the same without you,~_

_~So we hope that you say yes!~_

_~So, please, oh please R.S.V.P.~_

_~And come, and be our guest!~_

Pinkie hopped one final time, nearly landing on her face, hooves out wide and panting heavily.

Emerald smirked, and decided to humor the mare by giving her a polite clap.

"Bravo," he said, "Neat little song you have there, Pinkie," he complimented. Pinkie's heavy panting didn't let up much, but the brighter smile she wore told him she appreciated the words.

"Yep!" she breathed, her voice rough, as if she'd been doing this all day, and considering that it was Pinkie he wouldn't doubt it, "But... but... maybe I'll just... give out cards instead... next time," she panted. Emerald rolled his eyes, and stepped back,

"C'mon Pinkie, let's get you some water."

A minute or so later, and Emerald found himself and Pinkie, who was happily chugging down a glass of water, sitting on his couch, still not having taken off that ridiculous costume of hers.

"So, you mentioned a party?" he asked. Pinkie didn't say anything, still chugging down the water, only to near slam it down with a refreshed sigh. After she took a moment, she nodded rapidly,

"Yep! Gummy's first birthday!" she cheered, "There's gonna be games, cake, balloons, cake, more games, and cake!" she gushed, throwing her hooves out wide, her smile bright as usual.

"I figured," was his amused response, "When is it?" he asked,

"Tomorrow!" Pinkie squealed, "Mr and Mrs. Cake gave us the whole week off after that to celebrate!"

Emerald hid a frown. That didn't sound like something the Cakes would do. Not for a baby alligator at least.

Emerald glanced at the animal in question, sitting peacefully next to Pinkie, hardly even blinking at his owner's frantic motions.

Really, how did Pinkie get a pet like him?

He'd've thought she'd go for something more excitable, like a dog.

Then again, wasn't there some Equestrian saying about how 'opposites attract'?

"That's nice of them, if a little excessive for just one birthday party," he remarked. Pinkie smiled,

"Well duh! It's not just _any_ birthday party! It's Gummy's _first_ birthday party!" she corrected him. He nodded,

"Of course. Silly me," he amended, smirking, "When is it?" he asked, "Time-wise, that is."

"Oh, five!" she said, glancing at the clock, she gasped, "I gotta go! I left Gummy's cake in the oven!" she squealed, sweeping up the little gator and jogging out the door in the same motion, leaving Emerald behind.

"Heh... so much for a calm day..."

* * *

"Emerald? Ya got Pinkie's singin' telegram too?" Applejack asked, appearing next to him.

He'd been standing just outside Sugarcube Corner for the better part of five minutes now, wondering what he'd expect, considering attending an alligator's birthday party had never been something he'd thought he'd do in life. He chuckled,

"That I did," he said, smirking, "It was charming, I'll give her that. But she seemed pretty tired after it was done," he added, "I must've been one of the last ones if she did that for all of us," Applejack laughed,

"Sure sounds like somethin' Pinkie would do!" she said, then suddenly looked around, as if checking if they were being spied on, "So, whatcha thinkin' 'bout tomorrow?" she asked quietly.

Confused by the sudden whispering, Emerald was left trying to rapidly go over any information he had regarding the next day. Aside from understanding that he had that day off now, nothing else came up.

"What do you mean?" he asked, lowering his voice to match hers, "Far as I know, tomorrow's just a Tuesday."

"You don't know?!" Applejack asked, sounding stunned. At least stunned enough to temporarily drop her whispering, considering she nearly shouted that last question. She winced at her own volume, "You don't know?!" she asked again, this time much quieter.

"_Evidently not,_" he growled, "Instead of yelling, tell me what's going on," he demanded.

"It's Pinkie's birthday tomorrow!" Applejack said, causing Emerald to blink.

"And I'm only just hearing about this now... why?" he asked. Applejack grinned sheepishly,

"Heh, if it makes ya feel better, I ain't too sure if Twilight knows 'bout it either," she said,

"Knows about what?" a voice said from behind them, startling Applejack.

"Ah!"

"Hey Sparky," Emerald greeted, ignoring the mare beside him for the moment, "Applejack just told me about Pinkie's birthday tomorrow," Sparky's eyes widened,

"What?!"

"That was almost my reaction."

"Why didn't anypony tell me about this?!" Sparky asked, ignoring Emerald's comment. Applejack only shrugged,

"Sorry sugarcube, guess it jus' never came up 'til now?" she said, sounding uncertain herself, then shook her head, "Anyways, the girls an' I are plannin' a surprise party fer her, but we're worried Pinkie might find out, think ya'll can help?"

"Of course!" Sparky answered immediately, "Pinkie's our best friend!"

"Sure, why not?" Emerald replied a few moments later, having given it some thought, "I suppose it's the least I can do for her,"

"Great! We're all meetin' in mah barn tomorra mornin', we'll werk everythin' out before tomorra afternoon!"

A moment passed between the three of them, with Sparky trying to pry some details out of Applejack, before they were interrupted,

"Hey!" came from above them, just before Crash came into view, where she landed next to Applejack, "So, didja tell 'em about-" she looked around, much like Applejack had before, then whispered, "-the _you-know-what_?" Applejack scoffed,

"'Course I did! An' they're both on board,"

"Awesome!"

"Yoohoo! I certainly hope we're not late!" Rarity's voice called, just as she and Fluttershy came into view, likely having just come from the Boutique,

"Nope!" Pinkie answered, suddenly popping through the front door, "You're all just in time! C'mon, let's get this party started!" Pinkie cheered, zipping back inside, followed closely behind by the others. Emerald rolled his eyes, but went along as well.

Pinkie led them up the stairs, down the hall, and then up more stairs, which Emerald hadn't noticed before, until they arrived in what was clearly the designated party room.

Streamers and lights hung from the ceiling by the dozens. Several tables were set out along the walls, leaving the center of the room bare, save for a small record player off to the side. The tables were each set with various party supplies; a large bowl and some cups, a large cake with a big '1' on top of it, and a third table with large plates of various bakes goods, ranging from cupcakes and cookies, to pies and muffins.

"Woah, this looks awesome Pinkie!" Crash gushed, already walking out,

"I'll say, looks like a real hoot!" Applejack followed as the others spread out,

"I'm glad you all like it!" Pinkie said, smiling brightly as she held up Gummy, "I've never seen Gummy so excited either!"

Gummy blinked, though his eyes were a little out of sync.

"Riiiiight."

"Whatever you say, Pinkie."

It didn't take long after that for the party to get going. Aside from Pinkie, each of the mares set out towards the various games, with Pinkie often checking up on them, and playing a few rounds every now and again.

Emerald, however, didn't stray too far from the stairs, content with merely watching the others have their fun.

Although, that wasn't to say he was just loafing around, rather, he was busy thinking of what Applejack had, oh so kindly, revealed to him and Sparky earlier.

Pinkie's birthday was tomorrow.

It was strange. She hadn't once said anything about her birthday. When it was, what she'd like to do... anything.

It was almost like she forgot about it, much like he did his own.

But, that was ridiculous! Pinkie was a pony who could memorize the birthdays, likes, dislikes, and various behaviors of nearly everyone in town! How could she forget her own birthday?

Then again, if he thought about it, how _could_ she remember her own birthday?

With the thought of everyone else crammed into her head, he supposed it wouldn't be too much of a surprise if she really _had_ forgotten about it. It would still be fairly ironic if she did, though.

"Hey Emerald! Whatcha doing?" Pinkie asked, trotting up to him. He stared at her for a moment, then shrugged,

"Thinking."

"Ooh! Is that fun?" she asked, causing him to snicker,

"Not particularly," he replied. Pinkie frowned a little,

"Then why are you doing it?"

"Someone has to. Don't you think?" he asked, smirking,

"Yeah!" she cheered, then put a hoof to her chin, "Wait, I thought that's what you were doing?"

"Go have fun, Pinkie," Emerald said, gently pushing her back, towards the large wooden tub where Crash and Applejack were,

"Okay!" was her easy reply, before she bounced off. Emerald shook his head, chuckling softly.

Pinkie was such a strange mare.

It was a good kind of strange, though.

Fluttershy was happily dancing along to some song he'd never heard, looking like she hadn't a care in the world. As mentioned before, Applejack and Crash were busy bobbing for apples in the corner, though it looked like Pinkie had snuck Gummy into the tub, considering that he was currently latched onto Crash's face.

He snickered at the sight, but let his eyes roam once more. Rarity was busy drinking some punch, and it looked like Sparky was just wandering around, though he noticed her sneaking him a few glances every now and then.

He hid a frown. His feelings for the mare in question hadn't subsided like he'd hoped. He supposed that was to be expected, though. Things like this rarely went in his favour, regardless of what he did.

But that opened up some new thoughts that he was, honestly, considering.

He couldn't make these thoughts and feelings of his go away, so... didn't that mean he should act on them? From what he knew of pony culture, it was often the case for things like this. Personally, he hadn't met anyone with similar issues before, and he'd heard Celestia give more than one pony romantic advice before, so he knew what she would say should he ask.

But... how to do it?

Did he follow Equestrian customs and simply ask?

Or did he stay true to some Nocturnian customs he could remember, few as they were?

He could scarcely remember anything of his home. Faces were simply blurs, words were fuzzy and hard to hear. He was glad to have taken remedial lessons on thestrali, otherwise he wouldn't even have his old language to remember!

Then again, all related Nocturnian customs involved blood, so he probably shouldn't do any of them.

He nearly snorted at the thought of the look on Sparky's face if he really _did_ present her with a vial of his blood, at least if he never explained it.

To willingly hoof over a vial of your own blood to another... in Nocturne, it was the same as claiming that you are willing to place yourself, your life, your death, _everything_ that is _you_, in the hooves of another.

It is an act of the utmost love and trust. Something that can _never_ be one sided.

So, that left him with only the Equestrian traditions, at least, for now. If he actually went through with it, then there were some Nocturnian traditions he was sure she wouldn't mind being a part of.

He was brought out of his thoughts, rather violently, by a familiar purple body suddenly crashing into him.

"Ow..." Sparky muttered from atop him, laying splayed on her back across his stomach.

"Dammit, Sparky," Emerald murmured, pushing her off, "You're lucky you're light as a damned feather," he breathed, sitting up. Sparky groaned again, rising to her haunches as she did so,

"Sorry," she said, rubbing the side of her head, "Pinkie's dancing is a little... enthusiastic."

"C'mon everypony!" Pinkie yelled, "Gummy wants to dance!"

"Heh, guess that's our cue, huh?" he asked, standing. He reached out a hoof to help Sparky, and she took it with a thankful smile, and a slight blush,

"Thanks. And, yeah, I guess," she said, "Come on!" she added, pulling him along towards the others, who were dancing around the little alligator.

Emerald sighed, but smiled.

He could wait a little longer.

* * *

"See you all tomorrow!" Pinkie called from the window, waving to the forms of five of her retreating friends, "You girls sure you don't want to stay? There's still some cake left!" she added.

Emerald didn't pay attention to whatever response she got from below, paying more attention to the alligator that was currently latched onto his tail.

"Let go," he demanded, only to receive an uncomprehending blink from Gummy's vacant purple eyes. "Dammit."

He shook his head and tried to ignore it. It wasn't like the baby gator was threatening him. If anything, he doubted Gummy actually knew what he was doing.

He had volunteered to stay behind to help Pinkie clean up the party, since he had to wait for the others to be at home anyways, as well as hopefully get some sort of insight to whatever Pinkie would like for her birthday.

He could have just asked the others, but he wanted to try and figure it out himself first. He'd been working with Pinkie for over half a year now, so he liked to think he could find out before he left for the night.

"Where do you want these lights, Pinkie?" he asked. He didn't receive an answer right away, since Pinkie was still staring out the window, looking as though she was planning something.

"Pinkie?" he called again. No response.

Growing annoyed, he grabbed Gummy, who let go of his tail, and threw him at Pinkie, where he happily latched on to his owner's mane, startling her out of her thoughts,

"Oh, hey Gummy! Didja want something? Cake? Some more punch?"

"_Pinkie!_" he called for the third time, and he was finally given a response,

"Oh! What is it, Emerald?" she asked, turning to face him, completely ignoring the alligator hanging in front of her face,

"Where do you want these lights?" he repeated, tilting to box to show her. She narrowed her eyes and placed a hoof to her chin with a thoughtful hum,

"Hmmm... ooh! In my room up on the top shelf of the closet!" she said, causing him to nod,

"Got it," he replied, setting the box on his back, before making his way downstairs.

Pinkie's room was pretty much the same as it was the last time he was here, though there were a few binders on the desk this time. Waltzing over to the closet he was seeking, he easily pulled it open, and sighed.

The top shelf was easily out of reach, resting a little over Celestia's head. He wondered why Pinkie had such a large closet, but shrugged it off and set the box on the ground, before taking the nearby stool and using it to lift the box to its desired location.

He had it pretty easily. He had just finished sliding the box into place, when Pinkie suddenly popped up,

"Hey Emerald, do you think-?"

Her sudden appearance had startled him enough to shift his footing just enough to cause him to start slipping off of the damn stool. He flailed a hoof for a moment, latching onto one of the boxes on the top shelf to stabilize himself, only to bring it crashing down with him.

He hit the ground pretty softly, thanks to the poofy rug Pinkie kept, but it was decidedly less soft when he felt the box crash on top of him, scattering books everywhere.

"Are you okay, Em-" Pinkie cut herself off with a gasp, and he could hear her suddenly start skittering around, picking up the books that had flown everywhere. Groaning slightly, Emerald sat back up, just in time to spot one of the books in front of him, just before Pinkie snatched it away, turning her back to him immediately. He frowned, it was almost as if...

"Pinkie, what are those?" he asked, standing up,

"Uhhh, n-nothing!" she stammered, edging away from him, though she began to reach for the box. Emerald pushed it behind him,

"Pinkie... what are you hiding?"

"Hiding?!" she asked, her voice suddenly rising a pitch, "I'm not anything anything, y-you are!"

"Pinkie, show me," he said, taking a step forward. She shrunk away from him, her face turning redder with every step he took. "Pinkie..."

"_No!_" she shouted, darting to the side, but he was faster, having already moved to intercept her. She tried, and succeeded, in rushing past him, but he didn't mind.

He'd managed to steal one of the many books she was holding as she passed by.

It was completely blank. The cover, back, and spine of the book having nothing to identify whatever lay inside.

He debated with himself for a moment on whether he should read it, but considering that whatever it was, was enough to have Pinkie nearly fight him for it, he decided it would be worth checking.

Cracking open the book, he found himself smiling at the sight.

It was a scrapbook.

Not of her friends, like he might have expected, but rather, of herself. Specifically, as a filly.

Various Pinkie's stared up at him from the pages of the book, each one perhaps only two or three years of age. She, of course, wasn't the only filly in the pictures. Flipping the pages, he found at least three other filly's around her age who looked alike.

One picture stood out, with four different fillies standing next to each other, staring up at the camera.

One of them, the oldest if he was correct, had a grayish purple coat with a flat gray mane and tail, along with golden eyes. The next one seemed to be the opposite of the first, with a mane and tail of purple, a coat of gray, and a pair of turquoise eyes. Pinkie stood next to this one, and right beside her was a filly with a gray coat, a two-toned greenish gray mane and tail, and bright purple eyes.

Just underneath the photo was a sentence.

'_From oldest to youngest (left to right): Limestone, 6. Maud, 4. Pinkamena, 3. Marble, 3._'

It was a cute photo, he supposed. Though it was ruined slightly by the fact that none of the fillies were smiling. They were just... staring at the camera, expressions either flat or sad.

Or a little angry in the case of Limestone.

Perhaps the most surprising was the image of the three year old Pinkie, with a short, flat mane and tail, contrasting so heavily with the current image of the mare behind him.

Speaking of, the mare behind him suddenly gasped, causing him to turn to face her, book snapping shut as he did so.

"Y-you... you weren't supposed to see that..." Pinkie muttered, tracing the floor with her hoof. Emerald frowned, glancing down at the book in his hoof, before holding it out to her,

"Why?" he asked as she took it from him, and placed it alongside the others in the box, "Are you... ashamed of it?"

"No," Pinkie said, rubbing one of the books with a hoof, a sad smile on her face, "I love my parents and my sisters," he blinked, sisters? "It's just..." she turned to look at him, "I know I'm hyper. I know I'm really happy all the time. But... I was worried that if anypo-anybody saw these, they'd ask questions. I know I didn't have the happiest foalhood," she said, "but I loved it," she added, smiling, "I loved working on the rock farm with my family. I loved spending time with my sisters! And I really do miss them, but..." she trailed off.

"... You're worried... about something, right?" he asked. Pinkie nodded,

"I'm afraid that my friends might not get along with my family," she admitted, frowning slightly, "I'm... different than them. My parents are super serious and really old fashioned. My sister, Limestone, is a little mean, and takes farm work really seriously. Maud is really smart, since she wants to be a geologist, but she's kinda... dull. And Marble..." Pinkie laughed a little bit, "She's even shyer than Fluttershy," she said, smiling fondly, "I really do miss them," she added softly.

Emerald hummed a little.

An idea was forming. It was small, and simple, but he had a feeling it would be just what Pinkie needed.

"It's getting late, Pinkie," Emerald said, "I have to head out to patrol. Do you need me to help clean up still?" he asked. Pinkie shook her head, pulling out one of the scrapbooks,

"No, I'll be okay," she said, cracking it open, "I think I'll clean up tomorrow," she added, flipping through the pages.

Emerald nodded, and left the mare alone to her thoughts, fighting the grin that now played at his lips.

* * *

Emerald grinned to himself as he walked back outside, placing his newest, and wrapped, purchase, an envelope specifically, under his wing. Pinkie was going to love this!

As it was now, he needed to head over to the barn without tipping Pinkie off, which really couldn't be easier.

"Hey Emerald!"

Or... maybe not?

"Pinkie?" he asked as the mare in question ran towards him, wearing a basket of all things on her head, filled with a bunch of pink envelopes, "What the- what are you doing?"

Pinkie came to a stop in front of him, smiling brightly as she hoofed him one of the letters from her 'hat'.

"It's an invitation to Gummy's after-birthday party this afternoon!" she said, "C'mon, read it!" Emerald blinked at his friend's behavior, but took the offered letter regardless.

With a deft flick of his hoof, he tore it open and read,

~_You are invited to Gummy's after-birthday party at three'o'clock this afternoon!_~

He blinked at the words for a moment, before a thought struck him,

"Three'o'clock today? So, this afternoon... as in, _this_ afternoon 'this afternoon'?" he asked.

"That's funny," Pinkie said, bringing a hoof to her chin, "Twilight said the same thing," she added, before narrowing her eyes at him, a sly grin forming on her lip, "Are you two-?"

"No!" he snapped, ignoring the heat in his cheeks, "I can't make this party, Pinkie," he added quickly, hoping to steer her from the subject. She deflated,

"Oh, why?" she asked. He thought for a moment,

"I have to head over to Applejack's to help Mac fix up the barn," he lied smoothly, "I ran into him last night and he brought it up, so I offered to help,"

"That's real nice of you Emerald!" she gushed, then winked, "We'll save you some cake, don't worry!" she added, before hopping off, "Have fun!" she called back to him, bouncing off in the direction of the Boutique.

He watched her for a moment, only tearing his eyes away once she rounded the corner.

He cursed, then took off in the direction of the orchard, intent on finding out how to deal with this mess.

* * *

Emerald arrived at the barn quick enough, but stopped and took a quick look around, before ramming his hoof against the barn door.

The upper half of the door opened slightly, revealing a single green eye, before it closed. The sound of the lock being undone proceeded the entire door opening this time,

"C'mon! Before Pinkie sees!" Applejack urged him inside.

She closed the door behind him, nearly sending them into darkness if it weren't for the barn's partially open windows on the upper floor.

He cast a quick glance around, finding various boxes laying unopened along the ground, as well as uncovered tables littering the area.

"Hmm, is this everything?" he asked, turning to face the only other one in the room. She frowned,

"Everythin' 'cept the cake," Applejack said, "Didja see the others comin' by?" Emerald shook his head, watching as Applejack stuck her head out the door,

"No, but Pinkie's going around with party invitations again," he said.

"_What?!_" Applejack asked, whirling to face him sharply, "She threw a party yesterday, what's she doin' throwin' another one?!" he shrugged,

"Dunno. Something about 'Gummy's after-birthday party'. Far as I know, she only asked me and Sparky, so she'll probably be coming here at least once to ask you," Applejack sighed,

"Dangit, Pinkie," she muttered, "We're gonna hafta wait fer the others befer we can start werkin' things out," she said, "Hopefully Twilight's got some ideas. I ain't too good at makin' plans fer stuff like this," Applejack laughed, "Tell me ta harvest some apples or raise a barn, an' I can figure out how ta do both befer lunchtime, but this?" she shook her head and sighed.

"I'm sure you're smarter than you give yourself credit for," Emerald remarked, causing Applejack to laugh,

"Big Mac's the one that does all the farm's taxes an' stuff. Mah head just ain't cut out fer that kind thing," she admitted, "I can werk, I can sell, I can cook, I can do anythin' I need ta do on this farm, but it's all I know," she said, then nodded, "Well, I do know how ta act all fancy an' such. I also know how ta 'eat properly' as mah Aunt and Uncle Orange would say, but aside from that? Nothin',"

"I see," he muttered, when his ear twitched, "We have a visitor," he said, just before someone knocked on the barn door.

Applejack headed over, opening the door for a moment, before swinging it out wide, revealing a pair of familiar unicorns,

"Good ta see ya made it, Twilight. Rarity," she said.

"I see we've already got everything," Rarity said, looking around the room, and spotted Emerald, "Ah, I take it you've already been invited to Gummy's little, 'after-birthday party'?" she asked, smiling lightly. He nodded,

"She ran into me right after I got her gift," he said, producing the green envelope he'd hidden under his wing, the silver seal glinting slightly as it caught some light, "Told her I was helping Mac fix up the barn," he added as Applejack took the gift from him, setting it alongside an orange parcel on a nearby table.

"Clever," Rarity remarked, grimacing, "I only wish I'd come up with something similar," she said, running a hoof through her mane, which Emerald noticed was just the slightest bit damp, "I told her I had to wash my mane, and..." she shivered, "I had to do something... _unspeakable_ to it to get her to leave," she said quietly, as if afraid to say it.

"I had to tell her I'd gotten behind on my studies," Sparky said, levitating a purple gift from her saddlebag onto the table, prompting Rarity to do the same, only hers was white, "She believed it pretty easily, but I'm worried she'll find out if she talks to Spike."

Before anyone could respond, the door was opened and rapidly shut, revealing the last two ponies they were waiting for.

"Oh, we're not late, are we?" Fluttershy asked, bringing out a light pink box from under her wing, which Sparky took,

"Pinkie came by and invited us to some... after-party thing," Crash muttered, tossing her own light blue gift onto the table, "We said something about... housesitting for a bear?" she said, sounding like she was questioning her own memory.

"You girls ain't the only ones," Applejack said, "I'm the only one Pinkie hasn't talked to yet, so she'll be comin' round sooner or la-"

The sound of rapid knocking against the door cut her off, leaving the farm mare to sigh,

"Welp, that's gotta be her," she said, the faint sound of Pinkie yelling her name confirming her suspicions, "Guess I'll jus' say I'm helpin' fix up the barn," she muttered, walking over to the door

While Applejack was dealing with Pinkie, Emerald caught the other's attention,

"Alright, so how should we go about this?" he asked, "We still need the cake for the party, and Pinkie's liable to barge in if she starts getting suspicious, which, after all six of us say no to the party, will _definitely_ happen."

"Right," Sparky agreed, "She'll probably head back to Sugarcube Corner, but since this is Pinkie we're talking about, she might head somewhere else," she said, "We'll need to find a way to keep her from coming around to the barn for the afternoon."

"How the hay are we gonna do that?" Crash asked,

"It does sound rather difficult," Rarity agreed. The sound of the door closing signaled the end of Applejack's conversation, and she came back to their little group,

"Pinkie didn't seem happy 'bout that. She's definitely gettin' suspicious," she said.

"Right," Sparky agreed, "What we need is a way to keep her from getting too suspicious. If she spots any of us around town, especially you and Emerald, she'll probably try to come snooping around and ruin the surprise."

Emerald bit his lip as Sparky talked. It was true that Pinkie would find out if they were spotted.

But... what if there was a way to send her on the wrong trail?

A wicked grin split his face as the idea formed, and he gave a heavy cough to catch everyone's attention.

"I have a plan."

Twilight wasn't too sure about this plan.

It wasn't that the plan itself made _a lot_ of assumptions about Pinkie's reactions.

It wasn't that it was a long-con that relied on their ability to successfully trick Pinkie into, what amounted to, a wild goose chase.

No, it was because she was the bait.

Emerald's plan involved Twilight catching Pinkie's attention by heading out to get the cake early, taking it around town for almost ten minutes, then passing it off to Rarity, before heading back to the barn to help him and Applejack set up the party. Rarity would then do the same before giving it to Fluttershy. The cycle would then begin once more, until Fluttershy passed it off to Rainbow Dash, who'd provide them with whatever remaining time they needed.

"Good morning, Mrs. Cake!" she called to the older mare, closing the bakery door behind her. Mrs. Cake perked up, seemingly oblivious to the can that suddenly appeared and dangled from the ceiling on a string.

Twilight rolled her eyes. Did Pinkie really think she was being stealthy?

"Oh, Twilight! Are you here for the-?"

"Shh!" Twilight quickly shushed her, eyes darting to the can. Mrs. Cake followed her gaze and giggled slightly,

"Oh, I see. Of course, I'll be right out with it!" she said, trotting happily into the kitchen.

Twilight sighed slightly, glancing at the conspicuous can.

Admittedly, it was a decent plan. If Pinkie was as suspicious as they thought she was, something confirmed by the can on a string, then she would absolutely follow them around, trying to figure out what they were doing.

Though, she hoped that Pinkie wouldn't just give up partway through. Then again, Pinkie wasn't the kind of pony to do things halfway.

"Here it is!" Mrs. Cake sang as she came back into the room, sliding the box containing the cake onto the counter, "It's already paid for," she added, before sending a glance to the can, "Be careful," Twilight nodded,

"Of course, and thank you Mrs. Cake!" she said, quickly trotting out the door. She cast a glance up towards the second floor window where Pinkie's room was, and smirked slightly when she saw Pinkie staring at the other can with narrowed eyes.

Tearing her gaze away, Twilight set about her task, sticking close to the edge of the road so it was clear she was sneaking around, but not so far that Pinkie wouldn't spot her.

It was as she was passing around the corner that she spotted Pinkie, wearing a brown fedora and a pair of fake glasses fit with a nose, that she knew she was successful.

She nodded to herself, glad that at least something was going as planned.

"Ya think everythin' will go alright?" Applejack asked in between blowing up balloons, "I mean, I know Pinkie's a bit odd, but are ya sure she'll do everythin' ya think she will?"

Emerald hummed as he hung a large, pink, cake themed banner from the loft.

"I'm sure that if things don't go the way we want, Sparky will be more than smart enough to figure everything out," he replied, taking a moment to hover back a bit and inspect the banner.

Applejack glanced at him, then smirked.

"Yer pretty confident in 'er, aren't ya?" she asked. Emerald frowned,

"Aren't you?" he asked, turning to face her, "She's _your_ friend, after all," Applejack snickered,

"Pinkie might'a mentioned-"

"Don't even start," Emerald snapped immediately, his quick response causing her to laugh. He sighed at her laughter, taking a moment to readjust his goggles. The motion seemed to catch Applejack's eye, as she stopped laughing moments later.

"Ya know... did I ever thank ya fer helpin' us save Rarity from those Mutts?" she asked suddenly, nearly throwing Emerald off with the sudden topic.

"No," he responded honestly, "And you really don't need to," he added, "I don't want you supposedly 'owing' me a second debt," he snapped.

"Ya really should learn ta let others thank you," Applejack said, smirk fading, "It ain't good fer anypony ta just brush 'em away like that. Hurts the soul, my Granny says."

"It's a good thing I'm not a pony, then," was his only response.

The two of them lapsed into silence after that, but it was broken a few minutes later by the timely arrival of their favourite bookworm.

"Hey Applejack, Emerald," Sparky greeted, inching inside the barn, before glancing around, "Wow, you two managed to do a lot by yourselves!" she noted, surprised.

There were still a few boxes left lying on the ground, filled with ribbons and table covers, but from the look of things, the two of them had set up the banner, most of the balloons, and even the record player.

"Thanks," Emerald said, landing on the ground, stretching his legs a bit as he was reacquainted with the floor, "So, how'd it go?" he asked. Sparky sighed, but nodded,

"It went almost exactly as you said," she replied, sounding both amused and exasperated by the admission, "She managed to eavesdrop on me and Mrs. Cake, and started following me around when I left."

"Great!" Applejack said, "Thanks gives us plenty'a time ta set the rest of these up!" she announced with a smile, gently nudging the box full of streamers, "Think ya can handle it, Twilight?" she asked with a grin. Sparky scoffed, but smiled as her horn lit up,

"Of course I can."

* * *

Things were going far better than he'd hoped.

Pinkie was acting exactly as he expected her to.

Both Sparky and Rarity played their roles perfectly! Able to keep Pinkie's attention while still making their way to the barn undetected to help finish setting up couldn't have been as easy for them as Emerald had predicted, but they had surpassed his expectations by leaps and bounds, and he was genuinely proud of their efforts, even if he'd never admit it.

So, it was at this moment, as Emerald was smirking to himself at the good execution of one of his plans, when it hit him.

Everything was going smoothly.

Far _too_ smoothly when Pinkie Pie was concerned.

He frowned. Surely something must've happened by now? Pinkie, as naive and trusting as she was, was not stupid. He knew how smart the pink pony could be, even if she herself didn't realize it.

So... what was going on? Pinkie should have realized by now that something was amiss, or at least recognize the pattern in her friend's movements. Even if his plan was banking on the fact that she'd be too distracted to realize it, he was still expecting her to figure everything out at some point, or at least for something to derail the whole thing to happen along the way.

Perhaps it was because of this expectation of his, that he didn't start panicking when Fluttershy arrived far too early, followed minutes later by Crash suddenly bursting though the barn door, nearly crashing into him, and actually crashing into Sparky, who was gently hammering in a nail in the wall with her magic.

At least, he didn't panic _immediately_.

Though when he heard Pinkie start banging at the door, demanding that Crash come out, he considered just jumping out the window.

After all, he'd never heard Pinkie sound so... _aggravated_, and considering how cheerful she usually was, it was surprisingly unnerving to hear.

Probably more so for the pony she had just chased into a corner, but whatever.

"_RAINBOW DASH!_" Pinkie shouted once more, causing the entire group inside to flinch, "_COME OUT HERE AND TELL ME WHY YOU DIDN'T WANNA COME TO GUMMY'S PARTY!_"

Emerald glanced around, hoping to see if any of the others were willing to face her, but a gentle shove from Sparky, and he understood that he was to be the sacrifice.

_... Traitors._

He sighed, before putting on a false disgruntled expression, and headed over to the door, peeking his head out,

"What the fuck is with all the shouting?" he snapped, meeting Pinkie's glare. Her gaze burrowed back into his own, the sight of her narrowed eyes and down turned mouth giving her a serious air, which contrasted with her poofy mane almost humorously.

Pinkie's gaze narrowed a bit, before it softened,

"What are you doing here?" she asked, tilting her head. The question stunned him for a moment, but he frowned,

"I told you I'd be here, remember?" he asked, wondering if Pinkie was about to make a point, "I'm helping Mac fix this damn place up."

"Can I take a look around inside?" she asked, her gaze turning suspicious once more.

"You can't come in," he said,

"Rainbow Dash just went in there," she replied. Emerald scoffed,

"Yeah, and she flew out the window in the back just as quickly," he said, "Moron nearly sent Mac's toolkit tumbling down on my head," he snarled, figuring it would sell his false irritation, before pretending to forcibly calm himself, "We got a bunch of shit just laying around. One wrong move and everything's ruined," he explained, easily.

Pinkie's gaze narrowed further, as if she was trying to kill him with her stare alone. Emerald met her eyes with little difficulty. Unnerving as her mannerisms currently were, she was still Pinkie, and, therefore, not intimidating in the least.

Regardless of whatever he thought a few moments before.

"Okie dokie lokie," she eventually relented, backing away without breaking eye contact until she hit the tree line.

Literally.

She took a moment to pick herself back up from her unplanned fall, and quickly made her way back towards town.

Emerald watched her for a moment, to make sure she didn't come back, and sighed when it became clear she'd left. He turned back to the girls, shutting the door behind him,

"Alright, let's finish up quickly before anything else happens."

* * *

It had taken another hour of work, but with the combined help of Sparky and most of her friends, it went by much smoother than Emerald had anticipated, barring the previous near failure.

He'd really underestimated how much effort these girls were willing to put in for their friend, and he, genuinely finding himself lost in the atmosphere, ended up putting just as much work into his tasks as they did.

Then again, maybe he really did just want the best for Pinkie?

She _did_ brighten his day most of the time, if only a little.

... Yes, it was only fair he did everything he could to make this special for her.

"Alright!" Crash cheered, doing a loop in the air for effect,

"This is amazin'," Applejack agreed, grinning at the sight of the decorated barn interior.

Large blue ribbons hung from the various banisters around the room, while dozens of balloons floated up to the ceiling, with only a hoofful remaining tethered to the ground. A massive pink banner stretched across the width of the room, easily the most eye-catching thing in the area. The table full of presents was at the farthest end of the barn, and the cake was on full display at the center of the room, reading 'Happy Birthday Pinkie!' in cheerful pink frosting. It even depicted the smiling face of the birthday pony herself, though Emerald wasn't too sure how she'd feel eating her own face.

Of course, that wasn't all as Rarity had even taken the time to craft several party hats for the group.

White with purple stars for Sparky. Blue with white and purple diamonds for herself. White with red apples for Applejack. Green with pink butterflies for Fluttershy. Light blue with multicoloured clouds for Crash, though she opted not to wear it. And even a green hat with blue question marks for himself.

Of course Pinkie's hat was the most special, being gold with bright, pink balloons on it.

Emerald thought it was nice.

"Pinkie's going to love this!" Fluttershy gushed quietly, smiling hard enough that a faint tinge of red spread across her cheeks,

"Oh, absolutely!" Rarity added, "Why, I'm not sure even Pinkie herself could top this!"

"Alright girls! Emerald!" Sparky began, "All that's left is the birthday pony herself!" she cheered, "The very... angry... not at all happy... birthday... pony..." Sparky trailed off, having gotten quieter with every word, before she raised it once more, "So, um... who wants to go get her?" she asked.

They were all silent for a minute, before, as if of one mind, the five mares all turned to Emerald.

He glanced back at them, not quite registering what they were implying, then groaned once he did.

"Fine."

* * *

...

Something wasn't right.

He wasn't sure what it was though, but, whatever it was, it sent shivers down his spine.

For starters, the streets were inexplicably empty. Not a single other soul in sight. Couple that with the fact that Pinkie's room had only a faint light shining out the window, and his trepidation only worsened.

Regardless, he made his way inside, casting a quick glance around, finding no traces of Mr. or Mrs. Cake anywhere.

He assumed they were out at the doctor's again, rather than let himself believe it had anything to do with the sense of wrongness that only worsened.

He carefully made his way up the stairs towards Pinkie's room, not at all expecting anything to come jumping out at him, really.

He stopped just outside Pinkie's door, but just before he went to knock, he heard... voices. Several from the sound of it.

Although, that wasn't possible. Pinkie was the only living thing in the room, aside from Gummy, that could possibly be making any sound, yet...

His curiosity peaked, he opened up the door,

"Pinkie?" he called, his eyes roaming the room for an instant.

He... didn't know what he was looking at.

Some mare he didn't quite recognize, or rather, didn't _want_ to recognize, was laying on her back, spread across a table, moving around a bunch of stuff that was set up around the table, such as a pile of rocks, a bucket of turnips, some... lint? There was also a large bag of flour, and all four of them were wearing party hats.

The mare herself looked... remarkably like Pinkie. Pink mane and tail, pink coat, baby blue eyes, and even her cutie mark was the same.

But even so, with her flat mane and tail, depressed demeanor, there was simply no way that this mare could be Pinkie.

Not-Pinkie perked up at the sound of the door opening, and flipped over onto her stomach, and stared at him.

"Emerald?" she asked. Stars, even her voice sounded like Pinkie's, but... still, she couldn't be...

"Pinkie?" he asked incredulously, hoping that he was wrong,

"What?" the now-confirmed-Pinkie asked, sneering at him.

"By the stars..." Emerald muttered, "Pinkie, what the fuck is going on?" he asked, looking around at the assembled items.

"Oh nothing much," she responded, sliding down onto the group, "I'm just spending time with my _real_ friends. Isn't that right, Madame Le Flour?" she asked the bag next to her. She suddenly grabbed the very bag in question, and started moving it, "_Oui! Zat is correct!_" Pinkie said, using a prench accent.

Emerald's eye twitched,

"Oooookay..." he muttered, taking a step forward, "Pinkie... maybe you should come with me. I know you're curious about what's going on, and-" Pinkie interrupted him by ducking under the table and shoving the bucket of turnips towards him,

"_She isn't going anywhere_," she made the bucket say, using a deep, slow voice. Emerald blinked, and stepped around the bucket,

"Seriously Pinkie," he began, "you need to stop messing around and-" he was cut off once more, only by the pile of rocks this time,

"_She ain't goin' anywheres with you, chump!_" the rocks/Pinkie said in a thick Manehatten accent. His eyes twitched once more, but he refrained from just knocking the damn things over. He didn't know how 'killing' her little friends would affect her current mental state, which was unstable enough as is. Last thing he needed was for her to completely snap and do Faust-knows-what.

With that thought in mind, Emerald merely shoved the stool and rocks to the side, making sure he didn't knock them over as he did so.

"Pinkie," he said, watching as she popped out from underneath the table, opposite him, "You really need to come with me. Your friends are waiting for you at the barn," he said calmly. Pinkie 'humph'ed, crossing her hooves,

"I told you. My friends are all right here!" she said, with an air of finality as she turned her nose up at him,

"But aren't you _curious_?" he asked, his voice taking on a airy tone, she cracked an eye open, and her gaze lowered to meet his, "After all, we've been avoiding you all day, and don't you want to know _why_?" he pressed. Pinkie's hooves uncrossed, and she regarded him much like one would a starving manticore.

"... No," was the hesitant reply.

"Really?" he asked, taking slow steps around the table, circling her, "Not even the smallest, tiniest _spark_ of curiosity? You saw the box, _didn't you?_" he asked. Pinkie swallowed, but nodded, her eyes locked onto him as he came close, only to slip past her, "What could be so important that we'd _all_ turn down your party, and work so very hard to keep hidden from _you?_" he incited, his back was to her now, "Doesn't it just _eat at you_?" Pinkie fidgeted, and remained silent for a moment, then she nodded,

"... Yes," she admitted. Emerald grinned wickedly, but it remained hidden from the mare,

"Then follow me to find out. I'm sure you won't be disappointed."

"... Okay."

* * *

Emerald and Pinkie took almost ten minutes to arrive, and Emerald's patience had nearly hit its limit.

Throughout the whole journey, Pinkie had started asking question after question about what they had been doing, and why they didn't want to come to her party, with his only response being 'You'll find out when we get there.'

She did not let up.

A small part of him wondered if Pinkie was getting some sort of revenge on him for being a part of the whole thing, but he disregarded it.

Pinkie wasn't _that_ petty, was she?

Regardless of Pinkie's level of vindictiveness, they had arrived.

The barn loomed above them, looking strangely foreboding despite what he knew lay inside.

He wondered how the others would react to Pinkie's... mood change.

"Alright, here we are," Emerald said, sparing a glance at Pinkie, watching in interest as she inspected the barn.

"... It looks fine to me," she said, giving him a confused look,

Emerald didn't give her a response, instead slipping through the door quickly. The barn was dark, the open windows from earlier having been shut.

Despite this, he could still see perfectly fine, allowing him the knowledge of where each of the girls were hiding,

"She's coming!" he whispered, darting forward, strapping on his own party hat, just as the barn door creaked open.

"SURPRISE!" the six of them shouted, though Emerald's voice was lost amongst the others. Pinkie stood there, the sunlight streaming in from behind her, silhouetting her frozen form.

Despite this, Emerald managed to see Pinkie's eyes darting around the room, landing once on the banner, the presents, each of them, and, finally, the cake.

"It's..." he heard her mumble, "This..."

He noted that the others were staring at Pinkie with a mixture of worry and trepidation as Pinkie's head lowered, her straight mane hiding her face from the group.

"Gosh, I thought she'd be more excited," Fluttershy muttered, looking concerned.

"Excited?" Pinkie's voice cut through the silence, "_Excited?!_" she said, louder this time, her head snapping up, a look of righteous fury in her eyes, "Why would I be excited for my own _FAREWELL PARTY?!_"

"Wait, what?" was Crash's response, not that Emerald could fault her for it, as his was much the same. Rarity, however, seemed to regain her composure much faster than the rest,

"Pinkie, why ever would you think that?" she asked. Pinkie huffed, much like an angry bull would, and started advancing on the group,

"Maybe it's because you all kept avoiding me all day and didn't want to come to Gummy's after-birthday party because you don't like my parties and don't want to be my friends _anymore!_ _THAT'S WHY!_"

Pinkie huffed angrily, completely out of breath from that little outburst. Applejack swallowed the lump in her throat, and approached the time bomb that was currently Pinkie,

"Look, sugarcube, I know what we did was terrible, and I'm awful sorry 'bout all the sneakin' around, but... we've been plannin' this fer months!"

""_Ahem_,"" was the united response from both Emerald and Sparky, who were staring at Applejack, not amused. She gave a sheepish laugh,

"Hehe, well... most of us," she corrected, then shook her head, "Point is, this ain't a 'Farewell' party, Pinkie."

"Yeah, if it was, then why does the birthday cake we got you say 'Happy Birthday Pinkie!' on it?" Sparky asked, using her magic to tilt the cake to show Pinkie.

The mare in question stood there for a moment, her eyes once more roaming around the room, before, as if a bomb suddenly went off, her mane poofed outward,

"Because it's my birthday!" she shouted gleefully, lunging forward, forcefully bringing the room into massive group hug, "I can't believe I forgot about my own birthday!" she added, voice nearly cracking from excitement,

"Yeah,_ nobody_ does that..." Emerald muttered, earning a laugh from her, before she unceremoniously dropped them all.

"I... I can't believe I ever doubted you..." Pinkie muttered, gently kicking at the ground, looking sad,

"It's okay Pinkie, I'm sure it could've happened to any of us," Sparky said,

"I'm just glad we weren't all replaced by turnips," Emerald quipped, causing Pinkie to blush.

"""""What?"""""

"You don't wanna know. Frankly I'm hoping to forget about it soon."

"Well, what're we waiting for?!" Crash said, "Let's party!"

* * *

Twilight smiled to herself as she closed the library door behind her. That had been such a wonderful little party, as well as just a little eye-opening.

She nodded to herself and used her magic to grab a quill, some ink, and a bit of parchment.

_Dear Princess Celestia,_

_I'm writing to you after having attended the most wonderful party. Not only did I have a delightful time with my friends, but I've also had the opportunity to learn a valuable lesson. Always expect the best from your friends, and never assume the worst. A good friend always has your best interests at heart. Pinkie helped me learn that._

_Your faithful student,_

_Twilight Sparkle._

Twilight smiled at the letter, and gently set it aside.

It really was a wonderful party, and she was glad to have been one of the ones who prepared the whole thing.

But perhaps the most interesting part of the whole experience, was one particular interaction she had with Emerald. Specifically, just after Pinkie had finished opening his gift, that simple little envelope.

The way Pinkie's face shifted from confusion, to understanding, to joy, to sadness, and then right back into joy was not something that she'd forget anytime soon.

Pinkie had latched onto him, crying for nearly the rest of the party, only letting go to eat cake and play with Gummy. Initially, she and the girls, especially Rainbow Dash, were... concerned about what his gift was, but, after he explained, Twilight could feel a slight lurch in her chest.

A single, round trip ticket to Salt Lick City.

According to Emerald, and later confirmed by Pinkie herself, Salt Lick City was where she was born.

Those weren't... cheap. At all.

Salt Lick City was a port town near the South Luna Ocean on the other side of a desert, making it a fairly popular, and difficult to get to, tourist destination. Twilight had been there, once, though it hadn't really been planned. The Princess had some business down there, though Twilight still didn't know what, and she had only been a filly.

The Princess had refused to let her come, no matter how much she begged, and, in an act of rebellion that, frankly, terrified her now-twenty-one-year-old-self, she had snuck onto the Princess' chariot and hitched a ride to Salt Lick City.

Of course she had been too scared of getting lost in the new area to actually leave the chariot, and, in hindsight, the Princess had probably noticed her at some point and asked the guards to keep her there if she tried to leave.

Still, from what she had seen, ponies like Pinkie were not common in Salt Lick.

Then again, where _would_ they be common?

Regardless, those tickets had to have cost over four hundred bits! Combine its popularity with the distance required to travel from Ponyville to Salt Lick, and the price alone discouraged most visitors. Make it a round trip ticket, and the price doubled.

Yet, he spent all of that on Pinkie, and didn't seem to care.

Twilight smiled at the memory. Really, it helped paint a picture of just what kind of pon-er-_stallion_ he was.

She looked forward to getting to know him better.

Her heart lurched once again.

... And... maybe a little _more_.


	23. The Treat-y of Appleloosa

**I'm way too proud of this chapter title, even after all this time.**

* * *

Emerald gave off a semi-relaxed sigh from a top the cloud he'd been resting on.

It was nice to simply sit back and do nothing from time to time, he'd admit. With the Cake's having given him and Pinkie the week off, originally for Gummy's birthday, as well as her own, it had quickly turned into a small vacation for the normally overworked thestral, mainly at the behest of his sisters.

It was time poorly spent, he believed, but even he knew he needed time to rest and recuperate from his work. This was made even easier by the fact that everyone around him seemed to need to do something that required their full attention at the same time, leaving him to his own devices.

Pinkie had put his gift to her to good use, and was currently visiting her family in Salt Lick City. Applejack had received a letter, which she claimed was from family, and was preparing something at the orchard. Fluttershy had recently run into some sick birds. Crash was busy doing... whatever she did. Rarity had gotten a letter from Sapphire, of all ponies, informing her that she'd be coming by in a few months for a new outfit for her and her dancers. And Sparky was-

"Hey, Emerald!"

-apparently approaching him for some reason or another.

Well, there went his relaxation, not that he minded.

Sliding onto his hooves, Emerald took a step forward and peered over the cloud's edge, failing to beat away the last dredges of exhaustion that still clung to his form.

His sleeping schedule had finally started to catch up to him, reminding the thestral that he needed to speak to one of the princesses, or even Zecora, for some some kind of pick-me-up potion.

"Sparky?" he called tiredly, "You need somethin'?" he asked. Sparky slowed down to a trot, having been going at a mild jog towards him when she spotted the familiar patch of green against the blue sky,

"Yes," she said, and frowned, "but if you're not feeling up to anything, I can just..." she trailed off, beginning to turn. Emerald shook his head,

"I'm fine, just a little tired," he admitted, "What do you need?"

"Oh, well, remember that important letter that Applejack got yesterday?" she asked, and continued when he nodded, "Well, as it turns out, it was from her cousin Braeburn over in Appleloosa," she explained.

"Appleloosa?" Emerald asked, "Isn't that the town somewhere to the south? Near the Badlands?"

"I believe so," Sparky said, putting a hoof to her chin, "The Equestrian map has changed a few times over the last three years, so I'd have to take another look at it. I'm still used to the original," she admitted with a sheepish grin.

"Right, and why are you telling me this?"

"Oh! Well, Applejack is planning on heading down there, bringing one of the trees from her farm as a gift to the other Apples in Appleloosa, and she was wondering if the rest of us wanted to go with her," Sparky said, smiling, "Pinkie's the only one of us who can't come, since she's not here, and the rest of us have already said yes, so..."

"I'm the only one left to ask," Emerald finished for her. Sparky nodded,

"Yep! So... what do you say?" she asked, looking strangely nervous. Emerald frowned, running the idea through his head.

Appleloosa was a place he'd never been to, so heading down there with the others would prove an interesting learning experience.

On the other hoof, it meant riding a train, since there was no way he'd be flying there while this tired.

On the _other_ other hoof, however, it was very close to the Badlands.

Emerald involuntarily shivered at the memory of that sun-bleached wasteland. He doubted they'd run into any of the creatures that called that wretched place home on their journey, except possibly the buffalo, since, if he remembered correctly, Appleloosa was pretty close to their native stomping grounds.

That last thought alone caused him to lean more towards accepting her offer than denying it. Those buffalo had been kind enough to provide him and his family some rations when they had just escaped, so this could be a good chance to thank them for it.

In the end, that tipped his decision in Sparky's favour, and he nodded,

"Sure, sounds like fun."

"Great!" Sparky cheered, hopping a little, "Let's go, Applejack and Rainbow Dash are already loading the tree onto the car!"

"Alright, alright... give me a minute..." he muttered, lazily taking to the air.

* * *

"You know, Sparky, when you said she wanted to gift them a tree, I was under the impression that it was a young tree, not a fully grown one," Emerald muttered, watching in slight amusement as Applejack and Rainbow Dash both fought to the push the tree through the compartment door, although the entertainment it brought the exhausted thestral was quickly growing old.

Strangely enough, the train they were due to ride wasn't the usual Ponyville Express he was familiar with, but rather a different, apple themed train that likely belonged to the Apple Family themselves. Though, considering that there was a group of stallions waiting at the front, tied to the train itself, he wasn't sure how'd they'd be in Appleloosa and back before the week was over.

Regardless, it was still a train, and he didn't like trains.

Or boats. Or airships. Or chariots.

Or any mode of transport that weren't his own wings, really.

Still, it wasn't all bad. The train compartment that they'd all be staying in, and were, in fact, already waiting in, was nice enough, if a little sparse. Ten beds lined the halls, each one sporting a set of privacy curtains for the individuals resting in them. There was a small pair of sofas just past the beds where they'd be able to sit around or stretch their legs.

As it was, he and Sparky were currently sitting on one of those little sofas, where a small window sat across from them, giving Emerald just the right angle to be able to see the two mares outside. Fluttershy and Rarity, however, had yet to arrive.

"Can't you just use a shrinking spell or something, Sparky?" he finally asked the mare beside him, letting his head fall and rest against her shoulder, too tired to care.

He felt Sparky immediately tense up at his touch, but she relaxed fairly quickly.

"U-um, well... you know Applejack. Only the best for her family, r-right?" Sparky asked, sending him a glance every few seconds, as if she was debating something.

Regardless of the thoughts of his current head rest, he could feel his eyelids become heavier with every blink, until, eventually he couldn't open them again.

Twilight regarded the snoozing thestral with interest.

She wasn't entirely certain when he'd fallen asleep, having been focused on remaining calm at the feeling of his head against her shoulder, but, now that she knew, she simply couldn't look away.

His normally sharp features had softened greatly, making him look nearly unrecognizable. His breathing was slow and even, though his mouth remained just the slightest bit open. Thankfully, given the level of privacy they had, having the entire train to themselves, Emerald had felt comfortable enough to remove his disguise, though only after Twilight had placed a privacy spell on the windows to keep others from looking in.

Because of this, she could spot his fangs just barely peeking out of his mouth.

This sight, combined with the occasional twitching of his ear and wiggle of his nose, made it very difficult for Twilight to not break out into giggles at the sheer cuteness that the stallion beside her seemed to personify in his sleep.

Still, she realized the level of significance this sort of thing must've had to the thestral. To be comfortable enough to let himself fall asleep against her, his disguise gone, leaving him completely vulnerable to the eyes of others.

She couldn't imagine how much he must've trusted her, for him to do this.

The thought brought a much warmer smile to her face, as well as a not-unpleasant warmth to her chest.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" came the familiar voice of Rarity from the compartment door. Twilight nearly jumped out of her seat, only preventing herself from doing so, knowing that it could wake Emerald.

"Shh!" she quickly hushed the other unicorn, "He's asleep," she added quietly. Rarity tittered, but nodded,

"Oh, alright," she said, her eyes twinkling as they danced between her and Emerald, "My my, don't you two look just adorable together!" she squealed, though it was done quietly. Twilight went red,

"Rarity!" she hissed lowly,

"What?" Rarity asked, smiling innocently, "I'm only telling you the truth, after all. Is there something wrong with that?"

"Wh-Yes!" Twilight insisted, "It's embarrassing an-!" she tried to say, but was cut off by Rarity,

"Twilight," her friend's voice was firm and left no room for argument, "I am not blind," Rarity began, "Loathe as I am to intervene on such a cute scene, if it is for romance, than I shall do so without regret," she said sagely, confusing Twilight.

"Uh, what are you-?"

"Listen Twilight," Rarity began once more, just as serious, "what is your opinion of Emerald?" Twilight blinked,

"M-my opinion?" she asked, Rarity nodded, "Why?"

"Please don't avoid the question," Twilight fidgeted,

"W-well... he's... umm..." she trailed off for a moment, letting herself remember...

The incident with the hydra.

The cockatrice.

The Running of the Leaves.

His malnutrition.

The issue with the ticket to the Gala.

Rarity's dresses.

Every single moment she'd spent with him came to mind. Every word they'd exchanged. Every glance they'd shared.

"He's my friend," she said finally, then glanced down at the still sleeping thestral, "But... he means a lot more to me than that..." she muttered.

"Is that so?" Rarity asked, nearly startling Twilight, who had almost forgotten her friend was the reason she'd even begun thinking, "Then why not take it_ further_?"

"Further?" Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow at the unusual proposition.

"You like him, don't you?"

"Well, yes?"

"You care about him?"

"Yes?"

"You'd like him to be happy?"

"Yeah."

"You want to be with him?"

"... Yes?"

"Do you want to be his friend..." Rarity asked, "or something more than friends?"

The question caused Twilight to freeze for a moment.

_More?_

More than... _more than friends?_

But that would mean... that would...

Twilight's eyes widened for an instant as everything clicked into place.

_She had a crush on Emerald!_

Twilight groaned into her hoof for a moment, feeling her face heat up significantly. The realization of what had been going on for the past several months finally making sense.

_A crush. Infatuation. Attraction. Love._

It was such a simple answer, and yet, even now, she knew she would have never made that connection, simply because she never would've looked in the right place.

In hindsight, she was _immensely_ glad she hadn't wanted to ask her mother for advice.

But still, a crush? On _Emerald_ of all stallions? He was handsome, yes, and she certainly enjoyed being in his company, but... to take things further between the two of them?

It simply didn't make sense. Yes they'd spent time together, and yes, they were friends.

But they didn't have all that much in common, really.

They both enjoyed peace and quiet. He seemed interested in Daring Do, just like her. He's moved around a lot.

Twilight's lips turned downwards into a frown the longer she thought on the subject.

She... really didn't know that much about him.

He was a thestral. He was a guard sent to overlook the Everfree. He had three sisters, and was related to Fluttershy. He had been foalnapped as a child. He seemed to know Sapphire Shores, the Pony of Pop, if what Rarity said was true.

That... that was pretty much it.

She didn't know what his favourite food was, or his favourite colour, or even his favourite book! She didn't know when his birthday was, hay, she wasn't even sure how old he was!

How could she d-date somepony she barely even knew?

Then again, wasn't that the whole point of dating? To get to know somepony you liked better?

"You must have a lot to think about," Rarity said, bringing Twilight out of her thoughts, "I'm... sorry for bringing this up so suddenly, Twilight, I just believe that the two of you are good for each other," she said honestly, giving Twilight a small, but genuine, smile, before she turned away, "Are those two still working on that tree?"

Twilight smiled at the back of her friend's head. Even so, she directed her gaze back to the subject of their conversation, who remained sleeping peacefully.

Her smile widened slightly, and, using her magic, she gently slipped off the couch and set him down on his side. Emerald wriggled for a moment, before his unconscious body latched onto the nearby throw pillow and pulled it close.

She fought a giggle and turned to Rarity,

"Yeah, they're really having trouble, should we help?"

* * *

It had taken a little convincing, but eventually Applejack and Rainbow Dash let herself and the others, who consisted of Fluttershy and Spike, who finally arrived, help them load Bloomberg, as Applejack dubbed the tree, onto the back cart of the train.

After that, the stallions pulling the train, and wasn't that something she never imagined she'd see, and they were off.

The trip was pleasantly smooth. Since the train itself wasn't running, there weren't any loud churning of its engine, or the occasional loud blaring of its horn, making conversation easier, and even let Emerald keep sleeping.

Their current topic revolved around Appleloosa itself.

"So... why's this place out in the middle of nowhere?" Rainbow asked,

"Well," Twilight began excitedly, recalling a certain lesson that Princess Celestia was always passionate about giving her in the past, "the princess believes that pony civilization has been stagnating for the past several thousand years, so-"

"The princess gave the land to mah uncle, Golden Apple, an' said that the land 'round there could only be cultivated by the very best, so he called up some family an' named the place Appleloosa," Applejack interrupted quickly, causing Twilight to fume slightly at having her lecture cut off.

The glare she sent to her farming friend didn't go unnoticed, causing the other three to laugh.

"Still, it is an awfully long way," Rarity said, looking over them from her, "The commute is dreadful, so I can't imagine they'd get a lot of business like you do in Ponyville."

"That's true," Twilight remarked, her anger at Applejack forgotten, "The amount of money it would take to ship any sort of product where they want it to go, along with the full day and a half it takes to make the trip means they can't make a lot of money to keep the town running. Couple that with the multiple ports we have, like in Salt Lick and Baltimare, and the mining output in Trottingham, and that puts Appleloosa is a poor position, geologically as well," she said, then turned to Applejack, "I understand the princess wants to try and expand into the Badlands and turn them into something nice, rather than just leave it, but the amount of effort it would take isn't optimal. Your family must've known how difficult life would be out there, right?" she asked.

Applejack nodded,

"Eeyup!" she said, smiling, "'Course they knew. But we're Apples! Hard work is all we're 'bout. If it's easy, then it ain't gonna last long," she glanced at Rainbow Dash, "Even Dash here knows that, lazy as she is, she keeps practicin' for the Wonderbolts, even though it ain't easy."

"Hey!"

She and the girls laughed at Rainbow's indignant shout, and she watched on, amused, as Applejack and Rainbow once more got into one of their silly arguments.

Still, the lapse in conversation gave her time to think about... well, anything that crossed her mind, really.

Soon, however, things wound down and the sun had set, with Luna's moon replacing it in the sky once more, with Rarity and Spike heading to bed almost the second the moon rose. As over the top as she might've been about the whole issue, Twilight could understand why Luna would act the way she did.

Really, she'd be angry too if she made something as beautiful as the starry sky every single night, and nopony paid any attention to it.

"Man, we're going pretty fast!" Rainbow said, almost startling Twilight,

"Yep, those stallions sure work hard!" Applejack added with a grin, "Nice an' strong too. Whatchu girls think?"

"U-umm, I'm not sure if I'm comfortable talking about that kind of thing..." Fluttershy mumbled,

"Ah, come on, Shy!" Rainbow urged with a sly grin, "I bet you took a couple peeks, just like you used to back in Cloudsdale High, you little perv,"

"_Rainbow Dash!_" Fluttershy exclaimed, turning a brilliant shade of red. Twilight laughed at her friend's embarrassment, though she felt curious about Rainbow's statement.

"What does that mean?" she asked,

"It's nothing!" Fluttershy sputtered quickly, then glared, actually _glared_, at Rainbow, "I thought you promised to never say anything about that?!" Rainbow laughed,

"Oh come on, Shy, it's not like anypony got hurt," she reasoned, "Besides, it was _hilarious!_" she said, then turned to the two ponies below her, "So, back when Shy and I were in high school before I dropped out, I was on the school's racing team and-"

"Don't say anything!"

"-see, there were a bunch of stallions on the team and Fluttershy had a huge crush on one of them, can't remember his name, and I always told her to just go for it, but she was _way_ too shy-"

"_Rainbow Dash, I'm warning you!_"

"-so one day, I caught her hiding behind the colt's locker room peeking in through some hole in the wall, and, get this, she was _mas-!"_

Rainbow Dash was violently cut off from the, admittedly embarrassing, tale by Fluttershy, who had lunged at her from across the train, and was now busy trying to suffocate the chromatic pegasus with her own pillow.

Applejack laughed heartily at the scene, her loud bellowing guffaws echoing through the room, while Twilight was busy staring at her usually shy friend in both shock and embarrassment.

Had Rainbow Dash been trying to say what she _thought_ she was trying to say?!

If that was how her friend had used to act, she wondered how Fluttershy had matured.

Then again, weren't there a bunch of stallions who worked at the spa that she and Rarity went to every other week?

Dear Celestia, now she'd _never_ be able to look at Fluttershy the same again!

"Do you girls, _mind?!_" Rarity suddenly protested, sticking her head out from her bunk, "I am trying to get my beauty sleep!"

"Yeah!" Spike added, "And I'm bushed from making all those snacks for you guys!"

Rainbow laughed, and pushed Fluttershy off of her with minimal issue, looking unperturbed, making Twilight wonder just how often this used to happen for her to be so unaffected by it.

"Oh come on, Spike," Rainbow teased, "doesn't every colt want to see a pair of hot mares fight?" she asked,

"Rainbow Dash!" Twilight scolded, her horn lit up from the spell she was using to cover Spike's ears, having gotten a bad feeling the second she heard Rainbow say 'every colt'.

"What?" she asked as Twilight's magic dispelled. She went to say something, when Spike just scoffed,

"Whatever, just keep it down so I can sleep," he muttered, crawling back under the covers.

Twilight let out a soft sigh, and turned to the three other mares, scowling a little at Dash,

"He's right. We've got a big day tomorrow, so let's hit the hay," she said, turning to the nearby lamp and snuffing out the light.

The compartment was sent in darkness immediately, only sparsely illuminated by the moonlight filtering in from the still open windows.

Twilight felt herself relax almost immediately once the light was out. She wasn't sure why, but she'd always felt comfortable in the dark. Maybe it something to do with her old nighttime habits from back when she was a filly. Staying up late with a book and lantern had been one of her favourite pastimes. That probably had a lot to do with her recent late-night study sessions where she was stuck alone at night when Spike had to head to bed.

Maybe she could see if there was somepony around town she could hire as an overnight assistant?

... No, given how much pride Spike took in helping her, he'd probably get pretty jealous.

... Then again, she also never thought Rainbow would pick up a Daring Do book, so maybe she was wrong?

Thinking about Spike, she was also a little surprised that their conversation had kept him and Rarity from falling asleep. Back in Ponyville, Spike had the uncanny ability to fall asleep just about anywhere at anytime if he really wanted to. If they really were loud enough to keep even him from falling asleep, it was surprising that they hadn't woken up Em-

Wait... they... didn't wake up Emerald?

Twilight frowned. That didn't make any sense. His hearing was supposed to be much more sensitive than their own, and even Twilight would admit that they'd been fairly loud, then how could he...?

Feeling curious, Twilight peeked out from her bunk and peered over to the couch where she'd left Emerald, only to blink in surprise.

He was gone.

Not only was he gone, but the pillow he'd been clutching had been meticulously placed back into its old position, meaning he'd at least taken some time to rearrange it, and yet she hadn't noticed him wake up, let alone actually leave.

So, when did he?

"Psst... Rainbow!" she whisper-shouted to her chromatic friend, hoping to find if her superior pegasus vision had spotted anything,

"What?" came the equally quiet response, lacking any sort of exhaustion, indicating that her friend hadn't just been woken up, thankfully,

"Did you see Emerald leave?"

"No, why?"

"He's gone. He was sleeping on the couch and now he's gone."

"Is something wrong?" Fluttershy's voice cut through the air, sounding no louder than it usually did, humorously enough,

"Hey Shy, did you see Emerald leave?" Rainbow asked,

"Um, I don't think so. I thought he was sleeping."

"OKAY, I'M DONE!" Spike suddenly shouted, jumping out of his bed, pillow clutched in one talon as he made his way to the door. He pulled it open, and shut it behind him, disappearing from view.

Twilight winced as the door slammed shut,

"Oh... oops," she muttered, then shook her head, "Oh well, I'm sure Emerald just went to another compartment," she said, "Night girls."

""Night.""

* * *

She wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep.

Honestly, it felt like she'd only just closed her eyes before she was awoken by a slight bump of the train. Twilight raised her head, looking around groggily. The compartment was still dark and, judging by the soft light filtering through the crack in her curtains, the moon was still high in the sky, so it definitely hadn't been long.

Still, knowing herself as well as she did, she knew she wouldn't be getting back to sleep right away. If only she'd remembered to bring along a few books for the ride, but she'd been so preoccupied with looking for Emerald that she'd completely forgotten.

Using her magic, she opened the curtains next to her temporary bed, having decided to pass the time with some light stargazing, her second favourite activity, obviously behind reading.

The sky was as beautiful as ever. Soft white stars illuminated against the deep blues of the sunless skies. The moon hung, glowing with its usual silver light. There were a few clouds in the sky, but that was to be expected, considering that pegasi never came out this far for simple weather control.

Her eyes momentarily turned to the landscape that was, even now, rapidly passing by. She had to give those stallions credit, even though they'd obviously swapped with another group, they certainly had endurance.

The land was bare of vegetation, save a few dry looking bushes here and there. It occurred to her, not for the first time, that they were heading towards the Badlands, a place known for its characteristic lifelessness. She nearly shuddered at the thought of such a barren wasteland actually existing, and internally hoped she wouldn't have to come here more often.

Still, she supposed it was pretty in its own way. A vast open area where the sky never seemed to end, unlike in places like Canterlot and Manehatten, where the sky was blocked by taller buildings and signs. The only place she could compare the view to was the top of the astronomy tower at Canterlot Castle.

Standing atop that looming tower, one could see for hundreds of miles in nearly any direction through its glass windows.

A shadow passing over her window startled Twilight out of her thoughts. Leaning closer to the window, she peered out through squinted eyes, searching for whatever had caused the disturbance.

It didn't take her long, considering that the source wasn't too far from the train, but that didn't stop her from being surprised.

"Emerald?" she whispered to herself. What was he doing outside? Had he been there the whole time, or was this just a coincidence?

Still, she couldn't help but wonder what he was doing. And she most certainly wasn't going to get an answer just laying here.

Sliding out of the bed as quietly as she could, Twilight slunk through the compartment door and up the nearby ladder. The wind tore at her from a top the train, though she knew it wasn't as bad as it could be. Fast and strong or not, those stallions couldn't pull a train as fast as a train's engine could run.

She made her way across the the train, staying low to minimize the drag she was suffering, until she deemed herself close enough to Emerald.

She didn't call out to him. Sensitive hearing or not, how could anypony hear anything with all this wind in their ears? Instead, she lit up her horn, knowing that the glow would stand out like a beacon in this darkness.

She was proven correct when she saw Emerald turn his head towards her and begin a quick descent in her direction. She expected him to land in front of her, asking her what she was doing, which would be quickly followed by her asking him the very same question.

What she was _not_ expecting, was for him to swoop right by her, grab her by the hoof, pull her onto his back, and continue back into the sky without having slowed in the slightest!

She yelped in surprise for a moment, flailing her hooves around until she had the sense of mind to lay down on his back and wrap her hooves around his neck. She pressed herself against his back, eyes glued shut, not daring to look down passed the green thestral.

"So, what brings you out here so late, Sparky? You should be asleep," he called over the wind,

And there was the question she'd been expecting. _On the train!_

"I-I should be asking you that!" she shouted in return, not missing his slight wince and subsequent twitch of his ear.

Almost abruptly, the wind died. Her ear perked for a moment and, hesitantly, she opened her eyes to look around.

They were still in the air, still moving as well, but Emerald had slowed down significantly, a fact evidenced by the train that was now pulling ahead of them.

Slowly, she pulled her head away from him, though her hooves remained around his neck.

"Something wrong, Sparky?" he asked, his voice deceptively loud in the silence around them. Twilight blinked for a moment, having lost her train of thought, before she regained it,

"What are you doing out here?" she asked. She felt Emerald shrug,

"Just going for a flight, is all," he responded easily, though something about it seemed... off. Regardless, she brushed it aside, for now.

"When did you get up?" she asked, "None of us saw you leave," she added. Emerald let out a soft chuckle,

"I'm not surprised. Honestly, I might've stayed behind just to keep watching Fluttershy try to kill Crash, but my moti- I wanted to stretch my wings," he said, correcting himself so quickly that Twilight almost didn't catch his slip up. Her eyes narrowed, now understanding that he really was hiding something from her.

Even so, did she have the right to try to find out what it was?

Her earlier thoughts returned.

She really knew nothing about this stallion, apart from some of the most basic information possible. Even the knowledge of the Facility he'd been in was something she might've found in the Royal Archives, if she looked in the right spot.

This stallion was a mystery to her, and it did not sit well with her naturally curious mind. So, she did what she believed she had to do.

"Emerald?"

"Hmm?"

"Let's play a game."

She'd do what her old foalsitter had done, have fun with him.

"What?" he asked, turning his head until one of his bemused eyes met her own, the blue of his eyes appearing purple behind the red lens of his goggles, before he turned away, "What brought that on?"

"It's something my old foalsitter, Cadence did, before I knew her. I was a pretty anti-social filly back then, and I had a really hard time getting to know the ponies around me. So when my brother was off training, my parents were at work, and the princess wasn't teaching me, they had to hire a foalsitter to keep an eye on me," she explained, "I didn't like her at first. I just thought she was like some of the other ponies I met, who'd make fun of me, but then she asked if I wanted to play a game with her. She'd ask me a question, I'd answer, then I'd ask, and she'd answer. We had to be honest, but if we refused to answer, then the other pony was allowed to ignore one question without consequence," she said, resting her head a top his, slightly burying her face into his mane. It smelled a bit like mint and smoke.

"I see," was his reply, "But why do you want to play that with me?" he asked. He didn't sound angry or annoyed, just curious, and Twilight took that as a good sign.

"Because I want to know more about you, Emerald," she answered honestly, "We've known each other for over half a year at this point, and yet I barely know anything about you," she admitted, glancing away from the mass of black hair, "I... I don't like that. I can't stand not having a genuine connection with you like I do with the girls," Emerald was silent for a moment, then he spoke,

"What do you mean by that, Sparky?" she sighed,

"We have the Elements of Harmony to keep us together," she said, unaware of the frown that marred Emerald's face at that, "But even then, I do know some stuff about the others. I know Applejack has a big family she loves. I know that her favourite colour is light green, and that she likes to have fun with her family. I know that Rarity wants to be the best fashion designer in Equestria. I know that she loves her sister dearly, and that she's a little awkward with younger ponies that aren't the Crusaders. I know that Rainbow Dash wants to be a Wonderbolt, and that she takes great pride in her speed. I also know that she's afraid of being abandoned, though that's more conjecture on my part than actually knowing," she admitted, "I know that Fluttershy adores all animals, and that her dream is to create an animal sanctuary. I also know that she's apparently a big closet pervert," she said with a little bemusement in her tone, "I know that Pinkie loves her friends, but she's afraid of being ignored," she said, "I know some little things about them, little things that I learned just from watching them move about their lives, but... not you."

Emerald remained silent once more, then nodded,

"I see," he said, then, with humor clear in his voice, he said, "Ask away, then."

* * *

Twilight let out a slight yawn as she woke up. She sniffed the air reflexively, trying to see if she could guess what Spike was making for breakfast, but the lack of a distinctive scent prickled her curiosity, causing her to wake up quicker.

She sat up in bed, taking an idle glance around.

_This was not her room._

There was a single window off to the right, a bedside desk with a lamp fixture to her immediate left. Aside from that, as well as the bed with its orange blankets and the room's hardwood flooring, there was nothing. No personal items or photos, or anything of the sort.

For a moment her mind remained blank, trying to connect a series of dots she wasn't even focusing on, but before she could make any progress in regards to waking up, the door opened.

A green pony walked into the room, a lone silver platter in their hoof. The smell from earlier grew, but remained indistinct, though it no longer mattered at the sight of those glorious pancakes that this still blurry pony was bringing towards her.

"So, you're awake now, Sparky?" the familiar voice washed over her, causing Twilight to suddenly snap to attention, whatever grogginess she'd felt from before fading away. Still, she had to blink away the blurriness in her vision before she could clearly see the form of Emerald standing in front of her, setting down the platter he held with a grin on his face.

"Emerald?" she asked, confused,

"Yep. Eat up. You were pretty tired last night, I guess our little talk didn't really help you rest either. So I figured I'd make it up to you with a little breakfast in bed, ya know?" he said, before stiffening slightly, "Th-that's it. It's not like I wanted to, o-of course. Heck, our host practically forced me to!" he insisted.

Twilight didn't pay much attention to him though, her gaze, and stomach, locked onto the stack of perfectly golden discs of fluffy goodness that Emerald had set in front of her. He noticed this, of course, and smiled slightly,

"Well?" he asked, "It's not an art gallery. Stop staring and eat."

And she did. With gusto, in fact.

It was halfway through eating the pillar of pancake-y goodness, that Twilight realized something.

"Wait, where are we?" she asked, sitting up, looking just the slightest bit worried as she did so. Emerald waved off her concern, however, sitting beside the bed,

"Relax, Sparky. We're in Appleloosa. The train should arrive within the hour," he explained easily. Twilight blinked.

They were in Appleloosa? Before the train got here?

But-but that meant-!

"You _flew_ us here?!" she asked incredulously, staring at him in surprise. Emerald nodded,

"Yeah, is there a problem?"

"Why?" she asked, calming herself. It wasn't really that big of a deal, she mused, it just meant the two of them would be spending more time together.

Alone.

Emerald shrugged,

"Dunno. Jus' felt like flyin' the rest of the way, ya know?" he asked, shrugging with an easy grin. Twilight narrowed her eyes at him,

"Why not just head back inside?" she asked, "It would've been a lot easier on you then carrying me all the way to Appleloosa," she remarked. Emerald stiffened minutely, though Twilight caught it,

"Oh... no reason~" he said lightly, "Like I said, I jus' felt like it."

Her gaze narrowed further.

He was still hiding something from her. Something about the train, maybe?

She'd have to get to the bottom of this.

Later. After she finished these nice looking pancakes that Emerald made her first.

Sparky gave a content sigh once she'd downed the last bit of her breakfast, causing Emerald to smile fondly. Watching her eat his food had been most entertaining. The way her eyes lit up at the first bite, the smile on her face as she prepared another, the little moan she made as she kept eating. Really, if this is what cooking for her was like, then he wouldn't mind doing it for the rest of his stay in Ponyville.

Or longer.

The thought spun around in his head for a moment longer, before he realized exactly what he'd been thinking of, and stomped the idea into the ground, feeling his face burn slightly.

Still, he was glad the food got her to drop the subject about the train. He could tell that she was already suspicious of him, a testament to either her observational skills or how much he let his guard down around her.

Or both. Most likely both.

Regardless, he refused to tell her anything about his problem.

It was... embarrassing for someone like him.

He glanced outside, finding the same lackluster view he'd been seeing for the past day once more. He frowned, how could the ponies around here enjoy this? He was already sick of seeing this place.

Then again, that might be his bias acting up.

Even so, when comparing this empty expanse of lifelessness to the huge patches of green he could spot from the skies above Equestria, the large sea of white in the Frozen North, or even the endless sight of the ocean stretching on for miles, he knew which ones he preferred instantly.

Though, maybe he could ask the locals, see if there was some sort of charm about this place he was missing? He doubted it, but it should kill a few minutes.

There was a knock at the door, which startled Sparky, who nearly jumped out of the bed if it wasn't for Emerald placing a hoof over her legs to keep her in place.

"Come in," Emerald called, curious about the interruption. The door creaked open, revealing an unfamiliar yellow stallion a darker yellow and orange mane hidden beneath a brown stetson, with a matching vest just below. His bright green eyes scanned the room for a moment, before locking onto them.

"Well _goooood_ mornin' missy!" he called loudly, his heavy accent washing over them in a manner similar to Applejack's. Which made sense, considering they were related.

"Umm... hi?" Sparky greeted, complete with an awkward wave of her hoof.

"It's nice ta meet ya!" he said, venturing further into the room, revealing a bright red apple on his flank, "Mah name is Braeburn, an' I jus' wanted ta 'fficially welcome ya'll to li'l ol' Appleloosa!" he added cheerfully.

Too cheerfully for Emerald, whose ears folded a little to protect him from this stallion's volume.

"Oh, um, thank you," Sparky said, sounding a little less confused,

"No problem at all!" Braeburn cheered, "When yer coltfriend 'ere 'splained ta Cousin Red that ya'll were here with Cousin Applejack, why, he ran right over ta me an' tol' me all about it!"

"C-coltfriend...?" she mumbled, turning a faint red, though Braeburn didn't notice,

"If he hadn't said anythin' 'bout ya'll needin' yer rest, I'da run right over 'ere mahself!" he continued, "Once everypony else gets 'ere, I'll be happy ta show ya all 'round Appleloosa!"

"U-umm, Emerald isn't my-"

"Trust me, ya'll're gonna looove it here!" Braeburn continued, heedless of Sparky's attempt at correcting him, he suddenly perked up, and glanced back out the door, "Oh! Sorry you two, but the train should be here in ten minutes, an' I gotta help the sheriff prepare the welcomin' committee!" he said, "See ya later!" and he disappeared through the door, shutting it behind him.

Sparky just stared at the spot Braeburn had occupied, mouth still open.

"But... but... but..." she muttered, causing Emerald to snicker,

"Well c'mon then, 'marefriend'," he conveniently ignored the way his own face began to burn at the word, "we don't want to keep them waiting, do we?"

"Wha-?!" Sparky sputtered, going just as red as him, "But we're not-" she cut herself off, "... Fine," she sighed, sliding out of bed, "We have ten minutes until the others arrive, so we might as well head down to the station."

* * *

Following Sparky's advice, the two of them headed down the station, idly glancing around as they did so. Emerald was actually a little surprised at how much activity there was in such a small town, as well as the number of inhabitants.

Granted, there wasn't much in the way of entertainment, from what he could see. Yes there was a bar, a library, which Sparky was happy about, and from the looks of it, there was an activity center, where he could spot a dozen or so ponies dancing around, but aside from that, most of the buildings in town seemed to be residential, rather than commercial. The only things truly extraordinary about Appleloosa, he mused, was the fact that this place hadn't existed for more than two years, and the massive orchard he could spot just beyond the local inn they'd just left.

And it truly was massive. Not as large as the one in Ponyville, not at all, but that was a given, considering just where it was situated. Still, the orchard they had stretched on for at least two or three miles, over hills, and past a river. But not all of it was filled with apple trees, thankfully.

Still, judging by the size alone, there seemed to be enough crops to feed the town properly, so he paid it little more attention than that.

"Wow," Sparky breathed, head swiveling around to take it all in, "this place is..." she trailed off, "something," she managed,

"It's something, alright," Emerald agreed, "Old and primitive. Which is funny, considering how recently it was built," Sparky winced at his observation, but didn't argue.

It didn't take long for them to reach the station, where Braeburn and several other ponies stood, though none stood out more than the brown stallion, wearing a large black hat and blue vest, where a bright silver sheriffs badge hung. The sheriff had a much darker brown mane and tail, a black mustache, blue eyes, and a cutie mark in the exact likeness of the badge he currently wore, much to Emerald's amusement.

Still, the train wasn't anywhere in sight, meaning that it was likely running late. Probably thanks to the stallions pulling the damn thing getting tired and having to stop and rotate positions. Regardless, Emerald took a seat, leaning back against the station, and Sparky took the spot next to him.

* * *

One minute passed.

Then five.

Then ten.

Eventually it became clear that the train was running far later than Emerald anticipated, and, from the looks of it, this wasn't out of the ordinary, given how little the townsfolk seemed to react to it. Even so, it seemed that most of them couldn't bother to wait and left, until Braeburn was the only one left standing there.

He didn't look too put off about it though, reinforcing the idea that this wasn't an uncommon occurrence.

Thankfully, nearly fifteen minutes passed the mark Braeburn had mentioned, the train appeared in their view.

"Finally!" Sparky moaned, standing up, her back cracking as she stretched, "I was getting worried we'd have to wait another day for the train to show up," Emerald didn't respond, however, his attention focused on the rapidly approaching train.

Or, more specifically, the multiple dents he spotted on its side that most certainly hadn't been there before. Though, what caught his attention most, was-

"Where's the train car? The one with Applejack's damned tree in it," he asked, standing up.

"What?" Sparky asked, before following his gaze, then gasped, "It's gone!" she gasped harder, this time turning an unpleasant shade of white, "And Spike was in there!"

The train finally pulled into the station, allowing the mares inside to come tumbling out, each one looking panicked.

"Braeburn!" Applejack called, spotting her cousin instantly, "We need-!"

"Cousin Applejack!" Braeburn interrupted, "It's been a real long since we last saw each other, why, I remember when-!"

"This isn't the time, Braeburn!" Applejack cut him off, "There's a_ huge_ problem! See-!"

"I'll tell ya there's a problem!" Braeburn interrupted once again, seemingly not noticing the vein popping out of Applejack's head, "Ya haven't introduced me ta yer friends yet! 'Tain't right!" Appeljack growled,

"Later, Braeburn!" she shouted, "Some of our friends are missin'!" she said, catching his attention, as well as Sparky's,

"There was a stampede of buffalo!" Fluttershy said,

"They dragonnapped poor Spike!" Rarity said, "Rainbow's gone after him, but our friends, Twilight and Emerald are nowhere to be found!"

"An' that ain't it, I was bringin' ya'll a new apple tree, and they took it along with Spike."

"They did _what_ to Spike?!" Sparky yelled, stomping onto the platform with her friends.

"""Twilight!""" her friends cheered, with Fluttershy suddenly lunging towards her, wrapping her into a fierce hug,

"Oh thank _goodness_ you're okay!" the normally shy mare gushed, "We were so worried when we woke up and you weren't there!"

"That would be my fault," Emerald finally spoke up, walking up to them, "I was out for a late night flight, and she just so happened to come join me. She ended up falling asleep, so I just brought us to Appleloosa early," he explained, "Now, what was this about a buffalo stampede?" he asked.

"The buffalo," Braeburn said, causing the group to turn to him, "they've been tryin' ta drive us settler ponies away, ya see. They don't like our apple orchard one bit. They want us ta take it and move it somewhere else, so they definitely wouldn't want us addin' another ta the mix," he said sadly,

"What?" Applejack asked, "Why?" Braeburn shrugged,

"I wish I knew, cousin. It would sure help."

"What about Spike?" Sparky asked, drawing the attention back to her, "You said they took him!" Applejack nodded,

"Eeyup. He was in the car with Bloomberg, an' when those buffalo took it, they took 'im as well."

"Oh...!" Sparky moaned, beginning to pace around, "What if he's hurt? What if those buffalo do something to him? What if they've already done something to him?!" she panicked, until a green hoof suddenly came down on her shoulder,

"Relax, Sparky, I'm su-"

"Relax?" she asked, cutting him off, "_Relax?!_ How am I supposed to relax when some buffalo just dragonnapped my little brother?!" she snapped at him, causing the others around them to flinch away.

Emerald just sighed, and gently tapped her horn, which caused her to flinch,

"If you'd let me finish," he began, then continued when she didn't speak, "then you would've heard me say that those buffalo won't hurt him. Buffalo have a very strong sense of respect, and they've always respected the strength of dragons. He'll probably be considered an honoured guest at worst, and a king at best," he said softly. His words and tone seemed to help Sparky calm down, as she no longer look anywhere near as mutinous as before.

She still wasn't happy, though.

"How do you know that?" she asked, "He's been living with ponies his entire life! What if those buffalo figure that out and think less of him?" she shook her head, "No, I can't just take your word for it like that, I _need_ to know he's safe!" she said, looking at him pleadingly. He shook his head, but didn't argue,

"Alright," he began, "alright. Tell you what. If you calm down, I'll head out there myself and keep an eye on him," he offered, "Deal?" Sparky swallowed the lump in her throat,

"Deal."

* * *

He took off in the direction the train came from after that.

It shouldn't be too difficult to locate those buffalo from the air, given the size of their tribe, as well as the lack of any sort of cover for them to hide in. With that in mind, it should be even easier to find Crash, considering that she didn't exactly blend into the nearby landscape.

Much as he didn't like her, he could respect her going to save her friend. As such, it would be remiss of him to leave her out of the potentially necessary rescue.

That being said, it only took him about another minute before he spotted the very pony he was looking for, and dove down to intercept her.

She wasn't too far from the buffalo encampment, actually. She was, maybe, fifty or so meters away from the nearest buffalo, and was currently camping behind a rock, likely waiting for an opportune time to rush in, grab the hatchling, and leave.

It was time to put a dent in her plan.

He landed silently behind her, taking care to avoid being spotted by the buffalo in the process, and was just in time to hear her mutter to herself,

"Nobody makes a fool outta me," she growled, glaring over the rock at the buffalo. From the way her eyes scanned the camp, however, implied that she was looking for something, or someone, specifically. After hearing her say that, he wasn't too sure she'd come by to save Spike after all.

"Wanna bet?" he asked from right by her ear. Her hoof shot up to her mouth, muffling her own startled yell, even as she dove to the ground behind the rock, a series of actions that revealed a level of control which honestly impressed the green stallion.

She probably had to learn to do it to avoid being caught during her pranks.

"Emerald?!" she hissed, looking up at him, "What the hay are you doing here?!" she asked, shoving her face into his. He sneered at her, and pushed her away,

"Sparky was worried about Spike," he explained, moving his goggles back onto his head, "so I told her I'd keep an eye on him for her."

"You can't be here!" she hissed, her voice rising slightly, "You're gonna get me caught!"

"Said the walking rainbow in the middle of the desert," he snarked,

"I can take care of Spike myself!" she argued. Emerald's eyebrow rose,

"Really?" he asked, "'Cause it sounds like you're here for something else," he said. Crash chuckled nervously,

"Uh, what makes you say that?"

"I'm not sure, Miss '_Nobody makes a fool outta me_'."

His ear twitched, and he glanced up, just in time to spot a buffalo making his way towards them. He was much smaller than the others, hinting at him being a young calf, and the sight sparked a wave of thought.

If it was true that the buffalo and the settlers were at odds with each other, and he had little reason to believe otherwise, then it was highly likely that the buffalo would assume him and Crash to be a part of that group so long as he wore his disguise. With that thought it mind it would be best if he removed said disguise and approached them, alone.

That was the obvious line of thought, but it was also a risky one. Buffalo can be prideful, and if an outsider like him were to approach the chief without being invited, it could be seen as an insult to the chieftain, and the tribe as a whole. It would be much smarter if he allowed himself and Crash to be caught and brought before the chief on their initiative, if only to make them feel as though _they_ were the ones who approached _them_.

With that plan in mind, he chose _not_ to tell Crash to be quiet, and instead allowed her to speak her mind.

"So what!? I'm Rainbow Dash, best flier in Equestria! I can't just let some random buffalo outdo me and get away with it!" she hissed loudly, then froze at the sound of a high-pitched gasp. She snapped around, causing her to lock eyes with the calf.

"Well, that was fast," Emerald snarked at the pegasus beside him, ignoring the huff of the buffalo behind him. Crash didn't respond, too busy staring at the ground with an angry red flush across her cheeks.

The buffalo herded them towards the center of their camp, occasionally giving him and Crash a hard push, which only led to them giving him a wide berth after he growled at them the third time it happened, amusingly enough. Eventually, they stopped,

"Alright," one of the buffalo said, moving over to stand in front of them, "you ponies are going to stay here while we inform Chief Thunderhooves about your trespassing," he said, snorting at them. Emerald nodded, and nudged Crash after she failed to respond,

"Whatever," she muttered. The buffalo sneered at that, but before he could speak, another, much more familiar voice, suddenly spoke,

"Hey, what's going on ove- Rainbow Dash? Emerald?" the voice speared through the crowd, just before the buffalo around them suddenly lurched to the side, creating a path that revealed the hatchling staring at them in surprise, "What are you guys doing here?" he asked. Emerald scoffed,

"Really? You're actually asking that?" he snarked, "You know Sparky wouldn't just accept you getting dragonnapped, right?" he asked, taking note of the way the buffalo around them flinched at the statement. Spike chuckled,

"Heh, right," he said, rubbing the back of his head, before sparing a glance towards their audience, "Oh! It's alright guys, they're friends of mine!" he said. The buffalo that had taken charge a moment earlier frowned, but shrugged,

"Alright, if you say so," he said, "I still gotta tell the chief though," he said, then lumbered off. That was the signal that led to the rest of their unwanted audience to scamper as well, leaving only Emerald, Crash, and Spike standing in the middle of their camp. The three of them didn't say much, but the newfound privacy got Crash to perk up for a moment, before reducing herself to looking around with a critical, and extremely irritated, look in her eye.

Spike took notice of this.

"I know that we all kind got off on the wrong hoof," he began, pausing at Crash's scoff, before continuing, undeterred, "but they're actually really nice!" he gushed, "I mean, it was pretty scary at first, but it turns that they didn't mean to grab me. They just wanted the tree!" Spike said, confirming what Braeburn said earlier, "They felt pretty awful about taking me too, especially since they really seem to like dragons!" he exclaimed, just in time for one buffalo to come around, carrying a pair of bowls on his back, each filled with some... substance.

He ignored him, at first, assuming the strange item was for some traditional purpose, but that idea went out the window when it was set in front of him and Crash. The two of them glanced at their... food, then, with a sneer, simultaneously pushed their bowls aside.

"They don't really like ponies, though," Spike added, chuckling at their reaction.

"Whatever," Crash muttered, standing up, "I still don't trust these guys," she said, looking around, "I say we just book it the first chance we get," she muttered.

Of course, Emerald didn't pay much attention to her, as his focus was on another buffalo, a calf, that was walking up to the hatchling with a bowl of turquoise. She looked... familiar to him. There was this niggling at the back of his mind, telling him he _knew_ this particular calf.

There was only one possibility, of course, now he just needed to remember her name.

"You like gems, yes, Mr. Dragon?" she asked kindly, brushing her dusty yellow mane out of her eyes with a burgundy hoof.

"Ooh, turquoise!"

"... Strongheart?" Emerald asked, that familiar little tick sparking his memory. The calf in question blinked her brown eyes, confused for a moment, before they settled on him.

"... Mr. Emerald?" she asked, before gasping, "It's you!" she gasped, then charged straight at him. He braced himself for the impact, but it proved unnecessary when she came to a screeching halt in front of him, "My goodness! It's so wonderful to see you again!" she gushed. He nodded,

"It's... good to see you again, Strongheart."

Truthfully, he felt a little awkward. It was always like this whenever he ran into someone from the Facility that hadn't been apart of his 'group'. He had been the de-facto leader of the entire escape, with Will, Star, Spits, Trix, Sapphire, Gustave, and Thor as the ones directly 'under' him. Much as it ate at him, he didn't personally know anyone other than those seven and Wisp. He knew everyone's names_-how could he forget?-_but aside from that, he didn't know them.

_But they knew him._

"What are you doing here, sir?" she asked curiously, but he was cut off before he could answer,

"_You?!_" Crash suddenly snarled, staring at Strongheart, "That's it, I'm leaving! C'mon Spike!" she snapped, walking off with a huff. Strongheart gasped, and rushed out in front of her,

"No! Please stay! I'm so very sorry about what happened on the train, but we never meant for anyone to be harmed!"

"Pfft, yeah right," Crash scoffed, turning and walking away,

"We only wanted the tree!" Strongheart insisted, following after her, "The settler ponies have overtaken our land and planted an orchard all over it! Because of their thoughtlessness, we can't run over our traditional stampeding grounds!" she cried.

"... What?" Crash asked.

"Uh, I think they should meet the chief," Spike suggested cautiously, looking between Crash and Strongheart with a worried grimace. Strongheart nodded,

"Of course, that is the main reason why I came over here."

* * *

Chief Thunderhooves was as mountainous now as he had been the last time Emerald had met him. A tall, inspiring individual, whose entire body was covered in black fur that scarcely hid the hundreds of pounds of pure muscle beneath his skin. Coupled with a stern gaze in his coal black eyes, and large plume of feathers attached to his headband, and it was quite easy to see why he remained as chief, even after six years.

Strongheart had led the three of them over to her chief's tent, where he sat by a large bonfire, surrounded by his tribes-folk, patiently waiting for them to arrive. He glanced up at the sound of hooves,

"Ah, Little Strongheart, I see you've returned with our honoured guest and his friends," he said, his voice a deep, gravelly rumble.

"Yes, Chief Thunderhooves," she said, before rapidly walking over and taking a place beside the chief, as Emerald, Crash, and Spike each took a place on the other side of the fire.

"Seeing as how you have yet to leave, I take it that Little Strongheart has informed you of our... situation?" he asked. Emerald elbowed Crash just before she could speak,

"I'll do the talking," he snapped quietly, then returned his attention to the chief, "Yes, sir. Though, before we begin, I'd like to say it's quite nice to see you once again," he said simply. Thunderhooves regarded him with a confused look for a moment, before Strongheart leaned over and whispered into his ear.

"Ah," he said, giving him an enlightened nod, "Yes, I remember now. You were the leader of that unfortunate band of travelers six years ago," he smiled, "Yes, it's quite good to see that you appear to be in excellent health," he said, then slyly glanced at Strongheart, "Our newest tribe-member was quite worried about you for the first three years," he said, causing Strongheart to flush heavily. A cascade of quiet laughter rang out among the buffalo around them, suggesting that it was a common joke within the tribe.

"Chief..." Strongheart muttered petulantly,

"Hmhm..." he chuckled, before looking back at Emerald with a frown, "Though, I admit, you look... different than you did befo-" the chief cut himself upon seeing Emerald calmly remove his bracelet, causing his disguise to fall, "... I see. To have something like that, I would imagine you are a... guard, perhaps?" he ventured to guess. Emerald nodded,

"That's correct," Thunderhooves smiled,

"Then perhaps you can help us more than I'd hoped," he said, before straightening himself, "For generations our tribe has run across a sacred trail, once every year. My father ran that trail, as did his father before him, and so on and so forth towards the very beginning of our humble tribe," he began, "But now, these settler ponies, these-" he huffed angrily, "-these _Appleloosans_ have defiled our sacred stampeding grounds with their orchard!" he snarled, then, with a heavy breath inward, calmed himself, "Perhaps I would not be so angry if they had informed us, allowed us to compromise, but as it stands, they have planted this orchard of theirs without our consent, _and I will not stand for it!_" he huffed.

"They refuse to move their trees," Strongheart continued, in a much calmer fashion, "Now we are stuck here, and it is not fair!" she exclaimed.

"Indeed it is not," Thunderhooves began again, having, once more, calmed himself, "I do not wish for a violent conclusion in regards to this... _dispute_ of ours," he said distastefully, "and so I'd like to ask for your help," Emerald nodded,

"My family and I are in your debt for the help you gave us back then," he said, then gave the chief a light bow, "Name your price, and I'll see to it as best I can," Thunderhooves nodded,

"Very well. I would ask of you to assist us in organizing a negotiation between us and the settlers. Though angered we are that our grounds have been _stolen from us_-!" he paused, and forced himself to clam down once more, "-though our grounds have been taken, I understand that our continuing hostilities are born from a lack of communication. We are all of the same world, so there should not be any need for war between us," he said, "And, truthfully, I am aware of the Equestrian princess' desire to expand into our land, and I hope that a peaceful resolution here will make for peaceful negotiations later, possible," he explained.

Emerald smiled,

"Very well. I hope you don't mind if we seal the deal in a more... official manner, yes?" he asked.

"Of course."

Emerald stood and approached the chief, walking straight through the fire to make sure they stood head on, then spoke,

"I, Emerald Skies, Champion of the Equestrian Army, Trusted Advisor to the Princess of Equestria, Son of Ashen Skies, promise to assist the Thunderhoof Tribe in reaching negotiations with the Appleloosan settlers, provided that no harm come to the opposing party, and that they act with the utmost respect for those I seek to protect," he intoned. The chief stared at him for a moment, then nodded,

"I, Chief Thunderhooves, Chieftain of the Thunderhoof Tribe, Son of Chief Thunderhooves the Tenth, promise that no harm shall come to the settlers of Appleloosa, and that myself and my tribe will act with the utmost respect towards those under the protection of Emerald Skies, so long as he holds to his promise and seeks to provide the negotiations we desire."

"The Oath is made," Emerald finished, before smirking, "I look forward to working with you, Chief."

* * *

"Ohhh..." Twilight muttered worriedly, pacing back and forth in front of the sheriff's office, "Where are they...?"

"Calm down, Twilight," Applejack tried, "This is Emerald we're talkin' 'bout. The po-er-thestral that got eaten by a hydra an' came out jus' fine. A bunch'a buffalo ain't gonna do anythin' ta 'im."

"Eaten by a hydra...?" Braeburn muttered to himself, unheard by the others,

"I know, Applejack, but I can't just _not_ be worried!" she insisted, whirling to face her farming friend, "We don't know anything about what kind of creatures live in the Badlands, so who _knows_ what could go wrong!" she said, then sat down, holding her head in her hooves, "What if they were eaten by a large predator? What if the buffalo set up a bunch of traps that he wasn't expecting?! What if Rainbow Dash got into trouble and he has to save her?! What if _he_ got into trouble and Rainbow Dash has to save _him_?! _What if-?!_"

***SMACK***

Twilight's head snapped to the side, the newly made blotch of stinging redness on her cheek scarcely registering to her, more focused on the fact that _Fluttershy just smacked her!_

Shakily, she turned back to stare, wide-eyed, at her remaining pegasus friend, who was staring at her with a look of dawning horror,

"O-oh, my... I-I didn't mean to-I just-you were saying all these things and it was making me worried and I'm so sorry I didn't mean to..." Twilight shook her head, ignoring the now prominent sting in her cheek,

"I-it's okay, Fluttershy. I was-I was letting my imagination get the better of me... I needed somepony to, uh, _smack_ some sense into me, I suppose," she said, hoping the joke would show Fluttershy that she wasn't mad at her. It worked, barely, if the embarrassed flush spreading onto Fluttershy's cheeks meant anything.

"Hey!" a loud, brash, and wonderfully _familiar_ voice shouted, causing everyone to turn.

""""Rainbow Dash!"""" they all cheered as the familiar tomcolt came into view, although the small procession behind her caused them pause. A large black buffalo, as well as a smaller orange buffalo, along with Emerald and-

"Spike!" Twilight shouted, rushing forward, ignoring the horrified look on the little drake's face as she scooped him up into her hooves, "Oh thank goodness you're okay! I was so worried about you!"

"Mmph!"

Emerald chuckled at the sibling's antics, before glancing over at Braeburn, who was staring wide-eyed at the buffalo,

"Hey," he called, startling the stallion, "get the sheriff," he ordered.

"Uh, yeah, okay," he said, sparing one more glance at the buffalo beside him, before running off.

"Uh, what's goin' on here?" Applejack asked, staring at the non-ponies with suspicion, "Why'd ya bring _them_ here?" she asked harshly. Emerald clicked his tongue,

"You'll see in a minute, Applejack," Emerald snapped, "I'm just taking care of things _my_ way."

...

Thankfully, the sheriff had nothing else to do at the moment, though Emerald would've ordered him to come out even if he had, and they were finally able to get started. Although Emerald completely ignored the growing crowd of ponies around them.

"Alright," Emerald began, "Since Princess Celestia is not, and will not, be present, _I_ will be acting as the mediator in these negotiations in her stead. Are there any objections to this?"

"Negotiations?" Applejack asked, "What are ya talkin' 'bout?" Emerald glanced at her,

"I believe it's rather self-explanatory," he stated, to which Applejack frowned,

"Well, I guess so. So you're gonna tell the buffalo that they gotta leave the settler ponies alone, then?"

"Not quite," he said, then turned back, "Seeing as though there are no objections, lets get started. Chief Thunderhooves, state your case."

"My tribe has been running through these stampeding grounds for generations," he began, "It is a sacred tradition that has been in my tribe since the very first day it was created. You settler ponies have taken it for yourselves without our permission!" he snapped, only to receive and elbow to the rib from Strongheart. Emerald nodded,

"Sheriff Silver Star, state your case," The sheriff still looked a little confused, but thankfully he caught on with little issue.

"Well, we ponies need this land fer our families. Without it, we'd have no homes, no food, no nothin'," he said, "We need it ta live. An' besides, we _do_ have permission, Mr. Chief," Silver Star said, surprising the buffalo,

"_What?!_" he challenged, "_How?!_" Silver Star's ears folded against his hat, and he looked rather startled by the chief's anger, but shook it off.

"Well, I've got the deed ta the land. Bought it mahself from another buffalo," he said, "Said 'is name was Thunderhooves, jus' like you. Even had the princess' signature, he did!" he added firmly.

"I'll need to see this deed, then," Emerald said, before the chief could respond, "If you're telling the truth, then the settlers have a right to be here, though if it's wrong, then Chief Thunderhooves has the final say," he added, "So, bring it to me," Silver Star nodded, then paused, looking confused,

"Uh... I think it's in the town's library, but I, uh, can't remember where I put it..." he said. Both Emerald and the chief blinked at that response, then Emerald sighed.

"I see... very well, that leaves us only one thing to do," he said, "As the mediator, I will search the town library for the deed in question. Until I can either find it or confirm that it doesn't exist, both parties will be required to stay in town," he said, "Is that clear?"

""Yes.""

"Good," he said, then paused, "I will be requiring the assistance of Twilight Sparkle in this endeavor, as both a practiced librarian and the student of Princess Celestia. Is this acceptable?" There was a pause as both the sheriff and chief glanced at the embarrassed pony in question, who gave them a sheepish wave, before both nodded,

"Very well."

"I don't mind."

"Alright, come on Sparky, we've a deed to find."

"I'm coming!"

Thankfully she was able to remember the location of the library they'd spotted earlier, and it took them little time to arrive.

Like the rest of Appleloosa, it was a wooden building with red, orange, and yellow decorations, with a giant wooden sign of an open book that denoted its purpose as the local library.

"You ready, Sparky?" Emerald asked, earning a rapid nod from the mare beside him. He spared her a glance, and smirked at the excited twinkle in her eye, coupled with the way she happily rocked on her hooves as she stared at the library before her.

It was rather cute.

Still, they had work to do, so he pushed the thought out of his mind, and headed inside.

...

Surprisingly, the library was almost overflowing from the amount of things stuffed onto its shelves, though whether that was an indication of how many books and loose pieces of paper there were, or the small size of the building was up for debate.

Still, it was completely stuffed full. With two floors of shelves waiting for them to rifle through, as well as the multiple stacks of books and papers that littered the floor, likely put there because there wasn't enough room, it was clear they'd have their work cut out for them.

It was made even worse by the fact that the town did _not_ have a dedicated librarian, which meant that there was absolutely _no_ organization whatsoever, or even a log of any kind, a fact that nearly caused Sparky to faint once she realized it. It meant that they would, literally, have to search every nook and cranny of the damn place if they wanted to find that deed.

This was not going to be fun.

* * *

Emerald gave his exhausted eyes a quick rub, feeling his back pop as he stretched. He'd been sitting almost in place for who knows how long, just reading through paper after paper after paper _after paper_-!

It was really beginning to piss him off.

Thankfully, since they were looking for a deed, they were able to outright skip over the books, which made the search a little more bearable, but not overly so. He looked down the isle of shelves he'd managed to go through over the past however-many-hours he'd been here.

If he had to guess, then he'd managed to rifle through _maybe_ a quarter of the lower floor by himself, possibly a quarter of the whole library depending on how far Sparky, who had started on the second floor, had gotten. He glanced around, hunting for a clock to check the time, when his eyes passed over the darkened window.

...

_The moon had risen._

Considering that it had been, maybe, midday when he had arrived with the chief, then that meant he and Sparky had been hunting through these papers for almost six hours now.

No wonder he felt like shit.

He sighed. The words on the pages were already starting to blur together, forcing him to have to take a moment to rest. The air felt stuffy, and he was beginning to fidget from having sat in one place for so long, his nature as a creature of the sky disliking being inside for such an extended period of time. Being almost completely stationary didn't help.

Well, if he was beginning to feel stir-crazy, then Sparky probably felt right at home. He wouldn't be surprised if she had built herself a fort out of books by now, and was calmly reading away inside of it.

He chuckled at the image.

Still, it was time to head to bed. Much as he'd like to just keep on going, there was no way he'd be able to properly go through any more of these papers if he was tired. And even if he did, he probably wouldn't be able to go through negotiations properly if he was exhausted.

He nodded to himself, and stood up. He should probably tell Sparky he was turning in for the night, and then drag her with him if she decided to stay. His ears twitched for a moment, before he locked on to Sparky's position and started towards the stairs.

The top floor was just as stuffed as the lower floor, perhaps a tad more so. He frowned at the reminder of how much more there was to go. Thankfully she wasn't too far off from the top of the stairs, and Emerald found her muzzle deep in a large stack of papers, her horn glowing almost constantly as she traded papers beneath her gaze like a well-oiled machine.

"Having fun?" he couldn't help but ask, smirking when Sparky let out a cute yelp, her concentration faltering as she sent one of the stacks next to her skittering to the floor,

"Emerald!" she snapped, head whipping around to face him, granting him the sight of her flushed face, "Quit doing that!" he chuckled,

"I'll think about it," he said, smirking growing at her narrowed gaze, "How's your progress going?" he asked. Sparky's gaze softened,

"Oh, _that_," Sparky muttered, casting a glare around the library, "Well, I haven't found it yet, but I've managed to get through a third of the second floor," she said, flushing at Emerald's impressed whistle, "A-anyway, it would be a lot easier if these ponies actually had a _librarian_ to take care of these books instead of just _tossing them around anywhere they please! I mean, is it really so hard to put a book back where you found it?! Doesn't anypony care that they're making this whole place a huge disorganized mess?!_" she ranted, huffing angrily.

Emerald chuckled at her passionate little speech,

"Well, disorganized mess or not, it's up to us to find this thing," he reminded her, "So don't get distracted trying to rearrange everything, alright?" he asked. Sparky pouted, but eventually agreed,

"Alright."

"Good," he said, then gestured to the window, "But it's late, now. Let's head back to the Inn."

"What?" she asked, looking out the window, before wilting, "Oh... right," she muttered, then cast another glance around, "I think I can keep going," she offered, only to frown when Emerald shook his head,

"'Fraid not," he said, shrugging, and sent her a casual smirk, "I need you at your best, Sparky, and you're not at your best after an all-nighter. So get up, we're heading back," he demanded. Sparky frowned,

"I think I'll be fine."

"I'll just carry you back if I have to, you know?~" he sang. She sighed,

"Alright, I'll get up."

* * *

Emerald stretched as he stepped outside, squinting slightly against the bright morning light. Luckily, Red Delicious, the proprietor of the Inn he and Sparky stayed in, was nice enough to let them back in last night, along with the other mares and Spike. He'd been leery of the buffalo, but luckily an argument was avoided when they revealed that they prefer sleeping outside anyways.

Finishing up his stretch, Emerald cast a quick glance around the area, wondering if he'd spot Thunderhooves or Strongheart, and, much to his surprise, he managed to spot the former of the two through the window of the local bakery.

Finding himself curious, Emerald made his way over to, and inside, the bakery.

It was a quaint little joint, with simple wooden walls and floor, with a homey looking chandelier hanging from the ceiling, accompanied by the fine scent of cinnamon wafting over his nose. There was a glass container at the front, containing various confectioneries, which, he noticed with amusement, had Thunderhooves enraptured.

"Having fun, Chief?" he asked teasingly, smirking when the much larger individual jumped like a startled filly,

"A-ah! Emerald, it's good to see you," he said, his eyes darting to the side, "I was merely taking a look through the town, since there is a distinct possibility of it staying around," Emerald chuckled, but shook his head,

"I wouldn't get your hopes up, Chief. We've gone through almost a third of the library already, and we've yet to find it," he said, frowning, "You'll get to decide whether this place stands or falls at this rate," he added, then looked around, "Maybe it's a good idea for you to look around," he mused, "it might help you decide whether or not to tear this place down," Thunderhooves nodded, his expression serious,

"Yes, I've come to that conclusion as well," he said, pressing a hoof to his chin, "Though, I'm not sure yet if-"

"Here's yer pie, Mr. Thunderhooves!" a young southern voice chirped from behind the counter, just as a pie walked out from the back room, before it set itself up on the desk, just as the head of a young, freckled colt peered over the counter, "I hope ya enjoy!"

Emerald stared at the colt and pie for a moment, before redirecting his stare towards the now sweaty looking Thunderhooves, grinning sardonically,

"Oh? Just 'looking around town'?" he asked, before laughing, "Right, never took you for a buffalo with a sweet tooth," he added.

"I-I have no idea what you mean!" the chief stammered, "I merely walked in here and was curious! That's all!" he insisted.

"What?" the colt asked, sounding confused, "But I thought ya said ya love apple pie? That ya haven' had it in a real long time and was really lookin' forward ta it?" he asked innocently, with a tilt of his head. Emerald laughed at the embarrassed look on the chief's face,

"Well, it seems you've been caught red-hooved, chief," he said, before a glint from outside caught his eye. He glanced outside, finding the sheriff walking around, the glint likely having come from his badge. The sight reminded him of his current task,

"Is something wrong?" the chief asked, noticing his lapse in focus, Emerald shook his head,

"No," he said, "Just... enjoy your pie, Chief. I have to head back to the library. Those papers won't sort through themselves," he said, waving the buffalo goodbye as he slipped outside.

He sighed as he stepped outside once more, the scent of the bakery fading into the unpleasant scent he was beginning to re-associate with the Badlands.

Dusty, with the faintest traces of blood and death.

Though it was likely only he, and possibly Spike, was able to detect those last two. It wasn't even that thestral's had a stronger sense of smell than ponies, of which they did but only marginally, but rather, it was because he recognized it. Looked for it. _Remembered it_.

He **_hated_** this place.

"There ya are, Mr. Negotiator!" the gruff voice of Silver Star broke through his thoughts. He opened his eyes, just in time to watch the sheriff come to a stop in front of him,

"Is there something wrong, Sheriff?" he asked curiously. Silver star shook his head,

"Not at all! It's jus'," he started to look sheepish, "after I told ya that the deed was in the library, I did some lookin' 'round mah office, an' I jus' so happened ta find it hidin' 'round the place!" he exclaimed, pulling out an old, yellow piece of parchment from his vest, before hoofing it over to the newly annoyed thestral.

"I see," he said, through gritted teeth, then forced himself to calm down, "And... where was it, exactly?" the sheriff stiffened, then let out a nervous chuckle,

"Well... I _mighta_ found it lyin' 'round in the bathroom, hehe?"

His eye twitched.

Emerald took in a breath, then let it out as calmly as he could,

"Very well," he said stiffly, "I'll take a few minutes to look it over with Celestia's student, then get back to you and the Chief. Have a nice day, Sheriff," Emerald managed, before not-quite-stomping away.

Emerald made his way back to the Inn, grumbling about incompetent law officials all the way.

"Sparky!" he called, "You still in here?"

"Over here!" her voice echoed from a side room, which turned out to be the kitchen, where she and Spike were sitting together, the hatchling eating away at a stack of pancakes, while the mare nursed a cup of, what smelled like, coffee.

He wrinkled his nose at the bitter drink, before refocusing on the purple mare,

"Did something happen?" she asked, setting her mug down, "Don't tell me the buffalo and settlers got into an argument!" she added, in a more panicked fashion. She calmed down as Emerald shook his head,

"No, no, nothing like that," he said, before showing her the rolled up parchment, "Turns out the Sheriff was wrong about the deed being in the library," he said bitterly, "It was in his bathroom, instead."

Sparky's nose wrinkled,

"That's... disgusting. Why would anypony bring such an important document into a-nevermind," she quickly tossed that train of thought aside, "Why are you here, though?" she asked.

"I'm here for a second opinion," he said, "I know Celestia's-" he ignored Sparky's eyes twitch, "-signature in and out, but you see it a lot more often than I do, so you'd notice the smaller details I might miss," he rolled the document onto the table next to her, and peered at the large, loopy signature waiting at the bottom.

Sparky saddled up next to him and peered down as well, carefully analyzing the letters, before they both nodded.

"Alright, that answers that. Let's gather the town and buffalo to tell them the news."

* * *

Gathering the sheriff and chief proved quick and easy, given that the chief was still pigging out, and the sheriff had decided to wait around in the same area, likely having figured that they wouldn't take long. As it was, it didn't take much longer for them to properly assemble, with Emerald once more acting as the mediator, with the two, technically four if Strongheart and Braeburn were counted, stood before each other.

"I have recovered the deed in question," he began promptly, "It states that the Appleloosans have the full ownership of the land and the surrounding area, and may do whatever they please with it. At least it does when you dig through the unnecessary prattle," he muttered, then cleared his throat, "However, it has been revealed that the document in question is forged."

_"What?!"_ Silver Star shouted, accompanied moments later by the many ponies surrounding them, "How?!"

"The Princess' signature does not match the real thing," he held out a hoof, and the hatchling handed him a separate scroll, before flicking both it and the deed open, "see for yourselves."

Thunderhooves and Silver Star both leaned in, and gave a hard stare towards both bits of paper.

Silver Star winced slightly when he began to notice the differences. The real signature had a much larger 'C' than the false, and the 'a' had a small tail that floated underneath the other letters. The dot above the 'i' was also different, but the largest difference, he noticed, was that one signature, the fake one, was slightly smudged, while the real one was completely and utterly pristine.

"The false signature, as you may notice, was hoofwritten. However, the Princess always uses her horn when signing official documents. As such, I am forced to declare that Sheriff Silver Star's purchase of the land known as Appleloosa is hereby declared, null and void," he said, ignoring the cascade of gasps around them, "Chief Thunderhooves, this land is yours by right. So, what is the fate of the Appleloosans?" he asked.

The chief frowned, and his eyes wandered. He took in the sight of the many ponies whispering to each other, each one looking more panicked than the last. He watched as many of them started to tear up, and the few who instead began to look around at the town they'd built fondly, likely believing they'd never see it again.

Chief Thunderhooves knew how important the idea of home was. It was why it was tradition to come stampeding back here every single year, to rekindle that feeling of home within him and his tribe. He nodded.

His decision was made.

* * *

"Well, that worked out a lot better than I'd expected," Emerald muttered, stretching his back a little,

"I know. I wasn't expecting the buffalo chief to agree to a compromise like _that_," Sparky added, peering out the train window.

Contrary to the belief that many of the Appleloosans had, the buffalo weren't going to kick them out of their homes. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, given how fond the chief had been of that damn pie, Thunderhooves had suggested that, in return for allowing them to keep the land, a small share of their crop was to be shared with the tribe every year, preferably in the form of goods.

"I'm jus' glad mah family ain't gettin' kicked outta their homes," Applejack remarked from beside him, leaning against the train with a smile on her face,

"I'm happy that nobody got hurt," was Fluttershy's reply, her voice barely filtering out of the compartment,

"Indeed," Rarity agreed, also inside, "Just imagine what might've happened if Emerald wasn't here to help things go smoothly! Goodness, if I didn't know any better, I might think there would have been a disaster!" she exclaimed, then tittered gently, "Though, knowing how often the seven of us seem to get in trouble, perhaps there might have been one anyways?"

"Yeah, no kidding!" Crash whooped from above, then landed heavily in front of them, "Too bad Pinkie wasn't here, she probably would've thrown a massive party for everybody!" Sparky laughed,

"That _does_ sound like something she'd do," she said, "But I don't know if the buffalo would've been happy about that," she added thoughtfully.

"ALL ABOARD!"

The loud shout caught most of them off guard, but it faded pretty quickly as the girls piled into the train, leaving Emerald still outside. Sparky took notice of that immediately,

"Emerald?" she asked curiously, "Aren't you getting on?" her curiosity turned to confusion when he shook his head,

"Nah, I think I'll just fly back to Ponyville," he said. Sparky narrowed her eyes at him,

"_Emerald,_" she said sternly, causing him to chuckle,

"Don't mind me, Sparky," he said, then smirked, "Besides, don't you have a friendship report to write?" he teased, just as the train started moving, "I'll see you girls back in Ponyville," he called, before taking to the air.

Twilight watched him for a moment, not letting her gaze fall off of him until he became too small for her to see, before sighing, and slinking her head back into the train.

"Well, I guess he's right," she muttered, "Spike?" she asked, "Take a letter," Spike nodded, before rummaging through her saddle bag, producing a quill and bit of parchment later,

"Ready!"

"Ahem. '_Dear Princess Celestia, friendship is a wonderful, and powerful thing. Even two different species, once enemies, can become wonderful friends if you're just willing to listen to each other. You need to understand each other, and be able to come to a compromise. In a way, Emerald helped me learn that. Signed, your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle._" she finished.

"Aaannnnnd... done!" Spike cheered, then, in a quick breath, sent the letter for her. Twilight smiled,

"Thanks Spike, it's good to have you back," she said, quickly pulling the little drake into a hug, to which he struggled against for a moment, before succumbing to his older sister's affections.

"Yeah, we were mighty scared when those buffalo took ya," Applejack added,

"Indeed, we were ever so worried about you!" Rarity gushed, affectionately rubbing Spike's head, not quite acknowledging the hearts that appeared in his eyes at the action,

"Y-you were?" Spike asked,

"Totally!" Rainbow cut in, "I ran off after you immediately!" she said proudly, Applejack snickered,

"Are ya sure it wasn't 'cause'a you flyin' right inta that sign?" she asked with a smirk.

"H-hey!"

Her embarrassed reaction caused the others to laugh loudly, and she joined in not too long after.

"Well," Twilight began, once they'd calmed themselves, "either way, everything turned out just fine," she finished with a smile,

"Yeah. It's a good thing that Emerald convinced those buffalo to come along peacefully," Rarity said, then tilted her head, "Though, I can't help but wonder how he managed it exactly. It couldn't have been easy," she guessed, glancing at Rainbow and Spike.

"Yeah, how did he do it anyhow?" Applejack asked as well. Twilight and Fluttershy expressed their interest, and soon the four of them were all staring at the only two who'd been there to witness it, eyes wide with rapt attention. The two of them spared each other a glance,

"Well, he kinda just..." Spike began,

"Asked?" Rainbow finished.

"""What?"""

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked. Rainbow shrugged,

"I dunno. He already knew the chief," she said, much to their surprise, "Apparently they met like... six years ago?" she looked at Spike, who nodded, "Yeah, six years ago," she affirmed, then shrugged again, "I dunno. It was something about him and a group of travelers, or somethin'."

"Really?" Twilight asked, then frowned, "Well... that explains why he wasn't that worried about Spike, at least," she muttered, loud enough for the others to hear, "But what was he doing out here six years ago?"

"M-maybe it had something to do with that awful F-Facility he was in?" Fluttershy suggested, "He did say he and the others escaped from there... right?" she added. They digested that for a moment, before they all nodded,

"Yeah, that sounds 'bout right," Applejack agreed,

"Yeah, makes sense," Rainbow suddenly said, "Apparently that little buffalo, Strongheart, I think, was from there was well."

"No wonder the chief agreed with him so easily," Rarity said, smiling, "Everypony who seems to know him just _loves_ him," she giggled, "I can certainly see why. He's a wonderful stallion," she added, staring at Twilight teasingly.

"Yeah, he is," Twilight muttered, smiling.

They lapsed into silence after that, the sound of the train's gentle rocking the only thing that broke through the quiet air, they were going much faster than yesterday, strangely enough. Twilight, ignored this for now, and looked back out the window, watching as the barren wasteland before her slowly began to show signs of life again. She smiled.

Ponyville. Here she comes.


	24. Adventures in Babysitting

Canterlot Castle was known as the paragon of Equestrian society. Only the highest of the highest had the true privilege of being invited into its illustrious halls.

Princess Celestia was a figure that many, if not all, of pony kind admired and respected. Her power, kindness, and beauty were coveted by many, and that placed her high above those she ruled over. She was the picture of purest grace, of endless patience, and of unmatched charm.

This figure, this model, this _image_, was shattered by the sight of the giddy white alicorn whom was currently trying, and succeeding, in dragging him through those previously illustrious halls.

"By the moon!" Emerald cursed, "What is so important for you to show me, that you'd outright _order_ me to come by and then _drag me through the halls_ like some possessed filly?!" he demanded, though his words must have fallen on deaf ears, as the Princess didn't so much as slow down.

The white walls, so identical to each other that it was a wonder that anyone could find their way around the castle, blurred past them as Celestia dragged him through the castle, until finally, _mercifully_, she stopped.

Emerald stumbled forward for a bit, not expecting the sudden stop, before righting himself, and turning to the princess, ready to outright _scold_ her for her behavior, but he stopped.

She was staring down at him, her deep magenta eyes peering at him with scarcely restrained glee. Her normally un-judging expression, perfected through a thousand years of use, had faded away, replaced by a smile he'd sooner expect from Pinkie than the mare before him. She was even bouncing on her hooves a little bit, for star's sake!

Finding himself unable to be angry at his m-boss' expression, he instead chose to look around, hoping to figure out the reason for her apparent excitement, to no avail.

She had stopped them in the middle of an otherwise indistinct hall, lined on both sides with dark coloured double doors that reached to the high ceiling, with one directly in front of them. There was a large, fluffy, red carpet that lined the center of the hallway, and between each door was a large tapestry, depicting the familiar symbol of the Royal Sisters and their corresponding celestial bodies. However, above each door was a large glass window.

Upon further inspection, however, he realized that a few of the many doors, perhaps twenty or so, bore a symbol on its faces that greatly resembled a pony's cutie mark. He also noticed that above those particular doors, the window was replaced with a stained glass version that depicted a pony with the same mark.

Even though it currently lacked a stained glass window, the particular door that Celestia had stopped the two of them in front of bore a mark that was very familiar to him.

_His._

He turned backed to Celestia, not quite comprehending.

"What is this?" he asked, then frowned, "Why am I here?"

Somehow, her smile seemed to widen,

"Do you recall what I said at your birthday party?" she asked, looking past him at the door,

"... Something about my gift being too large to transport, right?" she nodded,

"That's right," she said, her eyes locking onto his once more, "A statue." He blinked,

"A... a statue?" he asked, before the implications hit.

A statue? _Of him?!_ No way, there was just no _way_ that she was telling the truth! His expression must've given away his thoughts, as she sighed,

"Unfortunately, I can't have it displayed in the courtyard until you reveal yourself as the Champion, otherwise ponies would start asking questions that I'd rather not answer," she said. But Emerald only half paid attention to her.

A statue. Of him... it was insane. He didn't deserve some statue, he-!

Hold on...

"'_When_' I reveal myself?" he asked, staring up at her in confusion. Celestia's gaze mirrored his own,

"Yes, 'when'," she said, then tilted her head, and small smirk appearing on her features, "What? Did you believe you'd be able to keep it secret forever?" she asked, before giggling, a hoof flying up to her mouth in a vain attempt to stifle the sound.

"What's so funny about that?" he asked, his mind still too caught up on the fact that she'd apparently made him _a statue_ to connect the dots himself. Her giggling stopped, instead replaced by a fond smile aimed at him,

"I understand what you're doing by keeping it secret, Emerald, but it simply can't be," she said, her smile softening, turning into a light frown, "You are the fourth most powerful citizen in Equestria, behind only myself, my sister, and my niece. You have saved Equestria time and time again, Emerald," she said, then nodded gently, the smile returning, "No other Champion before you has remained hidden as long as you have," she said, casting a glance back at the marked doors, "and, while it's impressive that you've managed this long, it's simply not meant to be," she finished sagely, turning back to him.

Emerald swallowed thickly, his throat suddenly much too dry. This... this couldn't be. He-he couldn't possibly come out now! He couldn't let his position be public, he couldn't let the entire nation know his name! There'd be riots! The knowledge that some non-pony was in such a high position of power would cause a nationwide outrage!

And when that happened, he be forced to run.

And if they caught him they'd take him away again. Just like _they_ did, _they'd hurt him, beat him, torment him, they'd-!_

He crushed that thought process with a vicious snarl. He must be getting restless again if he had truly allowed those thoughts to invade his head. Even if there was a public outcry, he knew Celestia would be there for him, just like she always had. He needn't fear _that_ ever again.

He wasn't supposed to deal with this shit right now. When she'd summoned him, he'd been under the impression that she wanted to talk about his report about Appleloosa. Namely the apparent forger on the loose, as well as the compensation for the settler's lost gold. Not _this._

"I know," he said finally, feeling just the slightest bit of guilt at the worried look on her face. He glanced at the door, the pair of question marks with blazing dots of fire looking almost alien to him for a moment, before turning back to Celestia, "If that's all you need, I should be heading back to Ponyville now."

* * *

Emerald sighed from behind the counter, his earlier interaction with the Princess still weighing on his mind.

He just couldn't understand why she'd do something like that. A statue, in his honour. It just... wasn't right.

Perhaps if it were someone else in his position they'd be jumping for joy at the prospect of finally having their achievements acknowledged, but he'd grown used to hiding away, letting others either take the credit, or having it simply washed aside by Celestia. And she _knew_ that, so why would she...?

He shook his head. His head was getting too jumbled from everything that had happened lately, and this certainly wasn't helping. First there was the whole traveling back to the Badlands, a place he visited fairly often in his nightmares and certainly hadn't wanted to in the real world, then the issue with Spike and the buffalo, the forged document, and now this?

At the very least trying to figure out the whole document situation wasn't _too_ difficult. A buffalo, claiming to be Thunderhooves, and just so happened to have a document reminiscent of one that could be found in the Royal Archives, signature notwithstanding?

The only answer was obvious, to him at least.

Changelings.

But that didn't make any sense. Changelings and ponies, while never allies, hadn't had any sort of confrontation for the past 800 years, so why in the world would they do that? To spark a war between ponies and buffalo? Something like that, with the sheer number and weapons advantage the ponies had over the buffalo, made little sense.

A faint memory rose to the surface of his mind.

Someone... someone had mentioned something about Canterlot, and having plans...

Dammit, who was it?! It was in his head, he knew it! But all this bullshit surrounding him was making it difficult to concentrate!

A sudden cry from upstairs caught his attention for a moment, long enough to completely derail his thoughts, the light Manehatten accent he could hear confirming it as Mrs. Cake. He didn't pay much attention to the sound other than that, fearing if he did he'd be privy to a more _private_ activity that could elicit that sound. It certainly didn't help that he could hear quite a bit of movement coming from their room.

Fighting to brush aside the distraction, he glanced back to the kitchen, where Pinkie was busy mixing together some batter for a pastry that hadn't been ordered, yet she still knew would be sooner or later. He hummed to himself, idly. Pinkie was such an odd mare, the fact having settled in long ago, yet it still managed to catch him off guard every now and again. If that whole 'Pinkie Sense' debacle had proved anything to him, it was that, when it came to the mare in question, it truly _was_ better to simply brush it off as 'Pinkie being Pinkie'.

It was that particular fact that had him a little on edge since her return a few days ago. She had come walking off the train-_walking not bouncing_-with a small, content smile on her face. She'd been strangely calm since then, though she still had the same infectious smile as ever, so he doubted that there was anything wrong.

His attention was drawn away once again as the incessant noise from upstairs starting to get louder, as well as closer, which caused Emerald to frown. Just before he waltzed out from behind the counter and go check on them, however, Mr. and Mrs. Cake came damn near barreling down the stairs, with Mrs. Cake looking like she had just finished running a couple miles, and Mr. Cake looking as though he was expecting an Ursa Major to come knocking on his door.

"What's goin-?" he tried to ask, but the frantic stallion cut him off,

"Cup's going into labour!"

Well, _that_ got things going.

Pinkie came rushing out the kitchen, looking both excited and anxious,

"Really?!" she asked, "That's great!"

"I'm not sure I agree, dearie!" Mrs. Cake muttered, though she went ignored,

"Let's get you to the hospital," Emerald said, already heading out the door, "I'll clear the way, Pinkie help Mr. Cake carry Mrs. Cake," he ordered, smirking when Pinkie saluted,

"Aye, aye, Cap'n!"

Emerald burst out the door, startling a few of the nearby ponies,

"Mrs. Cake's going into labour," he snapped, "Get out of the way!" the ponies all nodded, looking somewhat happy at his declaration, and moved off to the side. His order had been fairly loud, which resulted in quite a few other ponies already moving out of the way as well, each one seemingly dragging along another as the news passed around.

Thank goodness for Ponyville's small size. It helped information get around absurdly quickly.

Emerald rushed forward, shouting at the few ponies that hadn't moved to clear the street, when he happened by the apple stand,

"Howdy Emerald!" she called, causing him to pause for a moment, "What's the hurry?" she asked, smirking with a raised brow.

"Mrs. Cake's going into labour, so I'm clearing a path for for the others to hurry through," he explained quickly. Applejack smiled,

"That's amazin'!" she exclaimed, then gave him a determined nod, before grabbing a nearby wagon and strapping herself to it, "How 'bout I lend ya'll a hoof?" she asked. Emerald nodded,

"That would appreciated," he said, then pointed towards the bakery, "Just head to Sugarcube Corner, they can't've gone far," he said. She nodded,

"Alright! See ya there!" she said, before jogging down the path towards the soon-to-be-no-longer-pregnant mare. Once he was sure she'd make it, Emerald turned back around and charged down the road, resuming his task of clearing the way.

Though, it was turning out to be a bit harder than he'd hoped. There was a surprising amount of activity near the tail end of the marketplace, meaning that, no matter how loudly he shouted for everyone to move out of his way, only one or two ponies heard it.

"What the hay are you doing, Emerald?" a tomcoltish voice asked from above.

That was one of them.

He scowled slightly at her voice, but threw aside whatever dislike he had for the mare,

"Rainbow Dash!" he snapped, looking up at her, "I need your help with this crowd," he said. Crash blinked,

"Wha-_my_ help?" she asked, then chuckled, "_You_ are asking _me_ for help?" she sounded just as surprised as he felt for asking, then frowned, "What is it?" she asked, sounding just the slightest bit suspicious.

"Mrs. Cake's gone into labour, and I need to clear a way for Applejack to bring her down to the hospital. I figure you'd have a much easier time getting everyone's attention," he explained. Crash stared at him for a moment, then smirked confidently,

"Aw, _fuck_ yeah!" she shouted, "Leave it to me! I'll have this crowd cleared in ten seconds flat!" before speeding off, a rainbow contrail left in her wake.

Emerald growled slightly, feeling a little more impatient than he should, but, thankfully, Rainbow proved true to her word, and suddenly sped back with a large, dark, thundercloud in her hooves, and positioned it right above the crowd. She did something, involving kicking the cloud furiously, and a loud **_*CRACK*_** echoed through the area, causing the entire crowd to suddenly stop in their tracks, before collectively looking up,

"ALRIGHT, EVERYPONY!" Rainbow bellowed, "MRS. CAKE IS GOING INTO LABOUR, AND WE NEED ALL OF YOU TO CLEAR THE AREA SO SHE CAN GET TO THE HOSPITAL! NOW MOVE IT!"

That did the trick, and not a moment too soon either. Just as the crowd finished clearing a path through town, did Applejack, Pinkie, and Mr. Cake come rushing down the street, with Mrs. Cake sitting in the brown cart pulled by Applejack.

Emerald smirked. At least Rainbow kept her word. Ten seconds hadn't even passed, he believed.

"Applejack!" he shouted, "Down here!" he added with a wave. He saw her nod, and her gait increased, now beginning to outpace the two earth ponies by her side, not that it mattered considering their destination.

He charged off ahead of them, hearing Rainbow land and run with him as he did so.

The sight of Rainbow Dash charging down the road proved to be a familiar sight, as ponies hardly spared them a glance as they moved out of their way, though the large brown cart behind them likely didn't hurt either.

"Yoo hoo! Emerald!" a posh voice called out, Emerald's gaze darted to the side, spotting Rarity and Fluttershy, the two of them looking fresh and pristine, likely just coming from the spa, walking down the road towards them.

"Can't talk, Mrs. Cake is going into labour," he sputtered quickly as they passed. Judging by the added hoofsteps a moment later, he figured the two of them were giving chase as well.

The hospital quickly came into sight, and Emerald and Rainbow's pace increased simultaneously the two of them arriving at the doors at the same time, and pulling them open for the foaling mare and her little entourage.

Mr. Cake ran up to the front desk, the stallion sitting at it looking confused. He went to speak, but Mr. Cake beat him to it,

"My wife is about to give birth!"

* * *

Emerald sighed, doing his best to ignore the pained screams he could hear from in the room. The foals weren't even coming yet, and Mrs. Cake was already beginning to hate her husband for putting her through it. He chuckled at the thought,

"Ooohhh..." Pinkie muttered excitedly, "I can't wait for the new babies to arrive!" she cheered, holding her hooves up to her face as she wiggled in the chair to his left.

"Yeah, it's hard ta believe it's been 11 months already," Applejack added, smiling, though she winced at every pained yell that she managed to hear,

"Oh yes!" Rarity said, "It's wonderful! Oh, I remember how happy my parents were when Sweetie Belle was born," she smiled fondly, "Goodness, I don't believe they stopped smiling that entire _month!_" she added as an afterthought.

"I hope they're ready for it, though," Sparky interjected from Emerald's right side, "My parents had a hard enough time dealing with me and my brother, and he's twelve years older than me," she said with a smile, then frowned, "I can't imagine how difficult it will be to have to take care of _two_ newborn foals."

"""""You have a brother?!"""""

Sparky shrunk against the wall at the loud, stunned yell of her five friends, looking quite surprised herself.

"Um... yeah?" she said.

Emerald smirked as Sparky's friends all descended on her, each one asking a completely different question from the rest. Regardless, he already knew Shining Armor, though he never met him.

Mrs. Cake's screams suddenly began again, with renewed vigor. Though he could also hear the excited chattering of Mr. Cake, as well as the doctor and nurses in the room, meaning that she was finally giving birth.

He hummed idly, watching in amusement as the mares beside him stopped questioning Sparky, who looked relieved, and crowded near the door. He wondered if this was a natural occurrence in Equestria whenever a mare gives birth, or if it was just these mares being unusual. In Nocturne, from what he could only vaguely recall when he was five, the reaction was _much_ bigger.

Thestrals have a low natural birth rate, which was why the population rarely ever crested passed more than a few hundred at a time. Having a foal in Nocturne was cause for mass celebration the entire species over. Having one foal was considered an honour almost as high as being the head of the family. The fact that his mother and father had a _third_ foal when he came along, something that, if he recalled correctly, hadn't happened in over 1,500 years, resulted in a celebration that lasted months. The fact his father was the head of the family only made it _more_ of a celebration. Though, he also could, faintly, remember the heavy air when it was revealed that he had a weak constitution.

He idly wondered how everyone took it when he was taken.

Probably not very good, though it was likely better then it would've been had he died. If there was one thing he could actually _thank_ the Facility for, it was improving his medical condition to the point where he could survive on his own. Of course if he ever came face to face with someone who worked for the Facility, he'd sooner _tear their head from their shoulders_ than thank them for anything.

The screams increased in volume for a moment, before a faint blue aura covered the door, and the screams ceased. Emerald chuckled. Of course the hospital staff had access to _that_ spell.

"Oh my, I hope she's doing okay," Fluttershy said, worried. Rainbow scoffed,

"'Course she's doing fine. This is Mrs. Cake we're talkin' about! If she can deal with Pinkie everyday, then this is _nothing_ to her!" she said confidently, likely trying to ease his cousin's worry. It worked, given the soft smile that wormed its way onto her features,

"I suppose that's true..."

"We should probably be a little more worried about Mr. Cake," Rarity said, giggling a little, "My Father had quite the bruise on his hoof from where my Mother crushed it during Sweetie's birth," she then hummed slightly, "Though, both my parents are unicorns. So I can only imagine how much stronger Mr. and Mrs. Cake are in comparison."

"Either way, he's coming out with a limp, is what you're saying," Emerald interjected, causing her to laugh lightly, before nodding.

"Indeed."

Time passed both quickly, yet agonizingly slow at the same time.

Without the presence of Mrs. Cake's screams to clue them in to her moments of rest, they had no idea when she was in the middle of giving birth, or when she was stuck waiting for the other foal to come out. There was no guarantee that the first one would come out easily either, so for all they knew, they'd be sitting here for more than a few hours.

Emerald tried not to watch the clock, really, he did, but with nothing else to keep an eye on, he really didn't have much of a choice.

Eventually, three hours passed, in which the mares had slowly started joining him in his endeavor to burn the clock with his gaze, and the door suddenly opened, revealing a white, blue-eyed mare with a soft pink mane, a white nurse's cap sitting daintily on her head. With a cutie mark of a red cross with hearts in each corner, coupled with her at-ease expression, she was obviously quite used to this.

"Hello everypony," she began, "Now, I imagine you're here for the Cake family?" she asked, earning seven nods. She smiled, "Alright, well the foals and mother have made it through the birth without any issues," she paused as Pinkie, and even Emerald, let out a relieved sigh, causing her to smile, "but we'll be moving them into the care center for a little while, so we can do some tests to make sure everything is fine. So if you could all follow me, that would make things a lot easier."

* * *

They followed the nurse, who eventually introduced herself as Nurse Redheart, until they all reached a small waiting room where a large pane of glass separated them from a room where, maybe a dozen or so, cribs littered the area, quite a few of them filled at the moment with peacefully sleeping foals.

The girls all crowded around the window, cooing gently at the the little foals, and even Emerald found himself sporting a small smile at the sight of the little bundles.

Even so, he carefully scanned the room before him, looking for any sign of the two new foals, though he was unsuccessful, having no idea what either of them looked like.

"Can you believe the new babies are here?" Applejack asked after a while, smiling widely,

"Mr. and Mrs. Cake must be so proud!" Sparky agreed, her smile just as wide.

"I wonder if they're both fillies? Or colts? Or perhaps even one of each?" Rarity interjected, "Goodness, I hoped they've prepared names for the little darlings," she added, scanning the room like Emerald had not too long ago,

"Ooohhh!" Pinkie moaned excitedly, nearly bouncing in place, her face mushed up against the glass, "I wanna see the new babies! I wanna see them _sooo_ badly! Which ones are they?!" she asked impatiently.

Her question was soon to be answered, as a door off to the side opened up, revealing a haggard looking Mr. Cake walking into the room, clearly favouring his right hoof over his left, eliciting a pair of snickers from Emerald and Rainbow Dash, both recalling Rarity's earlier words. The two of them glanced at each other with narrowed eyes for a moment, before shrugging it off and returning their attention to Mr. Cake.

"Well everypony," Mr. Cake began, pausing in between two cribs, his voice loud enough to reach them, but quiet enough to not disturb the little ones, "I think it's time to introduce our new foals," he reached over, and gently removed the blanket from the crib to his right, revealing a light brown colt with a darker brown mane and tail, "This is our son, little Pound Cake, " as if on cue, the newly named colt let out a wide yawn, reflexively spreading a minuscule pair of light brown wings, which was met with a round of 'Aww's from the mares, and a gentle smirk from Emerald, "And this," he turned and did the same to the crib to his left, "is our daughter, Pumpkin Cake," Pumpkin turned out to be a light cream coloured unicorn with a darker orange mane and tail. The new filly was met with a round of confused 'Aww's, not that Emerald could blame them.

An _earth pony_ couple, having both a _p__egasus_ and a _unicorn_ foal at the _same time_?

That wasn't normal.

"But... how?" Sparky asked, though she went ignored as Pinkie completely bypassed that stage of confusion, jumping straight into elation, not that it was much of a surprise.

"Two foals for me to play with means _two_ times the fun!" she cheered, before rushing into the room, somehow having procured a party hat, "And since you two were _just_ born today, that means it's also your birthday!" she gushed eagerly, pulling out a party horn. Emerald and the others all stiffened at once upon seeing what the party pony was about to do, but they all relaxed when Mr. Cake, thankfully, stopped her,

"Pinkie," he began gently, having successfully snatched away her horn, "I know you're excited about the foals, but they're trying to sleep. You can wait until we bring them home to play, alright?" he asked. Pinkie pouted for a moment, before eventually brightening up,

"Okay!"

"Well, that's all well an' good," Applejack began, ignoring Pinkie's bouncing as she returned to their room, "but how in the world is one of 'em twins a unicorn, an' the other a pegasus?" she asked. The question caught the attention of everyone in the room, who proceeded to direct their collective inquiry over to the father in question. Mr. Cake smiled,

"Well, my great-great-great-great-grandfather was a unicorn, and Cup's great-aunt-second-cousin twice-removed, was a pegasus," he said, before chuckling sheepishly, "That makes sense, right?"

"""""""No.""""""""

The stallion just chuckled once again.

"Anyway," Rainbow began, brushing aside that particular topic, "you guys just wait, once Pound there gets his wings going, he'll be flying all over the place!" she warned excitedly,

"And do be careful with Pumpkin," Rarity cautioned,

"That's right, unicorn foals tend to have magic Surges that come and go," Sparky added, "They're not too bad, but it gets worse when they're older," Mr. Cake nodded,

"Alright, thanks for the advice, girls," he said, "I'll be sure to tell Cup as well."

* * *

Things progressed simply after that. The twins were brought home and introduced to their new room, with Pinkie cheerfully dragging Emerald along into the small celebration, not that she really needed to.

He might not have partaken in a celebration of birth in over 16 years, but he could still remember how important they were. And given how, admittedly, close he'd grown to the Cakes and Pinkie, he wouldn't have missed it for anything.

A week had passed since their birth, and December wasn't too far off. Strangely enough, the pegasi hadn't gotten any calls to start making snow, though there was still a noticeable chill in the air. Either way, the twins had been growing progressively more active during the week, and could be seen occasionally running around the store front, giggling loudly.

It was a pleasant sight to Emerald. To see such innocent joy practically _flowing_ off of those two, it reminded him of happier days. Pinkie had, predictably, taken a shine to the two of them instantly, though, strangely enough, the twins had taken an even greater shine to _Emerald_ instead, though they still adored Pinkie quite a bit.

When they weren't running around, pounding their hooves on things, primarily Pound, or chewing on whatever they could find, primarily Pumpkin, they would often follow Emerald around the store like a pair of lost puppies. It was cute, he'd admit. Watching the two of them trail after him almost no matter where he walked was amusing on many different levels, though he was careful to prevent the two from following him during his lunch or when he ended his shift.

Emerald sighed softly, finding himself, once again, content with his surroundings. Mr. Cake was busy rushing around, preparing an order he and his wife needed to deliver to Canterlot in a few days, while Pinkie happily played around with the two foals. Mrs. Cake, however, was busy preparing the foals' things for the upcoming meteor shower later that night.

"Peekaboo!" Laughter. "Peekaboo!" Laughter. "Peekaboo!" Laughter.

It was a little annoying, but Emerald was fine with letting it continue. Idly turning his attention away from Pinkie, he gazed back towards the front door, idly wondering why business was being so slow today.

Perhaps everyone else was _also_ preparing things for the shower tonight? It would make sense. The shower in question only came around every hundred years or so. Just in time for the twins to watch it as well. Shame they'd probably never remember it, though.

The bell above the door rang during his momentary lapse in focus, revealing the familiar pair of purple unicorn and hatchling walking towards him.

"Sparky. Spike. How can I help you?" he asked. Sparky smiled at him, sending the twins a fond look as well, before she nudged Spike forward. The action caused Emerald to focus more on the hatchling, finding him seemingly... nervous about something. He repressed a frown, figuring he'd find out anyways.

"Uh, do you think I could have a couple bags of chocolate chips? And some oats?" he asked nervously. Why the fuck was the hatchling so nervous? It's not like it was a big order. Unusual, yes, but not out of the question.

"Sure. Fifteen bits," he said, already reaching under the counter for one of Pinkie's 'emergency chocolate stash''s, as well as the still untouched bag of oats that Mrs. Cake had kept under there for when her cravings started up.

He didn't know why she still kept it under there, though, but she probably wouldn't mind. Hopefully.

Sparky smiled and levitated the bits from her saddlebag,

"See, Spike? Emerald isn't _that_ scary..."

He frowned for a moment, but made no other indication that he'd heard her, taking the bits and trading them over.

"So, whatcha need the chips and oats for?" he asked, "Planning something special?" Spike stiffened slightly, but Sparky was happy to answer for him,

"Spike's making some cookies for a little picnic we're having during the meteor shower," she said, smiling happily, "Can you believe it? We actually get to witness a phenomena that only happens every hundred years! Isn't it exciting?!" she gushed, before abruptly freezing, her face going red. Emerald chuckled,

"Yeah, I guess it _is_ pretty exciting," he agreed, before frowning, "It's a shame the others won't be here to see it," he muttered to himself, lost in memories for a moment, before shaking the haze away.

Sparky didn't notice his lapse, instead sparing a glance towards the clock, before gasping,

"Wow! Look at the time! Sorry Emerald, but Spike and I have to head back to the library. I still have an entire checklist I have to go through to prepare for the shower later!" she explained rapidly, before turning and rushing out the door. Spike stood there for a moment, before sending Emerald a glance, then, with a scared twitch, ran out the door after Sparky.

He frowned. When the fuck had the hatchling started being scared of him?

Whatever, it wasn't his problem.

Mrs. Cake suddenly came jogging down the stairs, holding a large duffel bag Emerald was sure was filled to bursting with baby supplies,

"Okay!" she began, "I've gotten everything ready for the night. Blanket, snacks, the twins' bottles... am I missing anything, dear?" she asked, setting the bag beside Emerald.

"It doesn't sound like it, hun," Mr. Cake responded on one of his trips back into the kitchen, "But maybe bring an extra blanket or two in case," he added through the window. Mrs. Cake nodded,

"Alright."

Pound and Pumpkin, who had still been happily entertained by Pinkie, finally seemed to notice the presence of their dear mother behind them. They proceeded to spin around cheerfully, crying out as they happily ran over to her, giggling all the while. Mrs. Cake laughed,

"Oh, and how are my little babies doing?" she asked, peppering the little foals with kisses, each kiss eliciting a small cry of joy from the little ones.

Emerald felt his smile, which had started to slowly grow the more he watched, die a vicious death just like that. He stared for a moment, watching as the foals cooed and hugged Mrs. Cake, bright cheerful smiles abound, before he tore his gaze away.

His heart hurt. He could hear it **_pounding_** in his ears like a tidal wave, crashing against his mind with every passing second! It ripped and tore at his very core-

**_A Mother..._**

_He didn't understand why. It was just a small show of affection from a pair of foals towards their **mother**, so it really shouldn't bother him._

**_Lost long ago, a fleeting memory..._**

_It was nothing. A small, insignificant little thing. It wasn't like he was feeling jealous towards those foals for loving their **mother**, right?_

**_A small foal cried desperately for a familiar warmth, but it never came..._**

Emerald grit his teeth, holding a hoof against his head. Those cheerful cries, once a source of smiles, now only caused his budding headache to worsen, causing sharp pains to course through his mind without rest.

He felt... confused by the feelings coursing through him. He spared another glance towards the twins and their mother, feeling _something_ surge within him, but found himself unable to identify it.

_Was that what it was like to have a mother?_

* * *

Two hours had passed, and Pinkie was happily leading him towards Sweet Apple Acres, where the entire town was gathering for the meteor shower. Thankfully his headache had faded within that time, but, unfortunately his feelings of-**_longingresenmentloneliness_**-confusion plagued him the whole trip.

"Hey girls!" Pinkie called, picking up her pace for a moment, until she arrived cleanly between Applejack and Applebloom, who looked just as excited as Pinkie, "Are you all ready for this super-fantastically-amazing meteor shower to start?!" she asked. Applejack laughed,

"I sure am, Pinkie!" she replied,

"Oh it's going to be simply _marvelous_!" Rarity agreed, walking over to them, Sweetie Belle in tow,

"Yeah! It's gonna be amazing!" Sweetie added, her voice squeaking slightly.

"Hey girls!" the voice of Scootaloo chirped, as she came running up to them, "You all ready?" she asked,

""YEAH!"" they cried, before the three of them jogged off.

"Well, they seem excited," a silky voice muttered from behind him, before Trixie appeared in his peripherals, Wisp following right after.

"Hmm," was his only reply, still lost in his earlier thoughts. Trixie glanced at him, immediately taking notice of his glossy-eyed-look.

Her mouth twitched downward in response. It wasn't often that he started thinking hard enough to ignore his surroundings, even slightly.

_Whatever caught his attention must be important_, she mused.

Wisp noticed as well, but didn't seem to be as content as Trixie was to just let him think,

"Emerald? You okay?" she asked, tapping her brother's wing. The touch seemed to jostle him from his thoughts, and he turned to look at Wisp,

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm alright," he said, "Just... thinking about something," Trixie scoffed,

"Yeah, _something_. Reeeaaallly not helpin' yourself there, Em," he winced at her tone,

"That's... about as well as I can describe it, really. It was just a passing thought that ended up taking root, is all. It's honestly not important," he explained. Trixie's response was cut off, however, by the timely arrival of Sparky and the hatchling.

"Well, I _am_ your Number One Assistant!" the hatchling boasted as they crested the hill, pulling a red wagon stuffed with various assortments, causing Sparky to giggle,

"Yes, you are," she said, "Would you mind setting up the picnic, Spike?" she asked. The hatchling saluted,

"No problem!"

Emerald watched on, with mild amusement, as the hatchling began to dutifully set up the blanket, placing a bowl of fruits, a plate of cookies, and a bowl of punch down, and even set up a blue telescope and its tri-pod off to the side, presumably for Sparky.

"Wow," Rainbow praised, munching on a apple she'd swiped after walking up to them, "It's pretty cool that you've got an assistant like that, Twilight," Sparky beamed,

"Yep! Spike is my Number One Assistant for a reason!" she said, not noticing the hatchling preen at the words,

"Man, I wish I had somepony who did whatever _I_ said," Rainbow muttered to herself. Sparky giggled,

"He sure is special!" she added, not hearing Rainbow, before she frowned, "Though, it _is_ a shame I didn't get to bring my _The Astronomical Astronomer's Almanac to All Things Astronomy_ with me," she said, pouting a little bit.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack both snickered at her, though Emerald's attention focused itself more on the way the hatchling stiffened, a guilty grimace overtaking his features.

Interesting. He'd have to keep that in mind.

"What happened to it?" Emerald finally spoke, fishing for information, keeping an eye on the hatchling's reaction as he did so. Sparky shrugged,

"I'm not sure. I was certain I'd put it back where it belonged, but Spike couldn't find it anywhere!" she said, looking worried, "I wonder if somepony checked it out without me noticing..." she added thoughtfully.

Given the way the hatchling's grimace worsened, as well as the way he shrunk into himself for a moment, Emerald had a feeling he knew what happened to the book.

Still, was it worth mentioning? She'd find it soon enough, thanks to her habit of re-shelving the whole place. He'd face his punishment, it was only a matter of time.

Emerald felt a wicked grin split his face for a moment. Oh yes, he'd let the hatchling go, for now. Let him stew in whatever it was he did. It would make the wait _agonizing_ for the little drake.

"Oh, do we have Spike to thank for this amazing spread?" Rarity suddenly asked, taking notice of the laid out blanket, "Oh my, isn't he just wonderful?" she asked, her words causing the hatchling to melt, whatever feelings he'd had a moment ago fading away,

"Aw, come on..." he said bashfully, then paused for a moment, then added, "I said 'come on'," he implored. Pinkie interrupted that by ruffling the top of his head,

"Aw, little Spikey-Wikey... who knew that big, ferocious dragons started off so _cutesy-wutsey_?" she asked. Emerald snorted, trying not to think of the _many_ dragons that would've taken offense to that statement.

"Spike," Rarity began, suddenly serious, "You are such a little _star_, that I just _had_ to make this little bow-tie for you!" she announced, producing a bright pink, gem-encrusted bow from one of her bags, before carefully tying it just beneath his chin.

"Oh... stop it guys, you're embarrassing me!" Spike said, waving them off, before turning to Sparky, "Alright, Twilight, your turn," she scoffed, and rolled her eyes,

"That's enough, Spike," she said firmly.

"Good idea, we don't want his **Greed** to get out of hoof, now do we?" Emerald interjected for a moment.

"**Greed**?" Sparky asked, but a sudden shout stopped him from replying.

"Look! The shower's starting!"

The girls, as well as everyone else around them, suddenly scrambled for a good spot to watch.

Emerald ended up standing to the right of Sparky, with Wisp sitting on his back as the show started.

It started with one. Then one became two, which then became five, and it continued until the entire _sky_ was littered with glowing trails of light that stretched across the infinite void beyond. It was _magnificent._ The dark midnight and purple sky _glowed_ as the shimmering meteors passed through the atmosphere. Each one glowed with an almost _alien_ radiance, leaving a glimmering trail of stardust in their wake.

For some reason, Emerald found it harder and harder to focus on the shower as time passed, however. Yet, none of the hundreds of awed gasps from all around him drew his attention from the spectacle before him.

_Save one._

His eyes trailed over to the purple mare beside him, her eyes wide with wonder. Her mouth was open in a silent expression of awe and joy, her form coated delicately in the trailing light of the meteors, passing over her every second, and illuminating her soft eyes. He watched for a moment, as her eyes reflected the sky before her, the way those soft amethysts _shone_ in the darkness.

He was, for an instant, struck with the sheer _beauty_ that was Twilight Sparkle.

Her soft breaths were rendered all but inaudible by the cacophony of sound around them, yet he could hear each one as though they spoke to his very soul. The small puff of mist her breath made, glittered daintily in the cold night air. If he listened carefully, he could even track her gentle heartbeat, each life-giving pump sending her blood throughout her body, coursing through her very being. The way her stomach rose and fell with every breath, the way she gently swayed to the side as her focus was entirely upon the light-show in the sky.

His eyes trailed, once more, upwards, watching as the gentle breeze caused her mane to flow softly, the delicate strands of hair brushing softly against her coat. The wonder that was expressed through her face was a sight that he honestly could've watched _forever_.

Trixie smirked at her brother, finding how completely _entranced_ he was by Twilight more than a little amusing.

She chuckled softly to herself.

_'Operation: Get Em a Marefriend' seems to be working juuuust fine,_ she thought, _And I haven't even done anything yet!_

Eventually Emerald realized just how intently he was staring, and redirected his gaze an instant before Sparky risked a glance at him.

Twilight smiled, then returned her gaze back to the sky.

* * *

The meteor shower concluded almost fifteen minutes after Emerald wrenched his gaze away from Sparky, though he still had to prevent himself from staring during the picnic, on occasion.

Though, he also tried very hard not to lock eyes with Trixie, who seemed _much_ too happy about something. Honestly, he was a little afraid to find out what it was.

He munched quietly on one of the cookies that Sparky, and the hatchling, had brought along, thinking to himself. His confusion from earlier had, thankfully, faded away sometime during his... _examination_ of Sparky. Though, what hadn't subsided was his curiosity as to _what_ that same curiosity had stemmed from. Obviously it had something to do with the twins and Mrs. Cake, possibly Mr. Cake as well, though he doubted it.

His mouth twitched downward. There were only so many explanations for it, really, and it was obvious in hindsight. So obvious that it was actually a little funny.

He was _jealous_. Of a pair of foals.

It didn't sit well with him, but what was he to do? _Find_ a mother of his own to ease his worries? _Hah!_ Just imagine it, him being held and coddled by some mare who only vaguely looked like him. It was an image worthy of laughter at best, and sneers at worst.

He smirked to himself, imagining that very scene himself. Though, for some reason, he found himself constantly having to readjust it. One second the mare had wings, the next a horn. One moment she was his size, then suddenly she was nearly twice his height! Was his fantasy mother supposed to be a damn alicorn, or something? He snorted to himself, and fought for control of the image for another ten seconds, before eventually giving up and tossing it aside.

_It was probably the chocolate_, he mused, staring down at the half-eaten cookie in his hoof. Too much sugar all at once.

_He ignored the fact that he'd only eaten the one cookie, and hadn't even_ touched_ the punch._

"Mmmhmmm! These cookies are deeee_lish_!" Pinkie announced, licking up the crumbs she'd been sloppy enough to leave littering her face,

"Yep! Spike made them!" Sparky gushed, "He's been practicing the recipe for _years_ now!" she added, before frowning, "I've never been able to eat too many of them at once, though. I always need something to wash them down w-S-Spike?!" she stammered, having been halfway to grabbing a glass of punch, only to discover the hatchling in question passed out with his head in the bowl. Her surprise fled her after a moment, replaced by fond giggling,

"Hey look everypony!" Pinkie called, "Looks like the punch has been... _Spike'd_!" Pinkie's joke caused a series of laughter to erupt out of the group, even earning a few chuckles from Emerald.

"Oh, poor little thing..." Rarity cooed, looking over the sleeping drake. Sparky giggled once more,

"Looks like he tired himself out," she said, using her magic to gently lift him onto her back, "Well, I guess it's time I head home and put Spike to bed," she added, already folding up the blanket and putting everything away in her little wagon,

"Aww, already?" Pinkie asked, making Sparky laugh a bit,

"Yep, sorry Pinkie," she said. A loud yawn from Rainbow kept them from talking further,

"Yeesh, it really is late," she muttered, already beginning to hover off the ground, "I'm headin' home to catch some 'Z's. See you guys later!" Applejack nodded after her, then turned to the rest of the group,

"Bloom an' I gotta get up a might early tomorra, so it's we time hit the hay as well," she said, gesturing for her younger sister to follow. Applebloom and the others bid each other good night, before she hurried off after her big sister.

"Come along, Sweetie Belle," Rarity said, "Ladies need their beauty sleep."

"Coming!"

Having been left alone, Scootaloo pouted for a moment, before her name was called. She ran off towards a pegasus couple not long after, presumably her parents.

Emerald made sure to memorize their faces, for whenever he felt it necessary to talk about her possible ancestry.

Trixie and Wisp left, alongside Fluttershy and Pinkie, the latter of whom was excitedly bouncing side-by-side the Cakes, the twins laughter oddly not present. Likely asleep, he figured.

That left him and Sparky, as well as the snoozing hatchling, alone in the park, rapidly disappearing crowd notwithstanding.

"I'll walk you home," he offered, before he could stop himself. Sparky stiffened minutely, but turned her head to face him, smiling,

"I'd like that."

The trip itself was mostly silent, the two of them apparently quite content to just walk beside one another. Emerald chanced a look towards Sparky, only to find his gaze meeting her, equally surprised, one. They blinked at each other for a moment, before both rapidly looked away, each turning a faint red.

"S-so, how'd you like the, uh... the meteor shower?" Emerald managed, cursing himself for stuttering,

"It was... amazing," Sparky breathed, her tension melting away, her relaxation causing Emerald to follow suit, "I never thought I'd be lucky enough to actually _watch_ something that amazing. And with my friends no less!" she gushed, practically vibrating, "I'll never forget tonight!" she added exuberantly, beaming at him.

Emerald felt himself smile at her attitude. This new Sparky was a bit of a change from her previously shy demeanor, but he simply credited it to her getting used to his presence. Not that it was a bad thing, far from it. He found that he enjoyed Sparky's slightly bolder personality from the shy, nervous it had been two weeks ago.

It _was_ rather strange though, for her to suddenly shift demeanors like she did. Something must've happened on that trip, likely while he was asleep, that instigated this change.

...

Well, whatever it was, it probably wasn't his problem just yet.

"Goodnight, Sparky," he said once they arrived at the library, "I'll see you at the course tomorrow morning, right?" he asked. Sparky nodded confidently,

"Of course!"

And with that, he set out to begin his patrol for the night.

* * *

Mornings, he found, were something he'd started to look forward to, even a surprisingly nippy one like this one.

It had nothing to do with the fact that he got to spend extra time with Sparky, and most _certainly_ had nothing to do with the fact that said time involved her getting sweaty, out of breath, and flushed as a tomato. He didn't find the way her figure heaved with every breath alluring, or the way the sweat smoothed down her coat and gave it a shine alluring in _any_ fashion.

... Well, maybe it did, but frankly he didn't mind. His crush, his... infatuation with Sparky had only grown with time, as evidenced by him nearly forgetting to hit stop on the timer.

"Three minutes, forty-two seconds," he called, watching the way she flopped onto the ground, out of breath, amused, "Good job, you shaved off two seconds from last time. Keep it up, and you might reach my current time," Sparky tried to scoff, but all that came out was a breathless huff,

"You... you mean... the one where... where you're wearing _weights_?" she asked, incredulously, "How... in the hay... am I supposed to catch that?" she asked,

"Practice," he replied cheekily, ignoring her half-assed magic swat she'd aimed at him. He pointedly ignored the magic that struck him, whatever fear he'd felt towards it before gone in lieu of his crush. That was one pro of the damn thing, at least. He glanced towards the sky, gauging the sun's location, and nodded, "Alright, time's up for now. I gotta head to work." Sparky nodded,

"O...okay," she huffed, groaning slightly as she made her way to her hooves, "I... I gotta head home too," she said, suddenly beginning to brighten, "I have a new pet to take care of!" she cheered. Emerald paused, and glanced back at her, taking notice of the glow she seemed to exude at the mention of this 'pet',

"Really now?" he asked, curious, "And what kind of pet is it, exactly?" Sparky smiled, but held up a hoof,

"Ah, ah, ah!" she chimed, "You're going to have to wait to see him like everypony else! I still have to introduce him to Spike, first, since he'll be helping him out with his assistant duties," she explained. Emerald smirked, then scoffed a moment later when a thought struck him,

"Oh really?" he asked, she nodded, "Right, well make sure the little hatchling doesn't think he's getting replaced. Dragons are _very_ territorial, you know?" he warned, "Who knows how he'll react if you don't clarify everything properly," Sparky frowned,

"I'd never replace Spike!" she insisted, "He's too important to me. He's family, and I know that he knows it," Emerald shrugged,

"Still."

Sparky shook her head, making him roll his eyes, before the two of them bade each other goodbye. There was no point in pressing the issue if she didn't want to believe him. Unlike her, he understood that a dragon's **Greed** was _not_ something you wanted to mess around with, especially when the dragon is young and doesn't know any better.

He pushed that thought to the side. Like so many other things lately, it just wasn't his problem. _Yet._ Spike was about Wisp's age, yes? That meant that he should be somewhat mature at least...

Then again, Wisp was extremely mature for a filly her age, and add in the fact that Spike was a dragon, a species that aged and matured far slower than ponies and thestrals, and _maybe_ he was wrong about that...

Whatever. Spike was Sparky's little brother/assistant. It was her place to teach him how to control himself, and he wouldn't interfere with them, just as he wouldn't want anyone to interfere if something like that was happening with Wisp.

He waltzed into Sugarcube Corner a few hours later with little flair, as usual. Unlike usual, however, he was beset by a pair of hyperactive little foals before he even made it to the counter. Emerald chuckled slightly as Pound and Pumpkin eagerly grabbed onto his hooves, clinging to him as though they hadn't seen him for months.

He made no effort to extract them from their perches, choosing to, carefully, walk over to his station behind the counter, smiling slightly at the sound of their little laughter.

"Well, it looks like someponies are happy to see you," Mr. Cake remarked from the kitchen, eyeing his little ones with fondness, Emerald nodded,

"It would seem so," he glanced down at the pair of brown and blue eyes peering innocently up at him, "I'm not too sure why, though," he added.

"Well, I think I have an idea," Mrs. Cake interjected, coming down the stairs, with Pinkie following behind,

"Do you now?" he asked, earning a nod from the motherly mare, though she didn't elaborate. She walked over to him, eagerly picking up the foals who, upon seeing her, demanded 'upsies'. Emerald watched the twins with restrained longing in his eyes, before he tore his gaze away from the trio a moment later.

Faust, he was pathetic.

The store hadn't opened yet, and thus the building was all but empty. Given the chill in the air, and the fact he was _pretty_ sure it was scheduled to snow later, that would quickly change once the sign was flipped.

He was broken from his thoughts when Pound and Pumpkin were suddenly set in front of him, both happily sucking on a bottle, staring at him with wide eyes. He glanced over at the Cakes, a thought suddenly coming to mind,

"So, since the twins can drink from the bottle just fine, who'll be watching them while the store's open?" he asked, "I'd imagine that, as they're your foals..." he trailed off when he noticed the suddenly strained smiles of the earth pony couple.

"Well..." Mr. Cake began,

"While that's a lovely idea, dearie," his wife continued, "don't you remember what today is?" she asked. Emerald blinked,

"November tw-?"

"That's not what we mean," Mr. Cake interrupted, "Today is the day that Cup and I have to head up to Canterlot to deliver a wedding cake for Mr. Fancy Pants, and we can't exactly bring the twins with us," he explained.

"Are you asking me to-?"

"Foalsit?" Mrs. Cake interjected, before nodding ,"Yes. Since we'll be leaving later today, we aren't opening at all until we get back later tonight. So we were hoping that you could look after the twins for us, since they like you so much."

"Me?" he asked again, hoping they'd clarify. Mr. Cake nodded,

"That's right," he said, smiling, "Not only do the twins just love you, but we know that you're a responsible stallion. You wouldn't be in the Guard otherwise, right?" he reasoned,

"Besides, dearie, we trust you," Mrs. Cake added, smiling at him. Emerald stared for a moment, then fidgeted,

"I-I don't know..."

"Ooh! Me! Me! I can look after the twins if you want!" Pinkie asked excitedly, "I just love playing with Pumpkin and Pound!" The Cakes spared each other a nervous glance, and turned to her,

"Well, Pinkie, babysitting is a huge responsibility, especially with _two_ babies," Mr. Cake said,

"And it's about _taking care_ of them, not just _playing_ with them," Mrs. Cake added.

"I know," Pinkie said, seriously, "And I'm totally responsible enough to take care of the twins!" she added firmly. Emerald twitched.

What was he to do?

Take care of the twins or let Pink-oh who was he kidding? He didn't have anything else to do today, so why not?

"I'll foalsit," he said in the momentary lapse of silence that proceeded Pinkie's claim. The Cakes noticeably sagged with relief,

"Oh thank goodness!"

"We were worried we'd have to-not that you're an awful choice or anything Pinkie, just, Emerald is-!"

"We'd prefer if somebody like Emerald, whose-"

"-calm, collected-"

"-responsible, gentle-"

_Gentle? The fuck?_

"-looked after the twins."

"You understand, right?"

The Cakes stared at Pinkie with a pair of sincere, but also worried, smiles on their faces, with Pinkie meeting them with a slightly confused expression.

"Aww..." was Pinkie's response after a moment, her hair deflating comically. Emerald rolled his eyes,

"You can help me if you want, Pinkie," Emerald said. There was no point in letting Pinkie sulk around all day. Besides, he could honestly use the help, there were two of them after all.

"Yay!" Emerald shook his head at her antics, and turned to the Cakes,

"So, what should we do until it's time for you lot to head out?" he asked. They shared a look with each other for a moment,

"Well-" whatever Mr. Cake was bout to say was cut off when the front door practically burst open, revealing the familiar sight of Rainbow Dash,

"Hey, Pinkie, Emerald, you guys gotta come over to the library. Twilight's got some new pet she wants to show us!" she said, before disappearing from sight, the door swinging closed in her absence.

Emerald and Pinkie stared at the spot she'd just occupied, before Mrs. Cake tittered,

"Well, aren't you dears going to go?"

* * *

It didn't take long for Emerald and Pinkie to make their way over to the Golden Oaks Library, though they obviously weren't the first.

"Did Rainbow hunt you two down as well?" he asked Applejack and Rarity, ignoring Rainbow huff at the accusation. They couldn't have been waiting out here long, he mused, after all, Applejack wouldn't leave her cart abandoned for more than ten minutes.

"Eeyup," Applejack began, "Darn near plowed me over too,"

"Oh yes, she certainly _was_ in a hurry," Rarity added, carefully placing a hoof to her chin, "I wonder why Rainbow was so excited about this new pet of Twilight's."

"Who knows?" he asked, then glanced around, "I'm surprised Fluttershy isn't here. When an animal is involved, you'd think she'd be the first to come by." Applejack laughed,

"Well you'd be right, partner," she said, smiling, "Twilight brought her inside earlier, ta check up on her new friend befer she introduced us."

"Oh, I'm so excited!" Pinkie gushed, bouncing on her hooves,

"You're always excited, Pinkie," Rainbow said.

"Still!"

Conversation died down when the door opened, revealing a very happy looking Fluttershy walking out,

"So, thoughts?" Emerald asked. Fluttershy blinked at him for a moment, before understanding,

"Oh! Why, he's such a wonderful little thing!" she cooed gently, but no less excited, "He's the perfect little critter for Twilight as well!"

"Well, I hope so!" Sparky's voice called from right behind her, prompting Fluttershy to move out of the way as she came forward, "Well girls, Emerald, I want you all to meet my new friend, Owloysius!" she announced, before turning to the side, revealing the creature sitting on her back.

It was an average-sized tawny owl, with very light brown feathers coating its body, with its wings and a few scarce feathers on its head being a much, much darker shade. Its beak and talons were a pale orange, and its eyes were, perhaps a few shades lighter than its wings.

Owloysius let out a soft 'hoo'.

"Aw, what a fantastically, fluffelicous, feathery little friend!" Pinkie gushed, "I'm _hoo_ked!"

"And so am I!" Sparky agreed, giggling at the lackluster pun,

"He's a mighty fine lookin' owl," Applejack noted, then smirked, "We got some rats in the barn, iffin' he seeds ta go huntin'." she offered, ignoring Fluttershy's betrayed grimace,

"Oh he just suits you so well, darling!" Rarity exclaimed,

"Indeed," Emerald agreed, his voice containing a hint of restrained laughter, "The scholar has an owl for a pet. That's a new one," he teased, but with no malice in his voice. Sparky stuck her tongue out at him,

"He's not _just_ a pet," Sparky insisted, "He's going to be my junior assistant! Since Spike's been working so hard lately, I thought it would only be fair if he had a little help, and Owloysius just so happened to show up last night and give me the idea!"

"Oh, he's just wonderful!" Fluttershy gushed.

"_Oh, he's just wonderful!_ Peh," a petulant voice from above mocked, drawing everyone's attention upward, finding Spike sitting on the windowsill, a book with an owl picture on the front in his claws. He noticed the stares, "Er, yes! He's quite,"-he grit his teeth-"_the charmer,_" he growled, before throwing the window open and stomping off inside.

"... Yeesh, what's got his tail all up in a knot?" Applejack asked. Emerald shook his head and sighed,

"Eh, he's probably feeling jealous of Owloysius," Rainbow mused,

"He might feel threatened that Owloysius is going to replace him," Fluttershy agreed quietly, sounding worried, staring up at Spike's earlier position. Sparky scoffed, like she had earlier when he brought up the same thing,

"Please! Spike is my Number One Assistant! And, more over, he's my brother! He _knows_ he can't be replaced," she insisted confidently.

"""_Right._""" he, Rainbow, and Fluttershy chorused, though its implications were lost on her.

"Welp, as nice as this was," Applejack began, "I gotta head back ta mah stand. It was nice meetin' yer new owl, Twilight,"

"Yeah," Rainbow yawned, "I gotta get back to work too, we've got some snow scheduled for later today, so..." she trailed off, already flying away, "See ya." Emerald watched the two of them leave for a moment, before turning to Sparky,

"Pinkie and I should be going too. The Cakes are making a delivery to Canterlot, and she and I are babysitting the twins."

"Yeah! It's gonna be so much fun!"

Sparky and Fluttershy both spared him a worried glance, which he appreciated.

"Good luck," Sparky encouraged,

"Thanks!"

"I was talking to Emerald."

* * *

He and Pinkie arrived at Sugarcube Corner and were greeted by the sight of nearly a hundred separate boxes and pastries, half of which Emerald had never even seen before, littering the counter and tables of the shop, with Mrs. Cake quickly packing each pastry into a small box, and Mr. Cake tending to the foals.

The fact that none of the little pastries that Mrs. Cake was all but shoveling into those boxes got, in any way, messed up, spoke of just how skilled the mare was in her field. Emerald could admire that kind of professionalism.

"Oh! You're back!" Mrs. Cake exclaimed, before sighing in relief, "Oh thank goodness!"

"Is something wrong?" Emerald asked, taking a few steps forward, Mr. Cake stepped in front of him, and all but thrust the twins into his waiting hooves,

"There's been some sort of mix up in Canterlot!" he said, frantically returning to the kitchen,

"Mr. Fancy Pants was kind enough to reserve some seats for us on the train when he made the order," Mrs. Cake explained in her husband's absence, finishing up the packaging, and went to reach behind the counter, pulling out a bag and a piece of parchment, "But, apparently, somepony in Manehattan named Blueblood had been trying to reserve the _entire train_ for himself and now we need to go _far_ earlier than we were supposed too."

Emerald's expression soured for a moment at the mention of the prince's name,

"I see. I'm not surprised. Blueblood has always been a piece of shi-_trash_-" he hastily corrected himself at the look Mrs. Cake sent him, "trash, I said trash," he assured her, before clearing his throat, "Really though, Blueblood is a spoiled little brat. Honestly, Celestia should've just punted the little runt out the castle when he turned eighteen."

Emerald took a moment to imagine that very scenario.

Then he did it again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

...

And again.

Okay, that was enough for now.

He'd have to remember that for the Gala. Luna would just _love_ the idea.

Mrs. Cake faltered for a moment, but ended up shaking it off,

"Well, here you go," she said, hoofing off the bag and parchment to Pinkie, "There's some diapers in there, some milk, and that list details everything you need to do and look out for," she said, prompting Pinkie to unroll the list.

It hit the ground, and proceeded to roll about five feet away from them.

That... was a little excessive.

"Alright," he said, not bothering to voice the thought,

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" he nodded,

"Of course," Emerald said, just as Mr. Cake came walking out with a large trolley, a large wedding cake sitting atop it, before he began loading all the small boxes onto the lower portion, "You have nothing to worry about. They're in good hooves, I assure you."

"Oh, I know," Mrs. Cake said, "But I can't help but worry about my little gingersnaps," she muttered fondly, leaning forward to nuzzle the foals in his hooves, who giggled happily at the attention, "I'm sure you understand what it's like for a mother to leave her foals. As responsible as you are now, I know your mother must've been tearing her mane out whenever she left you alone," Mrs. Cake inferred.

Emerald smiled at her, although something about it must've been wrong, since she turned a sickly pale at the sight of it.

"I wouldn't know. I had two older siblings my mother attended to, and that was before my subsequent foalnapping," he said, in a far-too-sweet sounding voice, "So no, no I don't."

Mr. Cake wisely chose to interrupt the conversation, pushing the cart over to the group, having just finished filling the damn thing.

"Well, we'll be leaving now. Are you sure there's nothing you need?" Emerald nodded,

"I'm sure, Mr. Cake," he responded absently, moving out of their way. The Cakes shared an unsure look, but eventually they relented, and began heading down the street towards the station,

"Well, alright," Mr. Cake said, pausing a few feet away from the door, "We'll be back later tonight."

"There's some bits under the register if you need them!" Mrs. Cake called, "And remember-!" she was cut off by Emerald shutting the door, feeling just the slightest bit vindicated for her earlier comment, however unnecessary it might be.

"Okay!" Pinkie almost shouted, evidently excited, "Now it's playtime!" she called, setting the bag and list down, before bounding off, leaving Emerald, and the twins, behind. Emerald sighed, and glanced down at the foals in his hooves, and stiffened.

Pound and Pumpkin were both staring at the door their parents had just left through, looking confused. A moment passed, before the two of them started to sniffle, evidently already beginning to miss their mother and father.

_He knew that feeling._

Emerald's face twisted into a grimace, but it passed away in an instant, replaced by a soft, but ultimately indifferent, expression,

"It's okay," he cooed, leaning down to gently nuzzle them, "Your parents are just out for a little while, but they'll be back, I promise," he added, gliding across the shop floor, taking the bag and list along with him. It was obvious that Pinkie wasn't going to be of much help, if her sudden abandonment of him meant anything.

He gently set the twins onto the counter, where they stared at him with wide, and slightly teary, eyes. He sighed slightly, and gently ran a hoof along their heads, causing them to coo happily, their previous sorrow dissipating at his ministrations.

With a flick of his wrist, he rolled out the list and began eyeing its contents. It wasn't so much a list, as it was an itinerary, listing out various times and activities for him and Pinkie to follow. The list, despite being as long as it was, only listed out activities for about six or so hours for them to follow, and, considering the trip to Canterlot was about two hours, plus one of they were traveling to Manehatten first, coupled with the average two to three hours that most weddings, he'd been to at least, lasted, then the Cakes would return home somewhere between eight to ten hours from now.

He nodded to himself, and eyed the first thing on the list.

Lunch.

He smirked and, swiping the twins up and onto his back, made his way into the kitchen, just as Pinkie came back downstairs,

"Hey, watcha doing?" she questioned him, even as he set the twins into their respective highchairs.

"I'm going to feed them," Emerald responded, figuring it would be enough. He dug through the fridge for a moment, before emerging with a pair of bowls with some orange much in them, likely prepared in advance, and set them before the twins.

"Oh! Can I help?" Pinkie asked excitedly, practically vibrating on the spot. Emerald blinked, a little surprised at her enthusiasm, but nodded,

"Sure. You can feed Pound while I feed Pumpkin, alright?"

"Okay!"

Emerald rummaged through the drawer for a moment, then returned with a pair of spoons, only to pause,

"C'mon Pound, eat up!" Pinkie encouraged the colt, miming digging her face into the bowl, '"It's super yummy!" Emerald blinked,

"Pinkie... what are you doing?" he couldn't help but ask. Pinkie turned to look at him, looking just as confused as he was,

"What do you mean? I'm trying to feed Pound!" she gushed, smiling. Emerald stared for a moment, before shaking his head. This was likely the reason that Mr. and Mrs. Cake were against asking Pinkie to babysit.

"I'm... assuming that you have absolutely no idea how to take care of a foal, is that right?" he asked. Pinkie shook her head,

"Of course I know how to take care of a foal!" she said, reaching out to bop him on the nose, "I play with Pound and Pumpkin all the time!"

"I know," he replied, frowning, "But there's a difference between 'playing with a foal' and 'taking care of a foal', you know?" Pinkie tilted her head,

"Really?" she asked, sounding genuinely confused. Emerald sighed, and took his place before Pumpkin, tossing the second spoon over to Pinkie,

"Just watch me."

Taking the spoon, he quickly scooped up a bit of the mush, and held it before Pumpkin. She sniffed it, before turning her head away,

"C'mon, Pumpkin," Emerald whispered, "Aren't you hungry?" he asked gently. He gently guided the spoon forward, aiming for her mouth, but she turned away once more. He hummed idly for a moment, before grabbing the nearby bottle and holding it out to her. Pumpkin's gaze locked onto the bottle, and she leaned forward, mouth wide open, presumably to sate her odd habit of chewing on everything, and Emerald took the opportunity to slip the mush into her mouth, while pulling the bottle away.

"There, it's not so bad, is it?" he asked, watching as Pumpkin had little choice but to chew. She eventually swallowed and, after a moment of hesitation, opened her mouth for more.

"Wow... how'd you do that?" Pinkie asked, before frowning, and looked at Pound, "I couldn't get them to eat that easily..." she muttered. Emerald sighed, but continued feeding Pumpkin,

"Playing and having fun with them is all well and good, but things change when they're _your_ responsibility, Pinkie," Emerald explained, extending a wing to gently wrap around her, hoping it might comfort her, if just a little, "It's a part of being an adult, and right now an adult is what the twins need, not a playmate," he finished, then nodded at the bowl as well as the quickly growing hungry Pound, "Now, try feeding him _properly_ this time."

Pinkie nodded and, sending furtive glances over at him, calmly scooped her own mush into the spoon, and held it out towards Pound. Pound, likely seeing his sister's reaction, ate without complaint, making little 'om nom' noises as he did so. He smiled, more towards the massive smile Pinkie started sporting than the obvious enjoyment Pound was experiencing.

The two of them finished feeding the foals after a few minutes, though not without some difficulties. Partway through eating, Pound had gotten a little too excited and started hitting his table, causing some of his mush to spill onto his coat, though he didn't seem to mind. Pumpkin had gotten a bit too attached to the spoon feeding her, and ended up falling face-first into her mush when Emerald pulled it away. Thankfully she seemed to find it funny, so she didn't end up crying at the mess.

Emerald sighed softly,

"Pinkie, could you draw a bath for them while I clean this up?" he asked. Pinkie saluted,

"Yes sir!" she exclaimed, before darting up the stairs, causing Emerald to sigh again. He regarded the messy foals with a critical eye, even as he grabbed a towel and ran it under some water,

"Something tells me I'm going to be looking after Pinkie just as much as I will you two," he concluded.

Pinkie giggled to herself as she squirted some soap into the water, watching eagerly as the bubbles began piling up. The foals were gonna love this so much!

There were _tons_ of bath games they could play! Like 'Marco Polo', 'Who-Can-Make-The-Biggest-Splash?', and _waaaaay_ more!

She clasped her hooves over her mouth, doing her best to hold in her laughter. This was gonna be so much fun!

She froze abruptly, as Emerald's words suddenly came back to her.

_Playing and having fun with them is all well and good, but things change when they're _your_ responsibility, Pinkie._

Pinkie frowned. He was right, wasn't he? She thought that babysitting the twins just meant more playtime, but all they had done so far was feed them, and she totally messed that up! Mr. and Mrs. Cake made looking after them so easy, and all Pinkie really had to do was keep them happy, and she was _really_ good at that! But... she never really had to do anything else. She didn't feed them, bathe them, change them... she just played with them.

_Boy, being an adult is pretty boring,_ she mused, _and Emerald makes it looks so easy, too..._

Well... so what? If being an adult was _this_ boring all the time, then it just meant that making ponies happy was the right thing to do! And that was something she _never_ messed up!

The door opened up behind her, startling Pinkie so bad she nearly fell into the tub.

"Alright you two," Emerald intoned gently, "time for a bath." He glided over to the tub, which had mostly filled with water by then, and turned off the tap, before gently plunging the twins into the water, removing their diapers in the same motion.

Pinkie smiled fondly as the twins babbled to each other for a moment, before an idea popped into her head. Rushing over to the nearby cabinet, Pinkie pulled out a familiar rubber duck, and quickly tossed it over to the twins, hearing it land in the water with a small 'plop'.

The twins practically froze when the duck landed in the water, a moment that Pumpkin happily took advantage of, and quickly picked it up, and began chewing on it. She seemed particularly happy when she bit down, causing the duck to squeak.

"We don't chew on things, Pumpkin," Emerald admonished the filly, gently removing the duck, and set it back in the water. A moment of thought passed, and Emerald started patting the duck around, making it slosh around in the water. Pound laughed and started copying him, with Pumpkin following not too long after.

Unsurprisingly, Pound Cake was the one to discover the joys of splashing, giggling happily as he sent a small wave of water cascading onto his twin. Pinkie saddled up to the tub, watching them with a wide smile her face, while Emerald had leaned back, seemingly content to let them play for a while.

Of course, Pinkie couldn't just let them play all by their lonesome, now could she? Quickly gathering up some of the nearby bubbles into her hooves, and gave them a hard blow, sending the entire pile floating into the air. The twins stopped playing for a moment, gazing up at the shiny bubbles in the air with looks of awe on their little faces. Pinkie nearly 'squee'd.

They were just so _adorable_!

Unfortunately for her, the bubbles soon started falling down. Pumpkin started chasing after a few of them, trying her hardest to catch them in her mouth, while Pound was too busy trying to hit a few of the ones that came close to him, thankfully never hitting his sister in the process.

But it didn't last. Emerald finally returned to the tub, his presence announcing the end of playtime,

"Pinkie, hoof me the shampoo, would you?" he asked, Pinkie nodded, and, after a quick trip over to the counter, hoofed him the bottle. Squirting a sizable dollop in his waiting hoof, he passed the bottle back to Pinkie, confusing her for a moment,

"Uh...?"

"You still want to help, right?" he asked, already lathering up Pound's mane, turning it a soapy white. Pinkie blinked, before she understood,

"Yeah!"

She smiled and turned back to Pumpkin, and started squirting some of the shampoo into the filly's mane. Once she'd squeezed out about a hoofful of the stuff, she tossed the bottle aside, and quickly started scrubbing the soap into Pumpkin's mane.

The filly giggled at the sensation of Pinkie's hooves in her hair, which only resulted in Pinkie laughing along with her.

"Hey, this isn't so hard!" Pinkie announced, scrubbing a little harder. Unfortunately, her renewed vigor causing some of the soap to fall past Pumpkin's mane, and into the filly's eye.

Pinkie was forced to stop abruptly as Pumpkin suddenly burst into tears,

"WAAHHH!"

Pinkie's heart clenched,

"Oh no, oh no, oh no what'd I do?!" she panicked, "It's okay, Pumpkin! It's okay! Um, um, uh-!" she looked around frantically, trying to find _something_ to calm her down.

While Pinkie was busy searching for some sort of saving grace, Emerald grabbed a nearby towel, and gently started scrubbing the soap away from Pumpkin's eye,

"It's alright," he cooed softly, gently rubbing the irritant away, "There's no need to cry."

Pumpkin's cries died down after a minute, with Pound looking at his sister worriedly, displaying a surprising amount of situational awareness for a week-old foal.

Pinkie turned back around when Pumpkin's cries died down, staring at Emerald with no small amount of wonder.

"Wow..." she breathed. She frowned to herself, but shook her head after a moment.

With the crisis averted, Emerald took the time to finally rinse their manes, gently scooping water into his hooves and letting it fall over their little heads. He made sure to avoid causing anymore soap-related accidents, and Pinkie had joined back in once it was clear everything was fine.

He pulled the plug and let the water drain away, setting a towel on the ground for him to place the twins on as he did so. With a gentle scoop, he plucked the two of them from the water and set them down on the towel.

Before he could do much else, however, there was a loud knocking from downstairs. Frowning, he turned to Pinkie,

"Dry them off and take them to their room to play, alright?" he asked, pushing a towel into Pinkie's surprised hooves, "I'll be back in a minute."

Pinkie blinked after the retreating stallion, before something tugged on the towel she was holding. She looked down, and sighed,

"Towels aren't food, Pumpkin!"

He shut the door behind him and, when it was clear that Pinkie wasn't following, let out a deep, shuddering breath.

_It hurt._

Watching over them, caring for them... Seeing how happy they were to have that, _hurt_. It _tore_ at him from the inside out, it felt like something was _ripping_ at him from within, _screaming_ and _raging_ to simply _wipe the smiles from their faces, for how **dare they mock him!**_

He growled, but forced himself to let out a deep breath. It was getting worse. At this rate, he might have to let Pinkie take charge. The knocking from downstairs sounded again, reminding him of what he was supposed to be doing.

Emerald quickly glided down the stairs to the bakery door, and swung open the top half. He peered out the door for a moment, before looking down, finding a very stiff looking hatchling staring up at him.

"Spike," he noted, "What is it?"

"U-uh, well, I, uh..." he stammered, "A quill!" he suddenly exclaimed, looking relieved, "I need a quill."

"What for?" Emerald asked. It was an obvious question, there were only so many uses for a quill after all, but if he _really_ needed a quill, then why was he at Sugarcube Corner? Emerald was pretty sure that there was a store called Quills and Sofas, and there was no way they were out of quills. They only sold two things.

"Uh, well, Twilight ran out, the store was as well and-!"

"No," Emerald cut him off, "This is a bakery, Spike, we don't have any quills lying around." Spike deflated,

"Oh," he muttered, already taking a few steps back, "uh, okay! Uh, see ya!" he called, before sprinting away. Emerald frowned at the drake's retreating back.

Sparky wasn't kidding. He definitely seems scared of Emerald.

Emerald shook his head once more. He'd already decided not to help, so was there any point in thinking about it further?

Closing the door behind him, he made his way back upstairs, taking a small detour to check the bathroom, finding it empty, before heading to the twin's room.

He quickly slipped inside, letting a small smirk work its way onto his face at the sight of the twins playing with some blocks. Though, given how Pumpkin was just watching as Pound repeatedly knocked a few blocks together, he wasn't sure if 'playing' was the right word for it.

Entertaining, might be better.

He migrated over to Pinkie, who was watching the two of them play with a serene smile on her face,

"I would've expected you to be playing with the twins, not watching them," he remarked, causing Pinkie to jump.

"Oh!" she yelped, but relaxed and sent him a surprisingly tired grin, "I was, for a little bit, but..." she sighed, and glanced back at them, "I kept getting distracted since Pumpkin kept chewing on everything, and Pound kept hitting things, and..." she let out a world weary sigh, drooping down low, "I don't know how the Cakes do it all day," she muttered, "taking care of a pair of foals is _hard_." Emerald chuckled,

"Welcome to adulthood," he snarked, "it's a real pain in the rear."

He and Pinkie shared a small chuckle, before a... _peculiar_ scent hit their noses. Simultaneously, they both pinched their noses shut, and turned to the twins, who seemed completely oblivious to everything around them.

"Smells like someone needs a diaper change," Emerald muttered,

"Or two," Pinkie agreed.

They spared each other a grimace, before each grabbed a diaper from the bag Mrs. Cake had given them.

The twins remained unaware of their encroaching presence, far too focused on the pile of innocuous blocks to pay them any attention. As such, it was no surprise that the two of them let out startled yells when Emerald and Pinkie snatched them from their playtime, though they didn't protest once they recognized the two of them.

Setting down Pound on the nearby dresser, Emerald frowned. He... didn't really know how to change a diaper. He'd seen Mr. Cake do it enough times that he was sure he'd manage, but... he didn't exactly have any _practice_ doing it. He quickly rooted through his memories, trying to find any sort of instance where he watched someone, aside from the aforementioned Mr. Cake, change a diaper.

Nothing. A few minor stories he'd heard in passing, but nothing practical.

_Figures._

Still, it wasn't a complicated process, as evident by how easily both he and Pinkie changed the twins moments later. Thankfully the two of them put up little fuss, and soon where placed back with their blocks, which they returned to immediately.

He not-quite-slammed the lid shut on the bin of diapers, ignoring the vehement disgust coursing through him, before promptly blocking the experience, hoping it would go away one day.

He fished out the itinerary from the bag, gave it a quick once over, and checked the clock.

Four hours of work, perfectly on schedule.

It didn't even _feel_ like four hours.

He sighed, and replaced the list. Another four or so hours of foalsitting awaited him. He felt something tug on his tail, and a quick glance revealed Pumpkin, pacifier missing, happily 'nomming' on his tail.

He smiled, ignoring the twinge in his chest, and gently pulled it away,

"We don't chew on someone's tail, Pumpkin," he admonished gently, carrying her back over to her brother. He set her back down, and backed away, letting her resume her playtime. He nodded to himself. According to the itinerary, it was nearing their bedtime, anyways, so it was best to let them tire themselves out.

It might be a little early, the snow hadn't even started falling yet, but they _were_ still very young. So, they needed more sleep.

He frowned suddenly, and looked around. The room was clean, most of the toys were carefully put away, and the twins were in sight. But there was something distinctly missing.

Pinkie.

He scanned the room once more, before his ears began twitching. His expression softened, but quickly turned to curiosity when he realized that she wasn't doing anything. If that was the case, then, why had she migrated to her room?

He shook his head. It wasn't his business what Pinkie decided to do with her time. She had probably decided that Emerald had things well in hoof, and had simply gone to take a quick rest.

He frowned, and made a decision.

"C'mon you two," he cooed as he made his way over to the twins, "it's time for bed."

* * *

"Pinkie?" he called, knocking on her door with an ear flat against it.

"Come in."

He frowned at the despondent reply, but set it aside for the moment. He slipped into Pinkie's room, closing the door softly behind him. Pinkie was laying on her bed, facing the door with a sad look on her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately, hiding a frown. Had something happened?

"Hmm... nothing," she mumbled, turning until her back faced him. Emerald let his frown show,

"Well, that's obviously not true," he replied, walking towards her, "What happened?" He came to a stop by her bed, just as she rose to face him,

"You're..." she trailed off, mumbling something he didn't catch, he frowned,

"I'm... what?"

"You're more... responsi..." His frowned deepened.

What Pinkie trying to say what he _thought_ she was trying to say? No... there was no way...

"Again?"

"You're more responsible, okay?!" she snapped, before looking away with gritted teeth, "I'm just... not.. as good as you are with foals, alright?" she breathed. She adjusted her position, now sitting straight up with her hooves curled around,

"Pinkie, where is this coming from?" he asked. Responsibility never seemed to matter to her before, so why was she... "It's because you've never needed to be responsible before, isn't it?" She flinched at the question, but didn't deny it.

Emerald sighed and ran a hoof through his mane. Now, how was he to fix this? Slowly, an idea began forming in his head. It... wasn't the best idea, and, quite frankly, it could backfire in more ways than one, but what else was he to do?

"If being responsible is what you want," he began slowly, choosing his words carefully, "then... why don't you look after them for the rest of the night?" he asked. Pinkie blinked in shock, and looked at him,

"_What?_" she asked, staring at him as though he'd grown a second head. His ear twitched slightly.

It was a shaky idea. Having Pinkie look after the twins for the rest of the night could very well turn out badly, but, as it was he just didn't know if he could manage it as he was. It would allow Pinkie a chance to be responsible on her own as well as keep himself away from the foals. Besides, he'd just finished putting them to bed, so, what could possibly go wrong?

Faust he hoped he didn't jinx it.

"I'm... I've been getting some really bad headaches all day, and I'm worried that the twins might catch whatever it is that I have," he lied smoothly, "so, in return for keeping the twins healthy, you get a chance to learn for yourself how responsible you are, or can be," he offered. Pinkie stared at him, blinking owlishly once more. Suddenly springing into motion, she fumbled off of the bed and all-but-tackled him, wrapping her hooves around him in a hug.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" she chirped repeatedly, her sad demeanor fading away like smoke in the wind. Emerald grunted as she applied a little too much pressure around his neck, but, mercifully, she let go moments later. She stared him the eye, a determined gaze overtaking her usually excited one,

"I won't let you down!" she proclaimed, nodding firmly, a wide grin fastened to her face. Emerald nodded, and returned the smile,

"I know."

* * *

Emerald sighed, weaving through the throng of ponies that pervaded the marketplace.

Was this really okay for him to do? It's not like he was unable to work through the issues, both his and Pinkie's, and take care of the twins at the same time. It would just be... annoying, is all.

He glanced up at the cloudy sky, taking notice of the dozen or so pegasi flying around. It seemed they were finally preparing the light snowstorm. He frowned, that was going to make his patrol a lot more annoying to complete.

His frowned deepened. It _also_ meant that Sparky probably wouldn't be able to train with him for a while.

Shame.

The thought of Sparky lingered in his mind for a moment.

How was she doing? Spike's blatant resentment of Owloysius was probably causing her a few problems by now. Maybe he should check on her?

Nodding to himself, Emerald pushed his way through the crowd, his sights set on the familiar oak tree near the center of town. Successfully slipping onto the front step, he gave the door a quick knock, and, after a moment of silence, pushed his way inside.

He was greeted with the sight of Sparky standing at a desk, with a stack of books next to it, piled high enough to reach just a bit beyond Sparky's horn. The sound of a scratching quill, coupled with the open book next to her, proved that she was paying little attention to her surroundings, evidenced by the fact she hadn't so much as twitched when he cleared his throat.

He rolled his eyes, and glanced around. The hatchling was laying on the bottom step of the stairs, back first and snoring away, a sight that elicited a frown from the thestral. Owloysius was perched on a branch that jutted out of the wall above Sparky's desk, staring at him with his brown eyes.

"Hoo," the owl greeted. Emerald chuckled, and nodded in return, before glancing back at Sparky.

She was completely enraptured by her work, staring down at the paper almost unblinkingly. Her tongue was poking out from her lips, and her eyes were furrowed just the slightest, showing visible proof of the level of concentration she was putting into it. He glanced at the paper, finding it filled with various diagrams and small paragraphs, all of which seemed to relate to comets and their chemical make-up, likely inspired by the meteor shower the other night.

It looked remarkably like a school assignment, taking a second look at it.

Did Celestia ask her to write it? Or was it for herself?

"Sparky?" he called, smirking when the mare yelped, sending the book in her magic rocketing into the air, Owloysius taking off and catching it with little difficulty,

"Emerald!" Sparky snapped, turning to face him, accidentally brushing her nose up against his due to their close proximity. She faltered for an instant, before it faded as Emerald darted back a few steps, his own face turning red. He chuckled, slightly nervously,

"I see your new friend is putting in work," he noted, glancing at the little owl, the book in its claws looking over-sized in comparison. Sparky followed his gaze after a moment, then smiled,

"Yeah, he's been quite the little helper!" she gushed, turning back to him, and frowned, "Though... Spike was a bit strange today," she admitted. Emerald's brow rose,

"Oh, really?" he asked sarcastically, sending a half-smirk towards the bird, "I wonder why." Sparky pouted,

"Do you _still_ think Spike is jealous of Owloysius?" she asked, sounding incredulous. Emerald chuckled,

"And you _still_ haven't noticed?" he asked in return, smirking, before it fell, replaced by curiosity, "Speaking of the hatchling, what were you having him do that involved running around town looking for a quill?" Sparky sighed, but smiled softly,

"Oh, my last writing quill broke earlier, and Spike went out looking for one," she said, then glanced at Owloysius with a smile, "Thankfully, Owloysius was nice enough to give me one of his feathers to use instead," she paused for a moment, holding up a gray and brown quill for him to see, "but Spike left before I could let him know," she looked at Spike, "in fact, he only just got back a little bit ago, before falling asleep right there," she finished, giggling softly.

Emerald scowled slightly, but brushed it aside. He was still just a hatchling, so he probably couldn't help it.

Although, looking at the hatchling, as well as the bookshelf behind him, caused a small spark in his memory, and he turned to Sparky,

"By the way," he began, catching her attention, "did you ever find out what happened to that astronomy book of yours?"

Sparky blinked, then her eyes widened,

"No, no I didn't," she said, already walking over to the other door, "I'm surprised that it never occurred to me to check," she muttered to herself. Emerald glanced at Owloysius, before he followed after the mare, with the bird landing on his back in the process.

Sparky continued to mutter to herself after reaching the other room,

"Okay, if I remember right, the registry should be over here..." she murmured, her magic going to work rooting through a nearby drawer. Emerald, however, walked over to the shelves,

"What was the book called again?" he asked, feeling curious, his eyes scanning the shelves,

"_The Astronomical Astronomer's Almanac to All Things Astronomy_," came the half-hearted response. Owloysius suddenly took off from his back, surprising the thestral. Emerald grew even more surprised as the owl navigated the shelves with all the familiarity of Sparky herself, grabbing the spine of a seemingly random book, before he made his way back down to Emerald, depositing the book at his hooves, then once more settled onto his back.

The book was dark blue, with a set of glimmering golden text on the front, reading _The Astronomical Astronomer's Almanac to All Things Astronomy_.

He glanced back at Owloysius, then chuckled,

"Hehe, oh yeah, you're _definitely_ the perfect pet for Sparky," he laughed, then called, "Hey, Sparky! Your little pet found the book."

Sparky perked up,

"Really?" she asked, walking over to them, her horn lighting up as the book rose into the air, "That's strange, why would Spi-?" she abruptly cut herself off as she opened the book, turning a very strange shade of white.

"Spar-?"

"SPIKE!" Sparky suddenly roared, turning right around and stomping into the main room. Emerald blinked in surprise at the sudden outburst, and immediately followed after her.

He walked into the other room just in time to watch Sparky drop the book in front of the sleeping hatchling, which woke him instantly,

"Huh? Wha-?" he groggily began, but stopped when he saw the book.

The inside of the cover was stained black by ash, and the pages were all burned away, leaving behind the very edges of the paper, a very visible sign of fire damage.

Emerald winced in sympathy for the drake. He'd burned quite a lot of things by mistake during his time in S.M.I.L.E, though, it never garnered a reaction quite like Sparky's.

"You said this book was _missing_," she hissed quietly, her anger nearly palpable, "but Emerald and Owloysius just found it, _exactly where it was supposed to be_ and like _this_," she stressed the word almost venomously, "What. Happened?"

Spike swallowed nervously,

"W-well, you see-I, uh-" he twisted his tail in his claws, "Well, I didn't want to disappoint you, and, uh-Haveyoueverseenadragonsneeze?"

"No," Sparky almost whispered, eyes narrowing dangerously, "but I _have_ seen a dragon _lie_. I'm _very_ disappointed in you, Spike," she concluded evenly, turning away and heading back over to her desk. Owloysius followed his master's example, and flew back over to his perch beside her desk.

Emerald frowned, and glanced between Sparky and Spike.

Should he... should he leave? This was obviously something the two of them needed to work out, and having a third party standing about would likely prove detrimental to it all. Whatever previous enjoyment he'd had of the hatchling's situation earlier had faded now that he knew exactly what the cause of it was.

He came to a decision.

"I'll see you at the course later, Sparky," he said, and headed for the door without waiting for a reply.

Once he put the door between him and Sparky, Emerald let out a sigh.

_So much for that_, he thought bitterly. He started walking.

What was he to do now? It was getting really late, but his patrol wasn't too start for another few hours, leaving him with _nothing_ to do to pass the time.

He sighed, pausing in the middle of the emptied street. A brush of cool air washed over him, accompanied by the faintest sensation of something touching him. Glancing up, he spotted a small white flake floating in front of him, with many more falling softly above it.

_Great, now it's snowing_, he thought.

He gave another, bitter, sigh, but didn't move any further. The cold didn't bother him, _couldn't_ bother him, in fact.

_But the loneliness, did._

He growled suddenly, his body coming alight with internal flames, causing a noticeable puff of steam to erupt from him. He cut the fire off abruptly, letting the cold wash over him once again.

He started walking forward again, paying no mind to the silence surrounding him.

Why was this bothering him? Being alone, that is. He'd been going it alone for the longest time, even here in this town. Every night in this town, in fact, but only now did it start to bother him.

There was a reason for it, there had to be. He assumed that it had something to do with Sparky and her friends, possibly even the knowledge of having family so close by might be contributing to it.

_The wind picked up, a flurry of snowflakes rushing alongside it._

A sudden, loud cry tore through the silence, followed by the peal of laughter. He stiffened for a moment, before tracking the sound to its source.

Sugarcube Corner.

_Sounds like Pinkie and the twins are having fun,_ he mused.

His heart suddenly wrenched at the thought of those twins. Their soft smiles, their bright laughter, their adoring eyes as they stared at their mo-

His head twitched violently as he quashed the thought.

_The wind became a gale._

He ignored the wild whipping of his mane as he tore his gaze away from the bakery. Despite this, the _thoughts stayed._

_It must be nice to have a mother._

"What even makes a mother, anyways?" he growled to himself, his words almost drowned out by the fierce wind.

The question revolved around in his head for a moment. What _did_ make a mother?

Blood? Choice? Chance? Fate?

He paused, beginning to seriously ponder the question he'd mistakenly thrust upon himself.

Blood didn't make family. He knew _that_ beyond a shadow of a doubt, thus, that couldn't be the answer.

Choice couldn't be a factor. _No one_ could truly choose their family, much less their mother, right?

Chance? With how shitty his luck often turned out to be, could chance even be a factor in this?

Fate? Did it even exist?

What was it then? There had to be _something_! What was it that made his family, his own?

Was it their experiences together?

Was it a desire for companionship?

No. It couldn't be any of that. There was only one thing it could really be...

**Love.**

**It could only be Love.**

That was it, then. If love bound his family together, then was it a Mother's Love that made a mother, a mother?

Had he _ever_ felt such a thing? His mind wrapped around itself, hunting for the feeling.

_Blurry images of purple and gray filtered through his mind, before bursting into a messy haze._

He didn't know if his mother had ever felt that Love for him. He had a brother and sister who were both older than him. And he'd been such a _weak_ child. No, there was no way his mot-... no way that _mare_ had felt a Mother's Love for him, so, by that logic, she wasn't his mother, right?

Right?

He didn't know.

What even comprised a Mother's Love?

...

A mother was someone who took care of their child, who taught them, who helped them grow, and who raised them... yes?

Was _that_ a Mother's Love?

He chuckled to himself. It was a hollow sound, one that not even the wicked cold pervading him could fill.

Someone who took care of him, who taught him, who helped him grow, someone who _raised_ him.

Funny, that sounded a lot like Celestia.

But... but that couldn't be right, right? Celestia wasn't his mother, _couldn't_ be his mother, even. She hadn't... she had never shown him those things, had she?

**Someone who took care of their child.**

* * *

_A fuzzy memory of time long ago. A broken and scarred individual lay on the bed. A pair of empty blue eyes opened, revealing a world of pain and fear hidden beneath. Grunting slightly, the youth rolled onto his stomach, fear replaced by curiosity once he realized that his surroundings were different._

_Was this death, he wondered. It certainly seemed like it._

_A nearby door suddenly opened, revealing a strangely familiar sight._

_A large white pony, who bore both wings and horn, walked into the room. Her multi-colour mane waved in an intangible wind, purple, green, blue, and pink perfectly aligned with each other, never overflowing, never fading._

_"Oh!" the pony gasped, the voice revealing it as female, "My my, I didn't think you be awake so soon," she admitted. Her voice was soft and smooth. It reminded him a little of something, but he wasn't sure what._

_"H-hel-lo?" he answered in broken Equish, not helped at all by the scratchiness of his throat. It felt like someone had lined it with sandpaper, before proceeding to light it on fire._

_A strange twinkling sound filled the air, the source proving to be a strange... floating cup, covered in a golden light. He blinked at it owlishly,_

_"Drink," the pony said, giving him a soft smile that sent his body alight. He noticed her horn was glowing as well._

_It was a lot like what Trixie had done. Magic, he remembered her calling it._

_Deciding to listen to the strange white pony, he took the water, and drank it._

_It felt like life suddenly flowed back into him. As though every pain and ache he'd felt over the past few white-rain-times, Winter, he reminded himself, had simply faded away. Was the water magic too? A soft... sound broke him from his thoughts. He glanced over at the white pony, confused._

_"What that?" he tried asking. It was an odd sound. Like rapid breathing, followed by a sort of high pitched yell, though it was extremely short, and it certainly didn't look like the pony was hurt or in danger. She blinked her bright purple eyes,_

_"What's what?" she asked, sounding as confused as he, before she perked up, "You mean... my laughter?" she asked, making that... sound again._

_"La... lafta?" he tried. The pony stared at him for a moment, then began walking towards him, until she ended up right by the bed he was laying on._

_She was really tall. Almost as tall as Iron Will was. But not as bulky._

_"You... don't know?" she asked once again. Suddenly fearing for his safety, he gave her a shake of his head, trying his best to hide the way his body started to shake._

_His eyes darted away, hunting, searching for a way out. There was a strange hole in the wall, which looked big enough for him to jump out of. Though, the pony was much bigger than him, but as long as he had his pipe he should be-_

_Where was his pipe?_

_He stiffened in fear upon realizing that he didn't have his weapon. But he forced the fear away. He... he still had his fire, and his fangs. If it came to it, he'd have to aim for the big pony's throat. It shouldn't be too hard, he'd had a lot of practice on those scientists after all._

_"I... I see," the pony said, sounding... sad? Why was the big pony sad? Shouldn't she be angry that he didn't know something? Where was the whip, or-or the n-ne-need-the super painful pointy things?_

_The pony seemed to notice his confusion, and actually backed away from him, as if she'd been burned. Had she? Did he breathe fire on her by mistake? Oh no! If he did that, then she'd cut off his wings for sure!_

_"S-so... rry..." he said, hoping it had come out right._

_"Sorry?" the pony asked, then her eyes widened, and she rapidly shook her head, "Oh no! No, no! There's nothing to be sorry about!" she said, sounding... afraid?_

_He tilted his head, confused. The big pony sighed,_

_"You've... something bad..." she kept trailing off after speaking, like she didn't know what to say, "... I am the one who should be sorry," she finally said. The youth rapidly blinked his eyes, only growing more confused. Why was the big pony sorry?_

_"I should have taken a more active role in observing **** ****'s operations. If... if I had only paid a little more attention then none of you would've been there," the big pony said sadly, but noticing the way he shivered at **that** name only seemed to make her sadder, "It was my fault that you all ended up in that... horrible facility. But... don't worry, **** **** is being punished to the highest extent possible. He's heading straight to Tartarus. Death would be a mercy," she said darkly._

_He didn't quite understand what she was saying, but he agreed. **He** deserved the worst possible fate for what **He**'d done to his family._

_But... wait. That... that meant they were free. Free! They were free! They'd done it! They were away from that monster! The youth regained some of his vigor, but it vanished immediately._

_So... what now? He... he did it. He'd freed them, just like he promised. They'd get to see all the rainbows they'd ever want too, but... now what? If they were really free, if he'd really done everything he'd ever promised to do, what was there left?_

_He... he was done. He did it. There was nothing left._

_A sense of emptiness welled up within him. Nothing. He was **nothing** now._

_A soft white hoof on his shoulder broke him from his thoughts, and he looked up into the big pony's eyes,_

_"What's your name?" she asked. He blinked,_

_"Em... Emerald," he said. She smiled,_

_"Well then, there's no need to worry, Emerald. I'll take care of you from now on."_

* * *

No... no, that... that wasn't...

**Someone who taught him.**

* * *

_"Once... upon... a dime...?"_

_"Time, Emerald, a 'T' makes a 'tuh' sound. You're thinking of 'D'," his teacher gently admonished him._

_Emerald winced slightly at the screw up. He knew his new teacher wouldn't hurt him for it, but it was hard to change 10 years of ingrained expectation in him. It certainly didn't help that the room they were in, the pony called it her 'private study', had a large fireplace with big pointy metal sticks next to it. Celestia, the big white pony from their first meeting, traced a hoof alongside his, helping him along the sentence,_

_"In... the maj-magical land of... Eck-Ek-Equestria" he continued, correcting himself, "There were... two re... regal sistah-sisters..." he trailed off at the next word, "Wh-whao... Wh-um...?"_

_"'Who'," his teacher supplied, "Like an owl," she added. Emerald nodded, and, licking his lips, continued,_

_"Ho-Who ruled toged-ther and... kurated?"_

_"Created."_

_"Created harmonie. Ny. In the land. D-To do this, the elduh-der used her uny-"_

_"You-knee, Emerald. The 'U' makes a 'you' sound like this," Celestia explained. Emerald was silent for a moment,_

_"... Equish is hard," he finally responded, causing the big pony to laugh. She held up a hoof to her muzzle, trying to stifle her giggling,_

_"Y-yes, Emerald, Equish is a very hard language to understand," she agreed, and sent him a fond smile, "but you're doing wonderfully, especially since it's only been a few months," she said. Emerald frowned a little._

_He was doing... wonderfully? He didn't know what that meant. He'd have to look it up in the thesaurus Celestia gave him later._

_Pushing that thought aside for the moment, Emerald returned his gaze to the story in front of him, particularly, towards the image of the white pony standing before the sun._

_"... That looks kinda like you, Celestia," he said, pointing at the picture. Celestia nodded, smiling,_

_"That's because it _is_ me, Emerald," she said. Emerald's gaze turned to the dark blue pony,_

_"Does that mean you have a sister?" he asked innocently, "Can I meet her?"_

_Celestia's smile fell abruptly, but she quickly brought it back, though even Emerald wasn't fooled,_

_"Y... yes. I do have a sister, Emerald," she began slowly, "but... there was a problem a long time ago. I haven't seen her since," she said, then, after sparing a glance at the blue pony's image, her smile turned a little more genuine, "But I'm sure the two of you would've been great friends if you had met back then,"_

_"Really?" he asked, wide-eyed. Celestia nodded, her smile back in full force,_

_"I know it. Maybe it would've saved her, too," she whispered._

_Saved her? Emerald blinked at that. Had something bad happened to her?_

_He went to ask, but... a little feeling within him told him to pretend he hadn't heard her. Considering the last time he'd had a feeling like that, he'd broken out of his cell, he was more than willing to listen to it._

_"I think that's enough reading for today," Celestia said, "It's been a few hours since we started," she added, and her horn suddenly glowed, before a small stack of blank paper, a pencil, and a paper filled with letters appeared before him, "I need to speak with my student, Twilight, about her recent paper. Until I get back, why don't you practice your writing?" she suggested._

* * *

O-okay, but... but that didn't _mean_ anything! She was just-just helping him is all!

**Someone who helped him grow.**

* * *

_A flash of steel tore through the neck of a wooden dummy, sending it falling to the ground with a lame ***THUD***._

_Emerald sighed, and gave the sword another practice swing._

_"Hmm... too short," he muttered to himself._

_"Out practicing again, Emerald?" a warm voice asked him from behind. The teenager, startled slightly, whirled around to face the newcomer, and sighed when he saw her,_

_"Princess Celestia," he greeted, then frowned, "Isn't Day Court still in session?" he asked, tilting his head in confusion. The princess smiled at him,_

_"Yes, but I've decided to take a small recess to stretch my legs," she said, walking over to him, "I fear sitting in that throne all day will leave me stuck to it, someday," she added, smiling. Emerald tilted his head,_

_"I don't think that's possible," he said, "Someone would have to cast a sticking spell to keep you stuck to anything," he began, "although I suppose if it was hot enough-" a white hoof covering his mouth cut him off. He looked up at the princess, who was giving him an amused look,_

_"I was merely joking, Emerald," she clarified, "I don't actually think I'll stick to the throne one day." Emerald blinked as she removed her hoof,_

_"Oh," was his response, followed by a frown, "I still don't understand this... joking thing you ponies do."_

_He turned back to his training dummy just in time to miss the worry flashing across the princess' face._

_"... How have you been lately, Emerald?" the princess suddenly asked, using her magic to lift the severed dummy head back onto its owner, "I understand that you've been... restless since S.M.I.L.E was dissolved," she added, casting a spell to reattach the dummy's head. A rumble escaped Emerald's throat,_

_"I've... been looking for work in the city," he admitted, a sneer crossing his face, "but nothing I try... fits, if that makes sense." The princess nodded,_

_"I understand. It must be difficult trying to adjust to a new lifestyle so suddenly," she said somberly, "I was much the same when I became Equestria's princess," she admitted._

_"It's not just the lifestyle," he muttered, swinging his blade, watching in only mild satisfaction as it sunk into the wood, nearly splitting the newly repaired head in half, he let go of the handle, letting the sword hang there, "Everything feels... different."_

_"I see," the princess began, before gently returning to his side, "Often times when there is a large change in our lives, we find ourselves struggling to reconnect with what we know," she gently expanded a wing, wrapping him into a half hug, "You've been through more than most, Emerald. I believe you're simply struggling to come to terms with the fact that something you'd grown used to is gone. Much like when we first met. You've... 'lost your purpose', as you so eloquently put it," she reminded him. He scoffed,_

_"Is that all?" he asked sarcastically, removing himself from her embrace, taking the moment to move over to a nearby weapons rack, hefting an axe off of its hanger, "Unlike back then, I know more now. I can actually do something about it, but I don't know what," he added bitterly, returning to the princess' side. He didn't quite notice that his dummy was, once more, fully repaired, with the leftover blade nowhere in sight._

_"You're only nineteen, Emerald," the princess reminded him with a smile, "You're not supposed to."_

_He growled, and, with a mighty swing, cleaved the dummy in two from head to tail._

_"Too heavy..." he muttered and turned away, ignoring the wide-eyed look the princess gave him,_

_"That was... impressive," she said, leaving out the 'and terrifying' part she was thinking, "I haven't seen a... feat like that in quite some time," she said, having caught herself from nearly saying 'pony',_

_"Maybe a bow?" Emerald muttered to himself, no longer paying much attention to the princess. She sighed softly, watching the misguided thestral rummage through the weapon's rack,_

_"Try a spear," she said suddenly, causing him to freeze, "If an axe is too heavy, and a sword too short, then a spear should be a good medium," she added. He pondered her words for a moment, before grabbing one of the spears on display, and returning to his dummy, which the princess had just finished fixing once more._

_He held the spear out parallel to himself, before lashing out at the dummy with three quick strikes._

_A moment passed, before its head, legs, and body split apart._

_Both Emerald and the princess blinked in surprise, before the former chuckled._

_"Yeah. That works," he muttered, spinning the spear in hoof. The princess eyed him for a moment, sparing a glance towards the butchered dummy every few seconds._

_"Emerald," she began, catching his attention, "how would you like to join the Guard?_"

* * *

... Okay, okay... She-she _had_ done a lot for him. More than anyone else ever had.

But-but that didn't make her his _mother_! It's not like she... it's not like she...

**Someone who _raised_ him.**

* * *

_"I'm proud of you, Emerald," Celestia said, her smile as bright as the sun she rose. She gazed down at the slightly embarrassed 20-year-old, "Only a year has passed since you joined, and you've made Champion already. The youngest one yet, you know?" Emerald chuckled,_

_"Well, I suppose I can say I had a good teacher," he returned, smirking up at the princess. Celestia laughed,_

_"I would hope so!"_

_The two of them walked on, passing through the lavender scented halls of Canterlot Castle. Emerald slowed for a moment, and inspected his new badges,_

_"... To think, four years ago I wasn't even sure I'd be free, and now look at me," he muttered, "Champion of Equestria," Celestia nodded,_

_"It's certainly an achievement," she noted, a serene smile overtaking her features, before it hardened into a frown, "But your life isn't going to be easy, you know?" she asked. Emerald scoffed,_

_"Was it ever easy?"_

_"I mean it, Emerald," she repeated firmly, stopping to face him with a serious look in her eye, "You're one of the most powerful individuals in Equestria. Nobles are going to do everything in their power to get you to side with them, you need to be prepared for that." Emerald frowned,_

_"Only if they know me," his gaze hardened, "I... I don't need everyone knowing who I am, Celestia."_

_"Emerald?" He shook his head,_

_"I work for you, and you alone, Celestia. You're the only one who needs to know me," he argued, "As Champion, my duty is to you."_

_Celestia stared at him, uncomprehending._

_Was this still that same scared colt from four years ago?_

_Her mouth twisted itself into a frown, but she nodded regardless._

_"Alright," she said, placing a gentle hoof on his head, "alright. If that's what you want, then I see no reason to argue otherwise," her lips formed into a wry grin, "You've grown so much since we met, but you're still as stubborn as ever." Emerald smirked, his eyes dancing with an internal flame,_

_"I get it from you, you know?"_

* * *

She was... she was...

_She was his mother?_

No... no, no, nonononononono!

_That couldn't be true, it couldn't be!_

She was the princess, not his damned mother! He knew that, hedidhedidhedid! Celestia wasn't his mother she was-

-**_thereforhim_**-

-she was-

-**_byhisside_**-

-she... she...was-

**_His Mother._**

No... no! Not true! Nottruenottruenottrue_atall!_

**_His head began to hurt._**

He clutched his head between his hooves, a-**_poundingroaringburning_**-ache manifesting in his skull! It raged and ripped at his mind, tearing away _everything_ he knew and believed!

_She wasn't his Mother!_

**_His legs grew weak._**

He fell to the ground, still clutching his skull, even as he began convulsing wildly, his body no longer under his control.

_She wasn't his Mother!_

**_The world began to spin._**

His mouth tore open in a silent scream, his eyes staring blankly up at the cloudy sky, the snow fluttering around the seemingly possessed stallion.

_Was she his Mother?_

**_His mind grew blank._**

His wings flashed open, beating listlessly against the snow covered ground, as if the stallion was trying to escape from _something_.

_Mother?_

**_His heart threatened to burst._**

No one was around to see the writhing of the broken thestral, leaving him alone as he'd always been.

_... She was his Mother._

**_Everything slowed to a crawl-_**

He froze all movement, now still as a statue. All at once, his body fell limp, and his eyes began to close.

_She had to be._

**_-as the world went black._**


	25. Loose Ends

Twilight gave a slightly irritated, but extremely relieved, sigh as she, Spike, and Owloysius made their way back into town.

Apparently Emerald, as well as virtually everypony else, had been right when they said that Spike was jealous of Owloysius. It... hurt that she'd been too blinded to realize that, and it served to remind that, despite being Spike's caretaker, she hadn't really _taken care_ of him for the longest time now.

Sure, she'd helped feed him, and bathed him, and generally grew up with him, and she knew him better than anypony else, but she hadn't really been putting him in the forefront of her mind for years now. If she had, then maybe she would've noticed the whole thing sooner.

As it was, the presence of Owloysius putting self-perceived pressure on his job, coupled with her anger and disappointment regarding the fate of her The Astronomical Astronomer's Almanac to All Things Astronomy had been hard on the little dragon. It got to the point where he'd feared that she'd flat out stopped loving him, and he _ran away_.

That had sent Twilight into a mad panic when she realized that, and it was only thanks to Owloysius' superior eyesight that they'd found Spike's ketchup covered footprints, a remnant of his attempt to get Owloysius in trouble, and followed him into the Everfree. Just in time, as well, since Spike had, somehow, angered a full grown dragon enough that it chased them through nearly a quarter of the forest before it finally gave up.

And thus, here they were, walking through the snowstorm back home.

Twilight shivered slightly, her body warmed only slightly by the dragon sitting on her back,

"Spike, I'd never replace you," she spoke, "You're my brother, you know that?" She felt him fidget on her back, a result of nerves or the cold was unknown to her,

"I know that _now_," he murmured, burying his face into her mane for warmth, "It was just... hard," he added. Twilight sighed,

"I know Spike. How about I make it up to tomorrow with some of Pinkie's gem cupcakes?" she offered. Spike perked up,

"Sapphire?" he asked eagerly, prompting Twilight to laugh,

"Of course!"

With the mood improved, Twilight felt a gentle warmth settle in her chest, helping to stave off the freezing air. Her eyes grazed the night sky for a moment, finding the moon hanging overhead. She hummed to herself.

Emerald should be out on patrol by now. She felt a little guilty having to miss their usual meeting at the course, but with weather like this, she doubted they'd be able to run it all Winter.

Then again, was that even going to stop him?

She giggled to herself. No, no it wasn't. Emerald just wasn't the kind of stallion to let a little thing like the weather stop him from doing something, _especially_ run his course.

It was a little funny, now that she thought about it. He ran the thing almost religiously at this point, and he took _very_ good care of it as well. It was... slightly endearing, actually. He said it was a gift, right? So he must really think highly of whoever gave it to him.

Had... had he ever told her who gave it to him? She couldn't remember.

Oh well, she'd just have to ask later, then. Preferably after she'd gotten two or three cups of hot cocoa into her system.

A gust of wind washed over her, causing Twilight to shiver.

Jeez, those pegasi had really outdone themselves, hadn't they? It hadn't been snowing for too long and it looked like the snow was already beginning to pile up along the road!

Twilight paused in the middle of the empty street, a strange, foreboding feeling overtaking her.

Sitting before her was a large, pony-sized mound of snow, resting in the middle of the street, not too far from her home.

She frowned. That didn't make any sense. There was no logical way the snow would've settled like that, unless some pegasus brought a cloud down and let it hang there for almost an hour. But even then, it hadn't been snowing for an hour, so how did it...?

Her mind ran circles around the conundrum, for all of a few moments until Spike spoke up,

"Uh, Twilight? It's getting pretty bad out here, shouldn't we head inside?" he asked, startling her from her thoughts. She blinked rapidly,

"Oh... oh! Right, of course!" she agreed, shaking her head free of those thoughts. Even so, she didn't move from her spot, just... staring at the mound. There was something about it that just... didn't sit right with her.

Slowly, she began to approach the snow pile, until she ended up right next to it. Her earlier estimate of the size was correct. If she were to lay flat on the ground, the mound would only be a little bigger than she was.

Cautiously, she reached a hoof out, ignoring Spike's questioning, and prodded the mound.

Nothing happened.

Frowning she prodded it again, and, when nothing happened, she began putting more pressure on her hoof, until it started sinking into the snow and- _there was something inside!_

She yelped and skidded back a foot or so.

There was definitely something inside the mound, and it wasn't small. Whatever it was, it was warm, almost searingly so compared to the icy snow surrounding it.

Her surprise, laced with a bit of fear, slowly faded, replaced by curiosity.

What exactly could be hiding in a mound the size of a po-?

The fear surged back into her, and she practically leapt at the snow, her hooves working in tandem with her magic to strip the white powder away, spots of green beginning to poke through until she'd cleared it all away, revealing-

_"Emerald?!"_

* * *

Twilight paced nervously back and forth beside her bed, sending worried glances towards it's unconscious occupant.

Emerald had been completely out cold. He didn't respond to anything she'd tried when it came to waking him up either. Calling his name, dripping water onto his face, holding his nose shut, _nothing!_

She'd even checked him for injuries, something that still sent furious streaks of red through her cheeks twenty minutes later, and she didn't even find anything! Considering how high the snow had gotten, he had to have been out there for at least ten minutes, coupled with the twenty she'd been waiting, and she was beginning to worry.

He had a normal heartbeat, and was still breathing fairly easily, so he wasn't dead or dying, at least. But ponies generally don't stay unconscious for more than ten minutes without some serious brain damage, and that was assuming that magic wasn't involved!

She carefully adjusted his pillow with her magic upon noticing that it had gotten out of place. Even so, her mind was more occupied with trying to figure out what sort of spell could knock someone like Emerald out, and _keep_ him knocked out for so long as well!

Whoever it was, they couldn't be up to any good. The only reason someone would target the town's only guard would be if they were planning something, and something serious. But that opened up a new can of worms, so to speak, since she was pretty sure only she, her friends, and, most likely, the mayor and hospital staff knew anything!

Unfortunately, she had to resort to coming up with different spells based solely on how long he was out, since there wasn't a single trace of magical residue on his body. _Not one_. Not even his disguise seemed to leave any sort of trace of interacting with his person, and it was driving Twilight _mad!_

A groan escaped the thestral's lips, causing Twilight to appear by his side almost instantly.

"Emerald?" she asked quietly. His face twisted for a moment, as if in pain, before it relaxed, leaving him as unconscious as ever. She swallowed the lump in her throat with difficulty.

_What was happening to him?_

She contemplated bringing him to the hospital, but a glance out the window discouraged her. The storm was really beginning to rage out there.

She _could have_ tried to teleport the two of them there, but she was still working on the spell. The one time she _had_ done the spell, during that whole ticket fiasco, had been a result of stress, hope, and dumb luck. If she tried it now, who _knows_ what could go wrong.

Her head lowered until it rested on the bed beside his.

"What's wrong...?" she murmured, gazing intently at him. Puffing up her cheeks in defiance, she climbed onto the bed and stood over him, her legs planted firmly on either side of him, until their muzzles were pressed against each other.

She stared intently down at him, at his closed eyelids, as if doing so would somehow provide her the answer she sought.

She stared for a moment longer, before she fell limp, rolling to his side, and contemplated just falling asleep and hoping he'd be awake by the time the sun rose.

... the sun rose...

Twilight shot up, so suddenly that she nearly sent herself toppling off the bed.

Of course! It was so _obvious!_ Why hadn't it occurred to her before?!

"Spike!" she called, rushing out of the room and down the stairs, "Spike!"

"What?" she heard him grumble from the kitchen, appearing a moment later with a gem laden sandwich in his claws, "I'm eating, what's going on?" he asked,

"Take a letter!" Spike blinked at her, then sighed as he went to grab a quill and parchment, "Ahem, '_Dear Princess Celestia, I'm sorry for writing so late, but something terrible has happened! I just found my friend, Emerald, lying unconscious outside and he has yet to wake up half an hour later. The weather is too heavy for me to take him to hospital so I was hoping you might have any advice. Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle._' Did you get all that, Spike?" she concluded,

"... Yep!" he said, before taking a breath in, and sending her letter.

Twilight let out a breath of her own as the familiar ash trail fled out the window,

"You really think the princess is gonna know what to do?" Spike asked, hesitantly placing a claw on her side. Twilight sighed,

"I don't know, Spike," she admitted, "At the very least Princess Celestia can take him to the hospital," she added, much more hopefully.

* * *

Twilight was beginning to panic again. It had been nearly ten minutes since Spike had sent off that letter, and there _still_ wasn't a reply!

Emerald was still just as unconscious as before, and Twilight was getting scared. She didn't know what to do, she didn't have any way to get help, and the one pony she _did_ try to ask hadn't replied yet, and-!

***CRACKABOOM***

The entire library shuddered as the thunder-like booming crashed through the building, the sound originating from downstairs. Twilight stumbled and fell to her rear, her mind running rampantly, wonder just _what the fuck was going on?!_

She scrambled to her hooves and ran down the stairs, intent on giving whoever thought it would be a bright idea to invade her home like this a piece of her-!

She froze, her hoof hovering inches away from the bottom step once she caught sight of the 'intruder'.

Standing there was Princess Celestia herself, and she looked... tired.

Her regalia was missing, replaced instead by a large pink robe, fit with pink slippers and a sleeping mask of the same colour.

Contrasting her completely, Princess Luna stood next to her, decked out in her full regalia, looking as commanding as ever.

"P-Princess Celestia! Princess Luna!" Twilight squawked, unfreezing in the middle of her step. She overshot the last step, however, and went tumbling down to the ground, only to be caught in a golden glow, and softly placed back on her hooves.

She went to thank her, but Twilight found her voice stuck in her throat at the sheer... _terror_ on Princess Celestia's face,

"Twilight, where is he?"

She stuttered for a moment, her brain having fried at her expression. The princess' eyes were quivering in their sockets, despite the several bags hiding underneath them. Despite this, her gaze was powerful, commanding even. That familiar warm aura she'd always felt around her had turned cold, making her earlier trip outside seem toasty in comparison.

"M-my room," she stammered out, glancing at the stairs. Without waiting for a further reply, Princess Celestia headed for the stairs, leaving herself and Princess Luna alone in the library. Twilight blinked, not quite registering what just happened, when Princess Luna spoke, her voice cold and authoritative,

"Forgive my sister, Twilight Spa-" she cut herself off, "Please, Twilight, forgive my sister's actions," she repeated in a much warmer tone, coupled with a small, worried smile, "She and Emerald are close. Even closer than he and myself are, though I very much doubt either of them would admit to it," she said, her smile turning a little more genuine as she chuckled, "My sister wasn't the one who bonded with the Element of Honesty, after all."

Twilight tried to laugh at the joke, really she did, but-

"Do you know what's wrong with him?" she asked instead, despite how impossible it sounded. Princess Luna frowned,

"Tell U-me more about what's happened," she said, "did he have any injuries? Are you aware of what he's eaten in the past day? Has he been getting enough sleep?" she listed. Twilight swallowed, turning a little red,

"H-he wasn't hurt. I-I checked him over a-and I didn't find anything," she stammered, oblivious to the sly grin forming on the princess' face, which fell quickly when she looked back at her, "I don't know what's he's eaten, but I think he's sleeping fine. I haven't seen him look tired since our trip to Appleloosa," she said. Princess Luna hummed,

"I see," she said, taking a few steps towards the stairs, before stopping beside her, "You said you found him unconscious? Outside?" she asked, Twilight nodded, "Show me where you found him."

Blinking at the request, she nodded and made her way over to the door, hearing Princess Luna's firm hoofsteps following behind her.

It wasn't too far from the library, a fact that worried Twilight. If he'd collapsed to close to her home, then how could she have possibly missed him the first time around?

_Because you were more more worried about Spike,_ she reminded herself,

"Over here," she called, finding a slightly mushed pile of snow. While the hole she'd dug had been mostly refilled by the still falling snow, it was still easily discernible amongst the mostly flat surface that covered the rest of town.

Princess Luna walked forward, her horn glowing brilliantly. A beam of light started shining on the ground, Princess Luna's horn being the source. It started scanning the ground in front of them, and, after a minute, faded. Twilight turned to the princess, fighting a shiver at the bitingly cold wind hitting her face,

"Did you find anything?" she asked hopefully. She'd never seen a spell like that before, but she felt that she could accurately guess it's purpose.

Hopefully she could ask the princess to teach it to her. After they made sure Emerald was okay, of course.

"No," Princess Luna growled, glaring at the ground as if it had personally offended her, "I did not."

Twilight's eyes flickered down at the pile of snow, a new feeling overcoming her as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Let us go to my sister," the princess said suddenly, gently turning herself and Twilight away from the snow, "Perhaps she has found something I could not." Twilight nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat,

"R-right."

* * *

An ivory hoof brushed a lock of ebony hair away from it's owner's face, tucking it just under the strap of his goggles. Celestia sighed from her place beside the thestral.

When her dear student had sent that letter, she'd already been buried beneath her blanket, the hazy fog of sleep casting over her. In hindsight, it might've been funny.

The sight of the solar princess laying in bed, when suddenly a letter pops into existence above her, landing lamely on her head. She'd check the letter, stare at it for a minute or so, before suddenly bolting out of bed, and nearly running straight _through_ the metal doors of her bedroom, before remembering to open them.

She'd then run out into the night, wearing nothing but her sleeping robe, before all-but-bursting into the courtroom, catching Luna in the middle of eating something between meetings, and nearly shoving the letter in her face.

But even so, Celestia had felt nothing but horror rushing through her at that letter, and how could she not?

She'd spent the last seven years with Emerald faithfully by her side. She'd been the one to bring him to the infirmary when him and the others had been found. She had been the one to bring him back to society, the one who taught him to read and write, who showed him what good food tasted like, and so much more.

Though she'd likely never say it to him, for she knew without a doubt what he'd say in return, but Emerald was important to her.

He was a loyal friend, a fierce protector, a trusted confidant, a willing ear, an exasperated attendant, and even a powerful Champion.

So what was wrong?

She checked him for injuries, but that was about all she could do. Most magic didn't work on thestrals, so there was no way for her to cast any diagnostic spells on him, and the only kind of magic that _did_ work on thestrals was dream magic, and that wouldn't be able to help them at all.

No offense to her sister, of course, but dream magic was a purely psychological tool. It could help a pony sort out their problems and organize their thoughts, but for something like this?

Unless her sister was even more skilled than she'd let on, then there was nothing for them to do but wait.

She sighed, casting a saddened gaze down at Emerald,

"What happened to you, all the way out here?" she asked him, her voice soft as a whisper, "Why didn't you tell anybody that there was something wrong?"

It was the only solution. Something was wrong with Emerald, and, whatever it was, it was, without a doubt, something he'd been at least partially-aware of.

After all, this was the stallion who forgot to eat for weeks at a time. This was the stallion who prioritized everyone else over himself. This was that little self-sacrificing moron who'd sooner rush into a battle than talk about his feelings.

A soft groan beside her caught her attention, and her eyes immediately refocused on Emerald's face.

Anticipation built in her as his eyes suddenly flickered open, gazing blearily at the brown ceiling.

She watched as his face twisted in confusion, before his ears twitched and his eyes suddenly flickered over to her.

She smiled at him, but rather than the half-snort and several questions she'd expected him to reply with, he suddenly paled, his eyes dilating, before he suddenly shot out of the bed. Or at least, he tried to. Since Celestia was laying on the only open side of the bed, Emerald ended up cracking his skull against the wall, just beneath the window.

"Gah!" he clutched his head, growling slightly. She jumped slightly, reaching out a hoof towards him,

"Emerald? Are you alri-?" His eyes snapped up to her, the sheer panic within them causing her to pause. Unfortunately, he seemed more than able to recognize her sudden hesitation, using the moment to brush past her, though he fell off the bed rather violently in his haste.

She watched in horrified confusion as he scrambled back to his hooves, staring at her as though she had suddenly turned into _Him_.

"Emerald?" she asked gently, slowly sliding off of the bed, not taking her eyes off of him,

"Moth-Princess," he forced out, as if the words physically hurt him to say. She blinked,

"What's wrong?" she asked, "Twilight found you unconscious outside. What happened?"

Emerald appeared to swallow a lump in his throat, his eyes darting away from her,

"N-nothing Mot-Princess," he said, refusing to look at her. She frowned, and began approaching him. He stiffened upon noticing, and actually began taking a step back in response to her every step forward, further worrying her.

"Emerald," she began firmly, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing!" he snapped, his eyes narrowing at her, before they abruptly tore themselves away once more.

Celestia's eyes narrowed at his behavior. Whatever was wrong seemed to have something to do with her, it seemed. She'd have to see how he reacted to others first.

With that thought in mind, she cast her gaze to the door, intent on heading down to bring her sister along. As if reading her thoughts, the door suddenly flew open, revealing the very pony she'd been thinking of, with her student in tow,

"Sister!" Luna called, striding into the room with purpose. Had she found something?

"Have you found anything?" she asked eagerly, sending a furtive glance in Emerald's direction. Luna shook her head, to her dismay,

"Not in the slightest. I was hoping that you had, instead," she explained. Celestia glanced between her sister and her student, neither of whom seemed to be aware of the thestral to their left. She sighed, and looked at Emerald,

"Then perhaps we should ask him, instead," she suggested. Twilight and Luna blinked at her, and glanced at the bed. They stared for a moment, before looking back at her, then _finally_ following her gaze to the conscious thestral.

Celestia's lips twitched upward slightly at the way both their faces lit up, though she paid a _little_ more attention to Twilight's reaction than her sister's,

"Emerald!" Twilight cheered, almost jumping at him.

"Wha-S-Sparky?!" he stammered as the excited unicorn wrapped her hooves around his neck, their cheeks rubbing together. Celestia placed a hoof against her mouth, stifling her laughter. Luna didn't have the same restraint, however, though Twilight and Emerald seemed much too preoccupied with each other to notice.

Eventually, Twilight seemed to realize what was happened, promptly turned red, and let go of the flustered thestral.

"S-so, uh," Twilight began, then coughed awkwardly into her hoof, her eyes everywhere but on him, "Wh-what happened?"

"Nothing," he repeated. Twilight didn't take kindly to that response, sending him a narrowed glare,

"Nothing? Noth-I'm not stupid, Emerald!" she snapped, startling Celestia. She'd never seen her dear student this aggravated before!

"I've never thought you were stupid, Sparky," Emerald replied immediately, firmly locking eyes with her, "It's just... nothing happened," he explained, turning his gaze away, "I... may or may not have slipped and hit my head, is all."

Silence was the only thing that met that response.

He... he slipped?

Celestia just stared at him, dumbfounded. Did he really think they'd believe such a flimsy little lie?

Her confused expression twisted into a frown.

Then again, would he ever _use_ such a flimsy lie?

She shook her head. No! She couldn't be trying to question what she was doing! Even _if_, and it was a big if, he had really only hit his head, then he shouldn't have been unconscious as long as he had been!

"Emerald," she spoke up once more, her frown deepening at the way he suddenly stiffened and refused to look in her direction, "Please. We're worried. So tell us the truth," she pleaded gently.

"Indeed," Luna spoke up, taking a few steps forward, Emerald didn't react to her approach beyond sending her a glance, before catching sight of Celestia and looking away again, "You should know that my sister and I would never judge you. And I am certain that Twilight would do the same, correct?" she asked. Twilight nodded confidently,

"Of course!"

A low rumble escaped his throat, but Emerald didn't seem particularly angry. In fact, by the way his eyes darted around the room at impressive speed, she'd imagine that he was hunting for some sort of escape route.

Just like he did when they first met.

The thought caused a painful lurch in her chest.

Eventually, however, he seemed to give up, evidenced by the way he just plopped onto the ground, and sighed.

"I was just... thinking of my Mother," he said finally, though it was obvious that he was forcing the words out. She frowned, what about his mother could provoke such a powerful reaction out of the thestral, and just what did it have to do with him avoiding her so much, if anything?

"Your... mother?" Twilight asked, frowning, "I've... never really heard you talk about your family before. Beyond the Clan dynamic you mentioned." Emerald nodded,

"Makes sense, since you're also aware that I was foalnapped when I was six," he added bluntly, causing her to wince, "It was just... taking care of the twins today made me remember some stuff from before then, and I guess it was just..." he gripped his head, as if in pain, "... overwhelming, is all," he finally admitted, his voice strained.

"I see," was Celestia's only response.

The four of them remained silent for a time, before Emerald rose to his hooves,

"Well, I've spent enough time here," he announced, walking over to the door, "it's time I head out for my patrol." Twilight blinked in surprise and stared at him as though he'd grown a second head,

"Pat-? Patrol?!" she snapped, quickly walking forward until she'd cut him off at the door, sending him a glare, though it more resembled a pout in Celestia's opinion, "You just woke up after almost an hour of being unconscious, and you want to _work_?!" she shouted indignantly.

"That's exactly what I thought back then..." Celestia muttered to herself, a fond smile playing across her face as old memories filled her head.

"Yeah, is there something wrong with that?" Emerald asked, gazing down at the shorter mare impassively. Twilight huffed,

"As a matter of fact, yes!" she insisted, "Not only were you unconscious for the better part of an _hour_-" she began hotly, "but half of it was spent _buried in the snow!_" she stamped her hoof, but turned a faint red, "Y-you're staying here for the night!"

Emerald blinked, honestly stunned by her declaration, but he managed to shake it off, disguising the rise of nervousness with a laugh,

"Moving a little q-quick, aren't you?" he quipped, smirking, "I didn't have you pegged for that kind of mare, Sparky." Rather surprisingly, instead of turning into the stuttering little mess she'd usually become, Sparky actually seemed to brush aside his teasing, to his chagrin.

"Oh no, you're not getting out of this!" she intoned firmly, "Ponyville can survive _one night_ without you looking after it, I'm sure," she added, turning her nose up at him, as if daring him to refute her.

He wanted to, really he did. But with Luna and Mo-**her** in the room, he doubted he'd get far before they stepped in.

In fact-

"I agree," Mo-**that** mare said, gently brushing her multicoloured mane out of her obviously tired eyes, "You were unconscious for a very... unnatural amount of time," she said, and nodded, "So I'd suggest you getting some rest for the night, instead of your usual activity."

Luna nodded, her eyes dancing between him and Sparky,

"I am of a like mind," she said, then smirked, "Though, with how long you were out in the cold, perhaps you and Twilight should keep each other warm during the night?" she inquired. Both Emerald and Sparky blanched at her, and even Mo-**that** mare looked at her in confusion.

"Wha-_Luna?!_"

"_P-princess?!_"

* * *

"Ugh!" Sparky groaned irritably, flopping onto her bed.

Luna and Mo-**that** mare had left a few minutes ago, with the latter of the two nearly falling asleep on her hooves, an image that Emerald was sure Sparky pointedly ignored.

As it was, he, Sparky, and the hatchling were the only ones left in the house, and, after the comments Luna, Sparky, and Mo-**that** mare had made, there was no way he'd get away with going on patrol tonight.

And if there was one thing he knew, it was that it was almost pointless to fight a losing battle.

"You alright, Sparky?" he asked, peering down at her, and frowned, "I know Luna's comment was a little... uncalled for, but I don't think it would get you to act like this. So what's wrong?"

Sparky let out a heavy sigh, and sat up,

"It's nothing," she said, "Today has just been... a little hectic," she added. Emerald nodded,

"I suppose. You had Owloysius and Spike to deal with, so I'd imagine your hooves were full." Twilight scoffed, confusing him,

"Yeah, I had my hooves full alright," she muttered, Emerald blinked,

"... What am I missing?"

"Other than the fact that Spike ran away into the Everfree, met an older dragon, made that dragon mad, and got me, him, and Owloysius chased through the forest, not much," she stated sarcastically.

"What?" he asked, blinking madly, "How the-why did-whatever," he muttered, giving up.

"Yeah, all that, plus this whole mess with _you_-" she snapped, glaring at him sharply for a moment, "-and I really feel like today has lasted too long," she finished, falling back onto her back, before she rolled over.

Emerald frowned, but sighed, and nodded,

"Right... I'm... sorry," he apologized, though he doubted it would help, "I never meant to put any burden on you, or anyone for that matter," he said, muttering that last part under his breath. Sparky shook her head, rolling over to face him,

"It's fine. I've had a lot of practice dealing with hectic days ever since I came to Ponyville," she admitted, causing Emerald to laugh,

"I'd bet."

They fell silent after that, until Sparky decided to speak up again,

"Well, I'm going to head to bed," she said, climbing underneath the sheets, before snuggling her head against her pillow, "I have a lunch scheduled with Applejack tomorrow, and you know how she is." she added, smiling humorously,

"Right," he said, turning to the door, "Goodnight, Sparky." he added.

"What are you doing?" she asked suddenly, causing him to pause. He blinked, and turned around, confused,

"Uh... I'm heading downstairs to sleep on the couch?" he said, phrasing it more like a question. It was only natural, after all. He was the guest, but he sincerely doubted that she had a guest room ready to use, the fact that she and Spike slept in the same room proof enough of the fact, and-

... Why was she turning red?

...

_Oh Faust._

"Y-you heard Princess Luna, Emerald," she stammered, avoiding his eyes, "y-you might be a thestral, but you were s-still out there for a while," she paused for a moment, as if steeling herself, before speaking again, this time in a much quicker voice, "A-and so was I! And even if you aren't cold, I am! So... come on!" she said, lifting the blanket with a hoof, providing him with enough room to slip under without issue.

Of course, rather than do that, he just stood there, trying, and failing, to process what she said.

Eventually, however, his mind finally caught up with the situation, but, by then, Sparky had gotten a little impatient,

"C-come on!" she snapped, though it lacked any heat, "I'm getting cold again!"

He stood there for an extra second or two, contemplating his options, before sighing, and following her command.

It... wasn't like it would be _bad_. They'd already slept in the same bed together during that one sleepover, though with how awkward it had been he wasn't exactly looking forward to this either.

Then again, last time his crush on her hadn't been developed at the time.

Oh, he was _not_ looking forward to this.

Regardless, he made his way over to the lone mare, before slipping underneath the blanket as she'd asked/ordered.

Immediately he was assaulted with the scent of the mare beside him. Her pillow, blanket, mattress, all of it was completely and utterly saturated with the smell his brain recognized as 'Twilight Sparkle'.

Ink, paper, and blueberries.

The scent that was so completely and utterly _her_, _flooded_ his nostrils, _invaded_ his mind, _washed_ over his skin, and _seeped_ into his flesh! It cascaded against his senses, each one filled near to bursting with the very _essence_ of Twilight Sparkle.

His mind started growing hazy at the over_whelming_, over_powering_, over_ruling_ scent of _her_.

"Emerald?"

_Her_ voice snapped him from his momentary trance, though it did nothing to quell the fierce embarrassment that surged through him at having been caught riding the high that was Twilight Sparkle.

"Y-yeah?"

"Goodnight."

He froze for a moment, surprised, but nodded,

"Goodnight, Sparky."

* * *

Waking up the next morning had been... pleasant, actually.

Perhaps it was because he'd been up before Sparky, and, therefore, didn't have to deal with her reaction right away. Or maybe it was because it meant that he'd woken up _drenched_ in _her_ scent.

Regardless, it was a nice way to wake up, he mused. He wouldn't mind doing it again.

His eyes twitched heavily at the thought, but he brushed it aside easily, before taking a shower.

In all honesty, he was actually a little reluctant to take one. But, thankfully, he found that even after a thorough shower, having spent all night buried in Sparky's scent made it much harder to be rid of then he'd thought.

Though, he realized not long after of the problems walking into work, smelling faintly of Sparky, could, and likely would, entail. Either because Pinkie would notice, or because _someone_ would make the connection subconsciously, and he really didn't need that.

Hmm, speaking of Pinkie, he hoped she had done well with the twins last night. He felt a little guilty for leaving her to fend for herself all of last night, but, again, nothing much could've happened, considering the twins should've been asleep when he left.

On that note, he pleasantly noticed that his head wasn't beginning to hurt at the thought of the twins.

Testing out this new realization, via repeatedly thinking of the twins playing with their mother, revealed that, yes, he seemed to be functioning just fine that morning.

Though, his mood soured slightly when he realized just _why_ it no longer hurt him.

Still, it wouldn't do to let it bother him. Unlike his crush on Sparky, this new... phase of his _would_ pass. It had to. He couldn't always think of Mother as as his mother, right?

He cursed under his breath. He was doing it again.

Fighting another sigh, Emerald deftly flicked the pancakes he'd finished cooking onto the stack beside him, all of which landed perfectly on target, as usual. He felt a small pit of pride form in his gut, something that, while unusual, didn't seem to be detrimental. Thus, he paid it little mind as he decorated the breakfast with syrup, cream, and some blueberries, before carrying it up to Sparky's room.

He paused before the door, before assuming that Trixie would be just fine cooking breakfast and making Wisp's lunch for the day, and promptly pushed his way inside.

Sparky lay there, completely dead to the world. He blinked in surprise, he'd expected her to be up by now, especially considering the lingering smell in the air from his cooking.

Oh well, not like it really mattered. If anything, it only made it better, since he'd get to serve her breakfast in bed again.

Not that he was particularly looking forward to-... oh who was he kidding? He had hoped this would be the case the second he began cooking.

"Wakey-wakey, Sparky~" he cooed, approaching the sleeping mare, smoothly transitioning the plate of food from his back to his hooves, wafting it under her nose, "It's time to wake up."

Sparky started to fidget as the pancakes lingered under her nose, the smell already working it's way through her system. In hardly any time at all, her eyes began to slowly open, revealing that wonderful pair of amethyst orbs.

Her head raised slowly, her mind clearly still waking up, even as her nose rose higher into the air. She sniffed a few times, and her head quickly turned in his direction. He chuckled at the action,

"Wakey-wakey, Sparky," he repeated teasingly, his words working to clear the daze from her head much quicker than the food,

"Emerald?" she asked groggily, wiping at her eyes with her hooves, peering at him with one eye, "What's that smell?" she inquired, he shrugged,

"Dunno, but these pancakes I made for you _just_ might have the answer," he said, setting the place beside her. _That_ certainly caught her attention, the grogginess practically vanishing at the mere _mention_ of the succulent, fluffy disks.

Emerald pondered, for a moment, on what her reaction would be if he ever made those hayburgers Pinkie mentioned she liked.

He made a mental note to do just that one day.

Then promptly crushed the idea when he realized what it entailed.

Of course.

"You made me pancakes?" Sparky asked, her eyes already hard at work devouring the stack before her,

"Yep," he said, with a pop at the end. Sparky swallowed, a bit of drool escaping her mouth, if Emerald wasn't mistaken,

"They look... delicious," she muttered, before blinking, and suddenly shaking her head, pausing to look at him, confused, "Uh... not that I don't appreciate you making me food... a-again, but... what's the occasion?" she asked, staring at him curiously.

Emerald stiffened minutely. He... hadn't thought of that. In all honesty, the only thing going through his head had been how nice it would be to cook for her again one second, then the next had him suddenly in front of the stove, slaving away at the fifth disk.

"U-uh..." his eyes darted around for a moment, before landing on the strangely empty basket next to the bed, "Spike! He wasn't here, you see," he began shakily, but it evened out as he spoke, "And I figured that since you were nice enough to let me stay the night, that it was only right of me to make you something as my way of saying thanks. Again," he finished smoothly.

Sparky nodded at his explanation, but froze part way through,

"What?" she asked, looking down at the hatchling's bed, "But, Spike was here all night!" she exclaimed, "If he wasn't here when you woke up, then, where is he?!" she yelled, hooves flying up to her mane, looking quite ready to start tearing it out, when-

"Hey, what's with the yelling?" a voice said, causing them to turn to the door, where Spike was standing, looking tired, "It's my day off for Pete's sake!" he continued more energetically, waving his claws around, "I'm trying to sleep!" he finished, before spinning on his heel and stomping down the stairs.

A moment passed, before Sparky let out a breath, a hoof held against her heart,

"Well," she breathed, "at least that answers that," she muttered, "Now," she turned to the pancakes, the knife and fork he'd brought floating up within a lavender glow, "time for breakfast!"

* * *

Emerald chuckled to himself as he made his way down the street, with Sparky practically skipping by his side.

Sparky had, once more, indulged herself on his food and had absolutely loved it, something that quite honestly stroked his ego more than it probably should have.

Regardless, it had led to her getting out of bed with a very noticeable pep in her step, though she herself seemed oblivious to it. The rest of town was not, however, and though Sparky remained unaware of it, Emerald was more than privy to the curious, and occasionally jealous, much to his amusement, looks the two of them were receiving.

"Did I mention that you make really good pancakes?" Sparky suddenly asked him, for what he believed was the fifth time, "Because you do!" He chuckled, and nodded,

"Yeah, I think you did," he said, "Several times," he added, before smirking, "Honestly, I might as well give you the recipe if you like them so much," he offered. Sparky shook her head, much to his surprise however,

"No, it's fine. I honestly think I'd prefer it if _you_ made them," she said. Her eyes remained locked firmly on the world before her, leaving her completely unaware of the reaction those words had on the thestral beside her.

Emerald stumbled at those words, his face turning red enough that the heat even spread up to his ears. Some might even say they could see literal steam bursting out of his ears as well. Others could've sworn they'd heard a loud whistle suddenly go off, but they dismissed it, of course.

Regardless of what those others may or may not have seen, it faded when Emerald shook his head, trying his best to look like his heart _hadn't_ just skipped a couple beats, and resumed his casual pace beside Sparky.

"R-right, whatever you say, Sparky."

Somehow, Twilight felt like she'd just won the lottery.

* * *

They separated not too long after that, much to the relief of Emerald's furiously beating heart.

At this rate, that mare was going to be the death of him!

Shaking the thought from his head, Emerald made his way over to Sugarcube Corner.

He slipped through the front door, coming face to face with an empty room. He frowned, only for his ear to twitch, revealing that the Cakes were up with the twins, and Pinkie was still in her room.

He hummed to himself, before nodding and proceeding into the kitchen. He'd made breakfast once already, but he didn't mind doing it again, only as an apology this time.

The Cakes, and Pinkie, came filtering down the steps not too long after he'd started, curious, and slightly worried, looks on their faces, which quickly faded upon seeing him in the kitchen.

"Emerald?" Mrs. Cake asked, surprised, "What in the world are you doing? Pinkie mentioned you weren't feeling well, shouldn't you still be resting?" she inquired, brow raised, coupled with an impatient tapping of her hoof. Emerald only shrugged in response,

"I'm feeling significantly better than yesterday," he said, plating the omelets he'd decided to make, since he didn't want to bother making pancakes again.

"Are you?" Mr. Cake asked, gently setting the twins in their high chairs, before moving to set up the table, "Do you know what was wrong? Did you see a doctor?" Emerald shook his head,

"No, I didn't see a doctor, and... yes, I know what was wrong," he admitted, albeit hesitantly, "It was just a personal issue regarding my... my parents," he muttered quietly.

"Oh my!" Mrs. Cake exclaimed, rushing over to his side, "Is everything alright?" she asked worriedly. Emerald forced a grin,

"Y-yeah, everything is just... dandy, you know?" he said, though he doubted Mrs. Cake believed him. Her raised eyebrow certainly reinforced the idea.

"Emerald," she urged pointedly, giving him a look he supposed was meant to be comforting. He ignored it,

"Its fine, really," he insisted, "I figured everything out last night. Everything is fine, so just... leave it be, Mrs. Cake," he said. She huffed, turning away from him,

"Well... alright, I'll believe you," she relented, but turned back to him, sharply, "But if I hear that anything like this is bothering you again, you _won't_ avoid telling me, do you understand me young colt?" she demanded. Emerald smirked, and nodded,

"Of course, Mrs. Cake," he lied easily, turning and hoofing her a plate, fit with an omelet, "Enough about that, it's time for breakfast.

Breakfast was simple and quick and, thankfully, fairly quiet as well. Despite that, Mrs. Cake was very clearly staring at him throughout portions of the meal, seemingly under the impression that Emerald would share if she kept it up.

He scowled once their backs were turned, though he was thankful that Mr. and Mrs. Cake had offered to wash the dishes. Her behavior was annoying, as well as unusual. She'd never really expressed much worry or concern over him before, unlike Pinkie, whom she fretted over fairly often.

Perhaps it was her way of getting revenge on him for leaving her foals alone with Pinkie last night?

Regardless, he only hoped it would end once their shifts began.

* * *

"Come again!" he called to the retreating pony, the cheer in his voice completely fake. Not that anyone seemed to care, or even notice. Faking that cheer was easy, really, almost too easy.

Did that say something about him?

Whatever. It didn't matter, not to him.

What _did_ matter, was the fact that even after two hours of working, his little... _revelation_ yesterday was still eating away at him. Work provided very little in the way of a distraction, and it was really beginning to wear his patience down. He didn't like it.

He needed something to keep his mind occupied. He needed time to simply let it stew until he was ready to face it, otherwise it might lead to another breakdown like he'd had yesterday, and he didn't need another one. Especially during the day.

But what could he do to distract himself for the day?

He idly removed his Heavybolts and began cleaning the lenses.

Was there anything he'd been really planning to do in town? Or even out of it?

The first thing that came to mind was, of course, _finally_ paying a visit to Aloe and Lotus. He'd been putting it off much longer than he had Zecora, though recently it had been less 'putting it off' and more 'forgetting that it was a thing'.

Should he do that, then? Maybe head over there during his break and talk with them for an hour?

No... knowing them, they'd probably force him into a treatment, if only to repay him for the bits he'd given them if not because they'd been his old physicians in S.M.I.L.E. Still, he _was_ sort of glad that Bon-Bon had told him about their spa. It was nice to know that they were putting some of their old techniques to use, if only in a different manner than they used to.

He filed the option away for later, greeting and taking the order of a new customer.

He _could_ write a few letters to the others. Aside from Trixie, he hadn't really been keeping in too good of contact with the others, and it might be high time to see how everyone was doing.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. He knew that Sapphire was preparing for a tour, and he was aware that Will was working on his self-help routine, somewhere. Gustave was still up in Canterlot, and Spitfire was no doubt running a bunch of new recruits though drill in her little Wonderbolt Academy. Trixie was here in Ponyville, trying, and failing, at getting a job, so he didn't know how long that would last.

It was only Star and Thor who he needed, or rather, wanted, to get into contact with, but there was little he could do about the latter, unless he asked Mo-**that** mare to send a letter to him personally.

He frowned, before he nodded to himself. It was high time he tried getting into contact with Star!

"Alright you two!" Mrs. Cake's voice announced from the kitchen, "Time for lunch!"

Emerald blinked at the announcement, before his head whipped over to the clock, staring at it dumbly. He blinked, and shook his head.

He hadn't even realized that much time had passed!

Faust, just how deep in his thoughts was he?

"Okay!" Pinkie cheered, bouncing out of the kitchen. His attention moved from the clock over to the pink mare, who continued bouncing all the way to door. He frowned after a moment, but eventually followed her example and left as well.

He sighed, making his way through the usual crowd, his destination aimed towards the Ponyville Post Office, before he paused, and promptly realized that he had no idea where Star was.

He scowled once more, and turned to head towards Horte's Cafe once again.

Getting there took little time, and it took even less to place his order, a plate of pasta.

He sighed, and leaned back in the chair.

He didn't have an address to send a letter to, meaning that his, admittedly rushed, plan to get into contact with Star wasn't fated to take place that day. And so, he was, once again, left with nothing to distract him from his thoughts about Mo-**her**. Specifically about late last night, after he'd woken from his state of unconsciousness.

Had his reaction been too much? He remembered waking up, thoughts whirling about his mind as images and fantasies about Mo-**her** had swam through his head, only to suddenly be faced with the real thing. He, of course, had panicked.

He'd taken one look and assumed it had been some strange delusion, and tried his best to get away from it.

His hoof rose, and gingerly tapped the spot just behind his Heavybolts where he'd cracked his head against the wall, wincing slightly.

Even after he realized Mo-**that** mare before him had been very much _real_, he continued to try and deny it, only for Luna and Sparky to come in, which, thankfully, got him to start calming down and focus on someone other than Mo-**her**.

He was startled out of his thoughts by a plate clattering in front of him.

"Enjoy your meal!" the waitress cheered as she walked away, leaving the stallion alone with his thoughts once more. He sighed, and began to eat, thankful for something even as minor as that to distract him.

It was as he finished paying for his meal, already leaving the cafe, that something else came along and, mercifully, distracted him once more.

"C'mon girls!" a familiar young voice called, just as Applebloom came rushing into sight, "We gotta hurry if we're gonna catch mah sis!" She was followed quickly by little Sweetie Belle, who looked much more exhausted by the running than her earth pony friend, as well as Scootaloo, who didn't seem bothered in the slightest.

The sight of the Crusaders caused a memory to jolt to the forefront of his mind, his gaze almost locking onto Scootaloo's much-too-small wings.

Right, he wanted to talk to her and her parents about the possibility of them being related.

Well, no time like the present, right?

"Scootaloo!" he called, causing the little pegasus to screech to a surprised halt, the other two slowing down and joining her a moment later,

"Uh, is somethin' wrong Mr. Emerald?" Applebloom asked him, all three of them looking confused, and the slightest bit worried, "Cuz we haven't broken anythin' for a couple'a weeks!" she suddenly added. Emerald ignored that last part,

"Nothing's wrong you three, I would just like to talk with Scootaloo and her parents about something," he said. Scootaloo blinked,

"What?" she asked, "Am I in trouble?" Emerald shook his head,

"No, Scootaloo, you're not in trouble,"

"Are you sure?" she asked with a raised brow, sounding skeptical, "Last time anypony wanted to talk to my Mom and Dad it was about my grades," she admitted, sounding slightly saddened. Emerald smirked, and shook his head,

"No, actually. I wanted to talk to them about your wings," he revealed, figuring it would catch her attention, and by the way her head suddenly shot up, it did,

"Wh-why?" she asked, suddenly nervous, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked the same, "I-I mean, there's nothing wrong with my wings Mr. Emerald! I'm just a late bloomer!" she said, her voicing rising a pitch, before it drooped into a quiet whisper, "A _really_ late bloomer..." Emerald nodded,

"I know you are, Scootaloo," he said, causing her saddened expression to morph into a confused one, "But I want to talk to you and them because I think I might know why you're so late, is all."

Her eye's widened almost comically, and she suddenly shot forward, coming to a stop just in front of his legs,

"Really?!" she squealed, staring up at him in awe, "Not even the doctor knew why! You really think you know, Mr. Emerald?" she asked excitedly. He smirked, and nodded,

"I have an idea, but I do need to talk to your parents to make sure, first," he said. Scootaloo, who was practically vibrating with excitement, suddenly hopped into the air, her wings buzzing,

"Yes!" she squealed once again, before grabbing his hoof, and tried to drag him off, "C'mon, let's go talk to them right now!"

Emerald smirked, but let himself be pulled along.

She continued dragging them off, ignoring her friend's surprised cries as they fled, but Scootaloo really didn't seem to mind, much too focused on pulling him in the right direction.

They skirted past ponies as they wove through the market, with Emerald making a mental map of their surroundings just in case. They passed by a few stores, including Sugarcube Corner and, later, Bon-Bon's Candy Shoppe, and soon began creeping closer to the edge of town.

Just before they made it to the edge of the town, Scootaloo took a sharp right, causing him to stumble slightly in surprise, before she took off once again, much faster than before.

Eventually, however, they arrived in front of a small shop, a few buildings down from Quills and Sofa's he noted.

"We're here!" Scootaloo chirped, staring up at the store with a bright smile on her face, her eyes dancing between it and him. Emerald blinked, turning away from the street, and gazed up at the shop in question, a wry smirk forming on his lips.

A two story building stood in front of him. It's walls were mostly white with dozens of large splotches of different colours on it, reminding Emerald of a canvas. There was a pair of windows in the front, leading into a much brighter room that seemed to be filled to bursting with shelves boasting a variety of colours. Gazing up a little further had Emerald's eyes landing on a wooden sign, with the words 'Paint Brush's Art Supplies' painted in rainbow colours, making the earlier comparison make much more sense.

He smirked, glancing down at Scootaloo.

Who would've thought?

"An art store, eh?" he asked, causing Scootaloo to nod,

"Yeah!" she gushed, smiling brightly, "My Mom paints all kinds of stuff! She even painted my scooter!" He nodded,

"That's nice," he said, taking a step forward, "Well, let's get this started."

Scootaloo nodded excitedly, slipping through the door with him not too far behind.

The earlier view from the window remained much the same once he was actually inside, though it revealed that the many items on the shelves were, in truth, a wide assortment of paints, brushes, canvas', and many more items that Emerald didn't particularly recognize.

However his attention quickly focused itself on the mare behind the counter, even as Scootaloo rushed up to her.

She was a pegasus mare with a fluffy orange coat, of a shade much brighter than Scootaloo's. Her dark pink mane and tail were held in a loose bun, with various strands of hair falling out of it. Despite her slightly disheveled appearance, she held a bright smile on her face that clearly showed through her equally bright, blue eyes, which twinkled behind a pair of black glasses.

The mare, presumably Paint Brush, gasped at the sight of Scootaloo,

"Scootaloo!" she gushed, slipping easily out from behind the counter, revealing a mark of a multicoloured paint brush with a trail of paint of the same colour behind it, before wrapping the filly up in her hooves, squeezing her tightly, "Ooohh! How's my little masterpiece doing?" she asked eagerly, gazing down at her daughter with open fondness. Scootaloo wriggled in her grip,

"_Moooom!_" she whined, "You're embarrassing me!" Paint Brush giggled,

"What?" she asked, "Can't your dear mother love her little filly?" she teased, but let go. Scootaloo backed up, pouting,

"Mooom..." she moaned, but Paint brushed it aside, obviously quite used to Scootaloo's complaints,

"So, what brings you back home so early?" she asked, a hoof reaching up to cup her cheek in thought, "I thought you and your little Crusader friends were out playing?" Scootaloo huffed, her cheeks puffing out in indignation,

"Mom! We're not playing! We're on a hunt to find our cutie marks!" she protested, pointing a hoof at her dramatically. Paint Brush laughed,

"Oh, of course! Silly me," she relented, smiling happily, before a brief glance to the side caused her to notice Emerald, "Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there!" she apologized, sliding back behind the counter, "How can I help you?"

"Well, I came here with Scootaloo, actually," he began easily, "I was hoping to talk to you and her father about her wings."

Paint Brush obviously hadn't expected that, judging by the confused blinking. She adjusted her glasses,

"O-oh, um...?" were the first words out of her mouth, "W-well, Scootaloo is still a growing filly, her wings will grow in time, an-" she paused, blinking rapidly, before frowning, "Hold on, who are you, exactly?" she asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Emerald hid a smirk.

She was much more cautious than most ponies he'd met. A sign of either a hard life or the influences of something other than a pony.

Like a thestral, which were naturally cautious creatures.

"My name is Emerald," he revealed, "Emerald _Skies_, to be specific." Paint Brush stiffened, and adjusted her glasses once more,

"S-skies?" she asked quietly, swallowing thickly, "A-any relation to a, um... an Autumn Skies?" she asked. Emerald blinked, running the name through his memory.

Autumn Skies... Autumn...

Ah!

"Why yes, I do believe she and I were distant cousins, if I recall correctly," he said, before frowning, "You'll find, I'm afraid, that I'm a little out of touch with... _that_ part of the family," he admitted, then smirked, "So, I take it you're a Skies as well?" he asked. Paint Brush shook her head, and adjusted her glasses again. A nervous tick, it seemed.

"No, but my husband is," she said.

Scootaloo, who, up until this point, had been watching on confused, spoke up,

"Uh, Mom? What's he talkin' about?" she asked. Paint's eyes widened, as if she'd forgotten her daughter was around,

"Scootaloo!" she yelped, looking at her daughter nervously, as she began wringing her hooves together, "I-it's nothing, really, I mean, your father and I meant to tell you when you turned eighteen, but-"

"Tell me what?" she asked impatiently, hopping onto her back legs as she leaned against the counter, staring up at her mother imperiously, "It's about my wings, right?" she asked, "So shouldn't I know about it _now_?"

Paint Brush gulped, and opened her mouth to answer, when the bell above the door rang,

"Hey Honey, I just got back and- Oh!" Emerald turned around, coming face to face with a sky blue coated stallion, whose bright purple mane and tail was cut short, leaving his purples eyes unblocked, "Sorry! I didn't realize you were still working," he apologized, grinning at his wife sheepishly, even rubbing the back of his head.

Despite this, Emerald's eyes remained locked, for a moment, on the bright golden armour the stallion before him was wearing.

He smirked.

A painter and a member of the Royal Guard? What a strange set of parents she had.

"Cloudy!" Paint called, glancing at Emerald, "We, uh, have some family over?" she said, sounding unsure.

The now-named Cloudy blinked owlishly at his wife, before turning to Emerald,

"We do?" he asked, looking Emerald up and down, then stiffened, "Uh, which side of the family are you from, Mr...?" Emerald frowned,

"Emerald. And it would seem that I'm from the side you're keeping secret from Scootaloo, yes?" he asked. Cloudy gulped,

"O-oh," he breathed, looking at his daughter, who stared back at him, confused, and, seemingly, a little afraid,

"Dad?"

Her father stared back at her for a moment, before letting out a world-weary sigh,

"Let's... head upstairs to talk, okay?"

* * *

"So," Scootaloo began once they'd situated themselves on a couch, "What's going on Mom, Dad?"

It hadn't taken long for Paint Brush to close up shop, and it had taken even less time for the four of them to migrate upstairs, arriving in a cozy looking living room, which connected into a small kitchen off to the right.

The walls and ceiling were a faint green colour, with a light pink carpet covering the floor. There were two couches facing each other, separated by a lone table, both as pink as the carpet. Though there was a single recliner of a much darker green, which Scootaloo had happily taken, leaving him sitting across from her parents.

Along the walls were various picture frames, each one holding either Scootaloo, or other family members that Emerald, of course, didn't know. There were also a few blue and yellow banners that hung over the fireplace, which was off to the left, sporting the Wonderbolts insignia.

He spotted Scootaloo's scooter and helmet leaning against the wall by the stairs as well, along side a much larger one of the same design and colour, either for her parents or herself when she was older.

Paint and Cloudy glanced at each other, a nonverbal debate passing between them, before Cloudy turned to Scootaloo,

"Well, sweetie, the thing is..." he trailed off, biting his lip nervously.

The stallion had undergone a small transformation now that he'd shed his armour.

He was thin, with a set of wings somewhat larger than the pegasus average, though it failed to cover his white shield cutie mark, leading further evidence towards the idea of him being half-Skies, especially considering how he was taking his impromptu visit.

"What?" Scootaloo pressed, leaning forward, "What is it?" Paint sighed,

"Well, dear, the things is... your father is only half-pony," she admitted, getting straight to the point.

The room fell into silence after that, with Scootaloo blinking uncomprehendingly,

"... What?" she asked, sounding unsure, before she frowned, "This is serious you guys!"

"We know, Scootaloo!" Cloudy insisted, jumping to his hooves, "My mom was from a species called thestrals," he explained, "That's why you've never met her." Scootaloo tilted her head, still frowning,

"What? But you said it was because she kept getting really sick!" she accused, causing both her parents to wince.

"We know sweet pea," Paint soothed, frowning sadly, "But... we were afraid that you'd take it the wrong way, since you're one-quarter thestral," she added. Cloudy nodded,

"Yeah! We were worried you'd be scared of me, of the others," he admitted, looking away sheepishly, "We wanted you to be a little more mature before we told you." Scootaloo huffed, then wilted,

"So... so I'm not even a pony?" she asked, her eyes locked on the floor, "Is that why my wings are so small?" she looked up, her eyes beginning to water, "Is that why I'll never get to fly?" she asked, choking partway through.

Immediately responding to their daughter's tears, both Paint and Cloudy practically lunged at her, wrapping her in their hooves,

"No, no of course not sweetheart," Paint soothed, rubbing her daughter's head affectionately, "You'll fly one day, I guarantee it!"

"Yeah, you really are just a late bloomer dear," Cloudy added, "It's just in our blood. We're Skies after all," he said with a smile, though it was faint. Scootaloo looked up, rubbing one of her eyes with a hoof,

"Skies?" she asked, sniffing. Cloudy nodded,

"Yep!" he said, gently spreading his wings, watching in amusement as his daughter's eyes locked onto them almost reverently, "One day, you'll have wings just like mine, I know you will."

Scootaloo looked away, sniffing still. Her lip trembled, before she spoke again,

"H-how do I know you're telling the truth?" she asked quietly, "You-you might just be telling me stories like you did with the Feather Fairy!" she cried, looking up at them.

Taking that as his cue, Emerald stood as well,

"Oh, they're telling the truth, Scootaloo," he said, bringing the attention of the three ponies onto him, "Skies are born with naturally smaller wings, which, when you're older-"he spread his own wings, easily dwarfing Cloudy's in size, "-they end up around this size," he revealed.

"Wow..." Scootaloo breathed, now longer tearing up, then looked up at her parents, "So... my wings will be like your's someday, Dad?" she asked eagerly, her eyes shining. Cloudy laughed,

"Of course, Scootaloo! But I'm sure they'll be even better!"

With that cheerful scene over and done with, the family split apart, all three of them standing before him not too long after.

"So, you're also half thestral?" Cloudy asked, sounding somewhat excited, but it was quickly extinguished,

"Not half. Full," he said, smirking. Paint blinked,

"You don't..." she let the sentence die off, it's message clear. Emerald chuckled, and briefly slipped off his bracelet.

Their eyes widened in surprise as the white glow suffused him for a moment, before dissipating seconds later, revealing his real appearance, only to 'Aww' quietly as he replaced his disguise.

"That was-" Paint began, only to be cut off by her daughter,

"_Awesome!_" Scootaloo gushed, "Am I gonna look that cool when I'm older?!" she asked, causing Emerald to laugh, but shake his head,

"'Fraid not, Half-pint," he teased, rubbing her mane, "I'm a pure-blooded thestral, you're only quarter-blood, so you're going to look more like your father than me," he said, and clicked his tongue, "Honestly, you're getting the better deal between you and me," he added. Scootaloo frowned, and tilted her head,

"What?" she asked, "Are you _kidding_?! You look awesome!" she cheered, hopping on her hooves, "How do_ I _get the better deal?" Emerald sighed,

"I'm wearing a disguise for reason, Half-pint," he said, ignoring her huff at the name, "Some ponies are afraid of how I look, and they tend to cause some real trouble for thestrals like me."

"That's stupid."

"Hehe, yeah, it is, isn't it?" he asked, and shrugged, "But that's life, I'm afraid. Stupid stuff happens, and there's nothin' I can do about it. Just gotta live with it, you know?"

He sighed, and spared a glance towards the clock,

"Well, this was... enlightening, but I'm afraid I have to head back to work," Emerald said, eliciting an 'Aww' from Scootaloo, which made him chuckle, and ruffled her mane once more, "Eh, don't worry too much, Half-pint. If you ever wanna hear more about thestrals, just come talk to me, alright?" she nodded, "Great. See you all... eventually," he finished, turning and descending the stairs.

"It was nice meeting you, Emerald!"

"Definitely! You should come by for dinner sometime!"

"Hmm, I'll think about it."

* * *

Emerald was, perhaps, in a better mood than he should've been, even as he returned to his place behind the counter at Sugarcube Corner.

He'd established a link to another unforeseen family member, bringing the total up by three. He supposed that, in and of itself, was something worth being in a better mood than usual.

It was entirely because of this better mood that he restrained his panic when a pair of unfortunately familiar faces walked through the door.

"I'm telling you, Lotus!" a pink coated mare, with a silky blue mane and tail held back by a white headband, pouted, "One cheat day isn't going to hurt our diet!"

Her conversation partner, a pony similar enough in stature that their nature as a pair of twins was undeniable, frowned, pushing a strand of her equally silky pink mane out of the way of her sapphire blue eyes.

"One becomes two and two turns to three, Aloe," she snapped, sending her sister a stern glare, "The last time you convinced me to go on _one_ cheat day, we had to schedule extra workout sessions for a _month_!"

Aloe flinched away from her peeved junior, though her expression remained cheery,

"Aw, come _on_, LoeLoe!" she pressed, leaning into her sister, "Juuuuust one?" she asked innocently. Lotus growled, and huffed,

"Whatever, Aloe," she snapped, impatiently tapping her hoof against the floor, "get what you want, but _I_ will _not_ be responsible for your extra sessions!" she added, staring at the clock by the door. Aloe cheered, her smile brightening as she eagerly bounded up to the counter, eyes firmly locked on the menu,

"Hiya, Pinkie!" she said without looking at him, "Think I could get five of those amazing chewy-choco-chip-cookies?"

Emerald smirked,

"Sounds like your sweet tooth hasn't shrunk at all, Aloe," he remarked, choosing to bite the blade head on. Aloe blinked rapidly, her eyes fluttering shut in confusion, before she looked at him.

"... Emerald?" she asked dumbly, staring at him as though he was a ghost,

"Aloe?" he repeated cheekily, then glanced past her, his own sapphire eyes locking with a stunned Lotus', "And Lotus?" he chuckled, "It's been awhile, yeah?"

"Emerald!" Aloe cheered, reaching across the counter to wrap her hooves around his neck, "Wow! It's amazing to see you again!" she gushed, nuzzling her cheek against his, before letting go and dropping back to her hooves, smiling brightly, "Boy, I was afraid we'd never see you again!"

"You sound too happy to be saying that," he deadpanned. Aloe blinked, and tilted her head,

"Really?" she asked innocently, before shrugging, "Oh well, what can ya do?" she asked, only for a blue hoof to suddenly whack her across the back of the head. Her hoof flew up to cover the spot,

"Ow! What the hay, LoeLoe?!" Aloe whined, turning to her sister, eyes fake-tearing up in betrayal. Lotus stared her sister down imperiously,

"You don't just go around talking to somebody you haven't seen in four years like that!" she snapped, before turning to Emerald, her bright blue coat turning a noticeable red as their eyes met once more, "I-it's great to see you again, sir," she stammered shyly, bowing her head. She paused for a moment, then forced Aloe to bow her head as well.

"Agh!"

Emerald withheld a sigh.

They hadn't changed much, if at all.

Aloe, the loud, exuberant elder, and Lotus Blossom, the cold, serious junior, who practically turned into a pile of jelly whenever he was around.

To this day, he honestly couldn't tell if she had a crush on him, or was experiencing some form of hero worship. Or, Faust forbid, both.

"So, how've you girls been these past four years? Bon-Bon mentioned you opened up that spa you girls wanted here in town," he spoke, writing down Aloe's order and passing it off to Pinkie in the meantime. Aloe nodded, happily rocking back and forth on her hooves,

"Yup! Its _amazing!_" she gushed, practically melting at the thought, "It's got everything we wanted too! A steam room, a bathhouse, a massage room, an actual counter for our receptionist, an-!" she was cut off rather violently by a blue hoof crushing one of her own, "Agh!" she yelped, bouncing away from her sister, sending her a teary-eyed pout, "LoeLoe! What was that for?!" she whined. Lotus huffed,

"You don't need to bore him with all those minor details, Aloe!" she snapped, before turning to him, red-faced and apologetic, "I'm sorry about my sister, sir, she still hasn't learned to grow up," she said, bowing her head slightly. Emerald snickered,

"Well then, I suppose its a good thing you're here to reign her in, yeah?" he asked, smirking. Lotus' face went red enough that her ears and neck followed suit, causing her to look more like a strawberry than a pony. Even so, a wide, almost dopey, smile bloomed across her face. She remained oblivious to her sister's curious prodding of her cheek,

"Huh, she hasn't done that in years," Aloe murmured, her ears perking up at the ***DING*** that sounded from behind him.

Emerald turned, grabbed the cookies from Pinkie with a nod, and returned to the twins, "Alright, here's your chewy-choco-chip-cookies. That'll be ten bits." Aloe blinked, before smiling,

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot," she muttered, fishing through her saddlebag, and withdrew a small stack of bits a moment later, "Here you go!" she cheered, passing them over to him, taking the cookies with the same hoof. She made to turn around, but paused, and looked back at him,

"Hey, when do you get off work?" she asked. Emerald almost started at the sudden question, but brushed it aside,

"Uh, in five or so hours. Why?"

"You should come by the spa," she said firmly, and smiled, "We'll even give you the full treatment, free of charge!" Emerald frowned, and shook his head,

"I appreciate the offer, but I couldn't accept that," he said, "It wouldn't be-"

"You must!" Lotus' sudden outburst cut him off, though if that hadn't, the way she suddenly appeared inches away from his nose would have regardless, "You're probably extremely stressed out, and a stallion as hard working as you wouldn't have any time to relax!" she said firmly, before her voice suddenly faltered, "I-I'll even give you the treatment myself!"

Emerald blinked.

A bit of both then.

"I-I still don't-" he tried stammering, but Aloe cut him off, pulling her sister away from him by the tail in the process,

"You have to, Emm!" she cheered, smiling brightly at him, even as her sister glared at her, holding her tail protectively, "You know how LoeLoe can get about your stress levels!" she added, sending her sister a sly smirk, a rare display coming from the excitable pinkette.

...

Oh dear Faust, she was just like Pinkie.

Though not as random.

"See you after your shift!" she called through the bag in her mouth, happily dragging her sister behind her and through the door, leaving Emerald standing there, beginning to wonder if he should've bolted out the window when he saw them.

He sighed,

"Dammit."

* * *

He stared up at the building that loomed before him.

It was a fairly tall building with peach walls and a dark blue checker-patterned roof, which jutted into the sky like twin spires. There were a few windows, each one in the shape of a horseshoe, but each one was filled with white curtains that prevented him from seeing inside. The door was parted across the middle, with each of the two pink sections adorned by a heart. The pleasant scent of roses wafted from the building, either from the various incense from inside, or even the set of rosebushes under the windows.

Of course, the entire image was completed by the golden sign hanging out front, with the image of a tall pony with a very long, flowing mane, the words 'Ponyville Spa' written in flowing silver text in their mane.

Emerald had to admit. They'd used his bits well.

"Well, well, well," a familiar voice chirped behind him, "I was wondering if I'd ever find you here."

"Really?" he asked, turning to face the posh unicorn, noting, idly, that her mane seemed a little messier than usual, "And why is that, Rarity?" Rarity tittered behind her hoof,

"Well, I'd imagine keeping our little town safe at night can get quite stressful," she said, sauntering past him, "I'm quite honestly surprised it took you so long, but I'm glad that you've _finally_ decided to relax a little bit," she added, smiling. Emerald blinked, and frowned,

"You... are?" he asked.

"Oh, absolutely!" she said, gesturing her hoof around, "You have no idea how often I thought about asking you to come along with myself and Fluttershy," she said, and smiled, "But I'm sure you understand why I didn't." she added coyly, "After all, it would've rather insensitive to dear Twilight."

Emerald scowled at her, but made no comment, choosing to slide past her into the spa instead.

For some reason, Rarity looked like she'd just won something.

The inside of the spa was quite different than the outside, with darker pink walls and a purple floor, covered by a multicoloured rug in the shape of a target. There was a door off to the right, but directly in front of them was a beige counter, was a mare who looked strangely like Aloe and Lotus, leafing through a book.

She had a yellowish white coat, with a bright lavender mane, and similarly blue eyes. Like Aloe and Lotus, her cutie mark was of a lotus blossom, further confusing Emerald.

"Hello, Vera!" Rarity sang, striding passed Emerald flawlessly. The mare, now named Vera, looked up from from her book, and brightened,

"Ah! Hello Miss Rarity," she said, before glancing back down at her book, flicking through a few pages, before frowning and look back at her, "I'm sorry, but I don't think we have you scheduled for your usual today," she said questioningly,

"Oh, I'm not here for that today, Vera," Rarity replied, smiling,

"How might I help you, then?"

"Well, I was hoping for a simple massage and horn filing. My sister came by with her friends today and... well..." she trailed off, then shook her head, "Well, they seemed a little more excitable than usual today, especially her pegasus friend, Scootaloo." she added, smiling faintly.

Emerald snickered.

That caused the two mares to turn to him, one out of confusion, and the other curiosity,

"Oh? And just what's so funny?" Rarity asked, smiling, "Those three can be _quite_ the hoofful, I'll have you know!" she promised. Emerald chuckled,

"I believe you," he said, smirking, "I've already been victim to their antics when I first came to town. I just thought it was funny, considering that I'm likely the reason the Half-pint was so excited today," he clarified.

"Really?" Rarity asked, her smile morphing into a curious gleam, "Care to explain while we get our treatments?" she asked. Emerald sighed,

"I don't think you'll give me much of a choice," he muttered, and turned to Vera, "Uh, hello?" he began lamely, causing Vera to smile,

"Hello," she replied, "how can I help you?"

"I'm Emerald, Aloe told me to be by when my shift was over," he said. Vera nodded, but paused,

"Emerald?" she asked, he nodded, "Oh! Well it's nice to meet you! Aloe and Lotus have told me quite a few stories about you!" she said, smiling, almost slyly. Emerald grimaced,

"Have they now?" he asked, before glancing over her, "Who are you, anyhow?" Vera smiled, and pressed a hoof against her chest,

"I'm Vera. Aloe and Lotus happen to be my cousins, on my mother's side. And yes, they have indeed," she continued, leaning forward with an intrigued smile on her face, "Is it true?"

"Is... what true?" Emerald asked, not liking the foreboding feeling the question caused in him. Vera pouted, as if she'd expected him to understand immediately,

"Were you the one who gave them the money to open up this place?" she asked again, slightly more impatiently. Emerald blinked, ignoring Rarity's surprised gasp,

"Oh, that?" he asked, relaxing, "Yeah, why?" Vera stared at him, before laughing and leaning back,

"Just curious," she said, though Emerald didn't believe it in the slightest, "Buuuut!~ Let's just say your little donation had _quite_ the impact on our family," she added slyly, before clearing her through, and waving towards the door, "Alright! Just head through that door and all the way to the end. They told me you'd be receiving the full service, on the house!"

Emerald's gaze flickered over her for a moment, before clicking his tongue and following her directions, with Rarity following right behind him.

He heard Vera giggle behind him, but ignored it.

That left him and Rarity traveling through an empty hallway, slipping past various doors towards the lone one on the end.

After, perhaps, a solid minute of silence, Rarity spoke,

"I'm surprised you never said anything," she remarked. Emerald blinked, slightly stunned by the sudden comment,

"What?" he asked, glancing at her, confused.

"You never mentioned donated money to the spa twins," she repeated, sounding strangely serious. Emerald shrugged,

"Yeah, so?" he asked. Rarity sighed, gently brushing her mane over her shoulder with an ivory hoof,

"I've been coming to this spa since the day it opened almost five years ago," Rarity said, glancing up at the ceiling, "While I might not be as close with them as I am with the girls, I most certainly know them better than most ponies in town," she continued, then stopped walking, prompting Emerald to stop as well, "They've told me quite often about their 'mysterious donor' over the years." Emerald frowned, and sighed,

"I see. And?" he asked, feeling just a little unsure.

He doubted the twins knew about his position as Champion, or even that he was a guard. Frankly, once S.M.I.L.E was dissolved, he'd lost most, if not all, contact with everyone in the agency, and they, him.

That meant, quite simply, that they could've told her _anything_ about him, and it could, potentially, lead to some sort of issue he'd have to fix, either by explaining himself, or convincing the twins to help him.

"Well," Rarity continued after a moment, "they always made sure I was aware of just how _generous_-" she stressed the word, "that donation was. And for good reason. Even for a designer as, admittedly, successful as I am, _15,000 bits_ isn't exactly an easy amount of money to make," she said, frowning as she eyed him up and down, "So, tell me, Emerald, how _exactly_ did you make that much money, only to _give it away_?" she asked.

Emerald stiffened for an instant.

This... this was unexpected. He'd been anticipating something a lot more... condemning, honestly.

But still, her reaction was also something unusual.

"Why do you ask?"

It was a necessary question on his part. This seemed completely out of character for Rarity to ask about his finances like that, and even more so to seem... this curious about it.

"Well, you've told us a fair amount of things about yourself in the time we've known you," she began, "You're a member of the guard, you happen to be something called a thestral, and you were once foalnapped when you were six, yes?" she asked, he nodded, "Of course. Now, all of that is quite... _unusual_, to say the least. Indeed, all of those little facts paints you as a definitively unique individual," she said, giggling slightly, before it stopped, replaced by a curious frown, "But even so, it's not exactly normal for anypo-any_body_ to simply... _give away_ that kind of money. Even someone like myself wouldn't be willing to part with _all_ of it, so..." she trailed off, staring at him with an uncomprehending gleam in her eyes.

Emerald withheld a sigh.

So that was it, then.

He... supposed it made sense. 15,000 bits wasn't a small sum of money to most individuals. Even back then, it had been most of his funds, though it would be little more than a dent in his current funds. A sizable dent, yes, but a mere dent nonetheless.

"I never cared much for money," he began, "Thestrali culture, in general, has little use for money in the first place. Combine a few years of living in that kind of culture with ten years in a place where your life was all you had, and I never really developed any personal value when it comes to money," he said, and sighed, "Even after I escaped and was taught by my Mother, I mostly only cared about... well, everything _else_. It might seem like a lot to you, but, I've always viewed money as a means to an end, rather than the end itself. Sure I'm a little greedy now, but that's mostly because I understand what I can use money for. Helping the ones I care about," he finished.

Rarity blinked, before laughing softly to herself.

"I see," she murmured, before laughing once more, a bit louder this time, "You truly _are_ an interesting stallion, Emerald," she remarked lightly, then nodded, "Well? Come along now, our treatments aren't going to wait forever!"

* * *

While he'd been able to convince Aloe and Lotus against the _entire_ spa, he'd been unable to get out of a few of their treatments.

Specifically the mud bath, the nutrient soak, mane and coat care, and finally, the massage.

It had been nice, admittedly. The mud bath was a little odd, at first, not to mention grimy against his coat, but if Rarity claimed it was nice, then he didn't have room to argue, really. The nutrient soak was pleasant, with it's rose scented water and dim lighting adding a nice, relaxing atmosphere to it. The mane and coat care had been nice as well, though he personally didn't feel any different after it.

But the massage?

"Gah!"

That... wasn't working out too well, if he was honest.

Rarity was laid out across from him, sighing happily as Lotus gently ran her hooves across her back. She seemed almost completely absorbed in her own little world, oblivious to Emerald's constant grunts of pain.

Aloe, the excitable little shit, was worried at first that she'd mucked something up, but after some questions, kept quiet so that Rarity didn't hear, she understood the problem easily.

Apparently scar tissue could be subject to pain when getting a massage, a fact Emerald had never bothered to learn.

Aloe suddenly pressed down on a spot just beneath his wings, with less pressure than usual, likely to account for his earlier pains, causing him to shudder.

"Ah..." he groaned, though, not out of pain.

Aloe, who had perked up at finding the right pressure, continued her work, being a lot more mindful of this particular customer than she usually had to be.

He sighed softly once the pain had fully passed, now beginning to relax for once.

"Enjoying yourself?" Rarity suddenly asked, opening one eye to peer at him, smiling,

"I... suppose I am _now,_" he muttered, closing his eyes for a moment, before raising his head, "You're a lot more used to this kind of treatment, though. I would imagine you already knew that,"

Rarity giggled,

"Maaaybe~" she sang, "Though, I must say, it's nice to spend time with someone other than Fluttershy for once," she said, before freezing, "N-not that there's anything wrong with her, of course!" she suddenly spurted, "She's a wonderful mare and I'm immensely glad that she and I are friends, it's just-just-!"

"I get it," Emerald deadpanned, cutting off her stammering. Rarity sighed, and laughed sheepishly,

"Right, of course," she replied, then perked up, "Oh! You were planning to tell me about Scootaloo's improved mood earlier. Do explain, I'm quite curious!" He sighed,

"Oh... right, that," he muttered, and shrugged, "Well, I just told her why her wings haven't grown in yet, is all." Rarity blinked, surprised by the lackluster answer,

"That's... that's all?" she asked, frowning, "What did you tell her?"

"All I told her was that everyone in our family was born with small wings, and all of them have grown up to have larger than average wingspans, is all." Rarity nodded,

"Well, I suppose that _would_ explain her exci-... 'our'?" she asked, having trailed off a moment before, "Did-did you just say...?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah," he said, and smirked, "Turns out she and I are distant cousins, if I remember correctly," he explained, before he tilted his head, "What were they over at your house for? When I ran into Scootaloo, I believe they were hunting for Applejack," he asked. Rarity suddenly sighed, the previous revelation forgotten, for now,

"I don't know," she admitted, "Sweetie Belle and her friends came around so suddenly that I didn't have any time to prepare for them, and believe me, those fillies need all the preparation one can get," she said, "As far as I can tell, they came around only to take off with some of my ponyquinns in tow," she added, before sighing, "not that I didn't try to stop them of course, but..." she waved to her still frazzled mane, "I'm sure you can guess how that turned out," she muttered, before perking up, "But! Not everything is bad, of course! I actually received a letter from Sapphire Shores earlier!" she suddenly gushed.

Emerald nodded,

"You mentioned one before we went off to Appleloosa as well, I believe. What's this one about?" he asked, feeling curious about what his sister was up to,

"Well, it was more of a warning than anything else," she said, "Apparently, Photo Finish received word about my work and is planning on making a surprise visit to the Carousel Boutique sometime next week!" she began excitedly, "Oh, it's going to be wonderful! I already have Sapphire Shores _and_ Hoity Toity interested and even wearing my designs! Imagine the kind of publicity my dresses are going to get when _Photo Finish_, Equestria's premier photographer, has entire _shows_ dedicated to my work!" she cheered, "Oooooohhhhh! At this rate, I might even be able to expand the Carousel Boutique into other cities one day!" she fantasized, "Oh, I can _just_ imagine it! My little shop, started and operated from here in little old Ponyville, stationed over in Manehatten, or even up in Canterlot! My suits and dresses would be the talk of the town!"

"City, you mean." She waved him off,

"Of course, of course," she muttered distractedly, "But it all starts here. I just know that getting Photo Finish to like my designs will be one of the biggest steps I can possibly take to take my business to the next level!" she squealed, holding her hooves up to her cheeks excitedly, "I can scarcely wait!"

Emerald sighed at the mare's enthusiasm, letting his head rest against his hooves, reveling in the feeling of Aloe's hooves for a moment.

Suddenly, they stopped,

"Well, that's all, I'm afraid," Lotus spoke up from above Rarity, "Your treatment is over." Emerald sighed, even as Rarity started,

"Oh! Is it?" she asked, glancing up at the nearby clock, and gasped, "Goodness! I didn't even realize how long I'd been talking!" she said, turning to Emerald with a sheepish grimace on her face, "I'm sorry, Emerald dear, I didn't mean to distract you from your massage." He shook his head,

"It's a massage, Rarity, I don't think _I'm_ the one who needs to focus on it," he said, glancing at Aloe, who giggled, but nodded.

"Well, regardless, wonderful work as always, Lotus," Rarity complimented, earning a nod from the younger twin, and turned to Emerald, "Well, we might have to do this again sometime, Emerald, although, perhaps without me talking so much," she added, and giggled.

Emerald considered it for a moment, before shaking his head,

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm not too sure I'll be coming here much," he admitted, ignoring the way both Aloe and Lotus smirked at him.

He also ignored the shiver it sent down his spine.

It's not like they could _force_ him to come here...

Right?


	26. Fashion Service

"Thank you, have a nice day!"

The usual response left his mouth without issue, with the customary smile and wave in seamless conjunction.

The stallion he'd finished serving left without issue, allowing the pony directly behind him to march right on up to the counter, and the cycle repeated once more.

It wasn't all bad, he supposed. Pinkie definitely kept him entertained whenever she popped out to deliver something to one of the tables, often doing some little dance or even outright jumping up onto the tables to present the customer their treat.

It had been a few days since he made that little revelation, and the Grand Galloping Gala was coming up quickly, and Hearth's Warming was only a month after _that_, promising a very busy next couple of weeks.

The line dwindled down quickly, since most of the orders were small and easily made, thankfully, until only one customer remained.

"Hey, Emerald!" Sparky exclaimed, adjusting the purple-and-white striped scarf around her neck with a tug of magic, "Could I get six blueberry scones?" she asked, smiling, "Princess Celestia gave me an assignment today, and I'll need the energy!"

"Really now?" he asked, passing the order off to Pinkie, "And what is she having you do?" Sparky smiled,

"She assigned me a few books to read on ambient magical theory," she said, "I haven't studied it in a while. I can't wait to start taking notes!" she gushed happily. Emerald chuckled,

"Of course you can't, Sparky," he remarked, hearing the bell ring behind him.

He still didn't know how Pinkie made everything so quickly, but he wasn't about to question it. So even as he reached behind him to grab the bag of six, fresh-out-of-the-oven-scones, he ignored the fact that they shouldn't have been ready yet, and simply passed the bag off.

"Thanks!" Sparky chirped, levitating a stack of bits onto the counter, and turned to leave, "Have a nice day!"

Emerald nodded after her, allowing his eyes to linger perhaps a little too long on her retreating form.

Her choice of attire was a little odd, in his opinion. A blue and white fur saddle, the aforementioned scarf, as well as a set of yellow rain boots on her hooves provided some strange colour clashing with her purple coat. But he ignored it, more focused on... other things.

He was snapped out of his trance once the door shut behind her, leaving him staring out into space for a moment, before his gaze slid over to the window just as she passed by it.

There was still a fair amount of snow on the ground, and a few stray snowflakes could be seen drifting towards the ground. It wasn't a blizzard like a few days ago, but it was still enough to warrant the use of winter clothing.

He chuckled a little, his eyes roaming away from the window, lingering over the ponies occupying the booths.

Each one of them wore some sort of scarf or hat, with the younger ponies wearing little boots or coats as well, leaving him as one of the few individuals not wearing any extra clothing.

Aside from the influx of customers the cold weather brought, the day was turning out to be a nice and simple one. Honestly, the past few days had followed that pattern and Emerald was quite thankful for the extended period of rest, especially considering how stressful the days before had been.

A sudden rush of motion from outside, which obscured the windows for a moment, causing the various customers littering the store front craning their necks to see what was going on, signaled the end of his peace.

Fantastic.

"Woah, what's going on?" Pinkie asked, sticking her head from the kitchen window, before gasping, "Is somepony throwing a party without me?!" Emerald sighed, and sent a glance her way,

"I doubt anyone in this town would throw a party without _you_, Pinkie," he said, and turned back, "But there's definitely _something_ happening today, and knowing this town, it probably has something to do with you girls."

It wasn't a far-fetched guess. Not at all, in fact.

In fact... he might just have a guess as to who this involved.

"Rarity mentioned that she would be getting visited by a famous photographer this week," he mentioned idly, "I'm guessing this is her."

A moment passed, before a magenta earth mare, wearing a pair of flight goggles, not too different from his own, suddenly burst into the room,

"Hot air balloon on the loose! Somepony help me out here!" she screeched, before bolting back outside. Most of their customers glanced at each other, before they all scrambled outside, a few of the foals whining about their abandoned treats in the process.

"... Or not," he amended, watching the thinning stream of ponies slide out the door.

Amongst the river of the bodies flowing out, he could clearly see the struggling form of one of them coming in, yelling out amidst the throng,

"Ooh! Watch the coat! No! Don't pull my mane! Move please!"

Eventually the flow subsided enough that the pony in question, who turned out to be none other than Rarity, managed to pop through a gap, nearly sliding onto the floor at the sudden lack of resistance.

Rarity straightened herself with a huff, adjusting her white fur cap so that it settled just behind her horn, as well as brushing some accumulated dirt off of her off-white fur jacket.

"Goodness, what's all the fuss about?" she asked, turning curiously over to Emerald and Pinkie, the latter of whom spoke up,

"Oh! Berry Punch's hot air balloon got loose again!" she answered cheerfully, only for Rarity to sigh and shake her head,

"That mare..." she muttered, "I swear she needs to keep a closer eye on that thing,"

"The balloon belongs to Berry Punch?" Emerald couldn't help but ask. They'd used it before, back during the Best Young Flier Competition, but they'd never mentioned that it belonged to someone.

Emerald had just assumed Pinkie had something to do with it.

Rarity shook her head,

"Oh no, she's just the one who maintains the thing," she explained, sighing, "She runs a wine press, but closes it down for the Winter, since the berries were harvested in October," she added, then continued, slightly more aggravated, "But my point does stand!"

"Right," Emerald muttered, before shrugging, "What can I get for ya?" he asked instead.

"Oh!" she gasped, as if she'd only just remembered why she was there, "Well, I'd like your help, if I'm honest," she said. Emerald nodded,

"Okay... with what?"

"I'm sure you recall our conversation at the spa not too long ago?" she led, and continued when he nodded, "Well, I spoke to Fluttershy earlier and she agreed to be my female model to showcase my dresses, but I fear I'm still in need of a male model..." she trailed off, staring at him imploringly. Emerald sighed,

"And why not choose someone else?" he asked, "Like... Macintosh? Or Thunderlane?" Rarity nodded at his suggestions, but shook her head,

"I'm afraid not, darling. While I do agree that Big Mac would look splendid in a tuxedo, and that Thunderlane _could_ use a good cleaning up, I believe that you will do much better," she said, and tilted her head, placing a dainty hoof against her cheek, "Well, that and you being there would most assuredly give Fluttershy a bit of a confidence boost. With how shy that mare is, she'll need all the confidence she can get if I'm to impress Photo Finish without embarrassing her." Emerald nodded.

It was a sound idea, at least. Fluttershy could, very well, faint during the whole thing if there's too much attention on her at once, so having him there would not only draw away some of that spotlight, but it would help put his cousin at ease.

"Well, it's a good idea, I'll admit, though I'm not sure if me alone will be enough," he said, nodding along, "Yeah, I might boost her confidence, but I'm not really that close to her. Confidence is one thing, but courage is another."

"Why not ask Dashie?" Pinkie suddenly suggested, "She and Fluttershy have been friends forever! She'll definitely cheer her on!" she proclaimed, hoof extended into the air for dramatic effect.

Rarity 'Hmm'd to herself, nodding slowly,

"Yes, that _is_ an idea..." she muttered, "Perhaps I could even convince her to..." she trailed off, beginning to mutter under her breath too quietly for him to hear. Emerald grunted, and shrugged,

"I... suppose you have a point, in the end. Besides, I don't have anything else to do after work anyways," he admitted.

"Splendid!" Rarity chirped, clapping her hooves excitedly, before giving a light squeal, "Oooh! Photo Finish is going to _love_ the designs I'll have for you two so much, that she'll have no choice _but_ to feature my designs!" she exclaimed, then spun on her hooves and waved towards them as she made her way outside, "I'm off to find Rainbow Dash, so wish me luck!"

A moment of silence passed between them after she left, before Emerald glanced at Pinkie,

"You think she'll be able to convince Rainbow to come along?"

"Nope!"

* * *

"I can't believe you managed to talk me into this..." Rainbow moaned from the couch, where she laid sprawled out on her back, scarcely paying attention as Rarity moved about her two models, her magic moving various needles and threads around, though she took care to avoid Emerald after the fifth time her magic shorted out around him.

Oddly enough, she didn't seem to question it, though that could be due to the sheer amount of focus she was dedicating to his and Fluttershy's outfits.

Fluttershy was decked out in a long black gown, inlaid with multicoloured sequins, that ended in a fuzzy pink trim. Of course, it wasn't all, given that she was also wearing a black headdress, with feathers of the same shade of pink flaring out over the top.

In contrast to Fluttershy's darkly coloured outfit, Emerald was garbed in a bright, shiny, blue suit that remained unbuttoned at the front, exposing his white undershirt underneath, which matched the set of white boots on his hooves. It was decorated with a bright red bow tie at the collar, fit with a rose of an equally bright red beside it, all topped off, quite literally, with a top hat the same colour as the suit, with a red band at the base.

"Imagine how _I_ feel..." Emerald muttered. Admittedly, when he'd agreed to be her model, he hadn't anticipated all that it would entail. After all, Photo Finish was going to arrive, potentially while he was still acting as a model, and after the annoyance that was Hoity Toity, he didn't want to endure any sort of fashion related drama again.

Not to mention the impact it would have on his station as the Champion.

He knew that Mo-**the princess** had said that he'd have to come clean eventually, but even if that was the case, he didn't want it to be like _this_.

"Alright!" Rarity suddenly announced, not quite glancing at him and Fluttershy as she passed around them once more, a length of measuring tape in her magical grip, "Photo Finish is going to want to see attitude and, most importantly, _pizzazz_!" she breathed.

"A-attitude?"

"Pizzazz?"

"Hmm, it needs more light," Rarity muttered, "The sequins on Fluttershy's dress must _shine_! And we certainly can't have Emerald sitting in the dark either. Rainbow Dash!" she shouted, startling the chromatic mare off the couch, landing on the floor with a pained grunt,

"Ugh, what?" she groaned, rising back to her hooves, sending Rarity a half-hearted glare, though it remained unnoticed as the unicorn started fumbling around through a nearby box,

"I need you to adjust the spotlight to shine on them more while I look for some more feathers for the headdress," she ordered. Rainbow groaned,

"Aw, what? Why's it gotta be me?" she muttered,

"Aw, don't be like that, Dashie!" Pinkie said brightly, "Rarity's our friend, and this is _super_ important to her!" she added, nodding at the blue pegasus seriously, though it was ruined somewhat by the eager smile on her face. Rainbow shook her head,

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." she muttered, though she had already begun flying up to the light in question. The room brightened considerably a moment later.

"Ah, here they are!" Rarity cheered, emerging from the box, a set of pink feathers flying out after her. They hovered in the air for a moment, before Rarity had them zooming straight over, and into, Fluttershy's headdress. Rarity approached them once more, giving them a hard once over, specifically Fluttershy,

"Hmmm... More sequins!" she announced, pointing at Rainbow, "I need more sequins, Rainbow Dash! Over in the dresser!"

Rainbow sputtered, but didn't say anything, preferring to grumble to herself as she slunk over to the nearby dresser. She rummaged through it, and soon returned with a bowl filled to brimming with sparkling little sequins, which Rarity gathered in her magic, then practically chucked the whole pile at him and Fluttershy, causing both of them to splutter and spit in surprise,

"Ack! What the fuck, Rarity?!" Emerald snapped, but she ignored him, already trotting behind him.

She eyed him for a moment, before reaching out and grabbing his tail, eliciting a shocked yelp out of him even as he felt her almost violently run a brush through the damn thing,

"Your tail is _far_ too unruly!" she said, "Pinkie, gel!" she called.

"Yay!" Pinkie cheered, happy at finally being called upon, happily bouncing over to the nearby dresser, where she swiped up the indicated bottle. Gel in hoof, she eagerly trotted back over to Rarity, and passed it along.

Rarity didn't acknowledge her presence, instead taking the bottle without so much as glancing at her. This was followed by the ever unpleasant sensation of something being rubbed into his tail a moment later. She finished gelling up his tail, unaware of just how close Emerald had been to kicking her in the face the entire time, and stepped away from them for a moment.

"I'm... sorry if I seem a little short with you all," she suddenly apologized, stunning the three of them for a moment, though Pinkie remained unfazed, "I'm just very nervous about this whole thing. Photo Finish's opinion could very well mean the end of my business if she doesn't like my designs, regardless of how much Hoity Toity and Sapphire Shores seemed to like them," she said somberly.

"Oh, it's alright Rarity," Fluttershy cooed softly, smiling at her friend, "It must be really stressful to have your business on the line like this, so it's okay," she added understandingly,

"Yeah!" Pinkie chirped, "We're your best friends, Rarity! We've _totally_ got your back!" Rainbow nodded,

"Eh, I might not be into this whole 'fashion' thing, but its real important to you, so I'll deal with it," she added supportively, for her at least.

"You're determined," Emerald said, and nodded, "I can respect that." Rarity smiled at them, her gaze drifting to the ground as her eyes began to tear up,

"Oh... thank you all so much..." she gasped, her smile widening into Pinkie-esque territories, before she practically lunged forward towards Emerald, using her magic to pull the other three towards them, and engulfed them all in a hug.

Pinkie and Fluttershy happily reciprocated the gesture, though Emerald and Rainbow were more hesitant. But, eventually, they too gave in.

For a few seconds that they'd later deny, of course.

They broke apart a moment later, with Rarity discretely wiping a tear away,

"Alright," she breathed, and swallowed the lump in her throat, "Alright..." she repeated, then nodded firmly, "With your help, I know I can really impress Photo Finish!" she declared confidently, giving them all a bright smile that had most of them returning it.

The moment was ruined an instant later when the front door practically burst open,

"I, Photo Finish, have arrived!" a heavily accented voice announced, startling the mares.

Emerald glanced over at the newcomer and was struck with how... odd she seemed.

Her mane and tail were stark white, and visibly well cared for. Her mane had been styled into a short bob cut, though her tail remained long with the slightest curl towards the end of it. Her sky blue coat was equally well cared for, though most of it was hidden by a sleek black and white striped dress that flared outwards towards her cutie mark, which was also obscured. A good portion of her face was hidden behind a set of black goggles with bright pink lenses, with an equally pink scarf wrapped around her neck.

While her appearance was a little strange to the thestral, her behavior was even more so.

She was quite obviously scanning the room, even going so far as to ignore Rarity's greeting. She gave off the air of someone who believed themselves too important to regard other ponies unless they had something of value, and given her occupation as a photographer, he had no doubt that that was the case.

She wasn't alone, of course. Two other mares accompanied her, wearing strange, skin-tight garbs of blue and white, and pink and gold. Their manes were styled into similar buns, and their tails were tightly wound into buns of the same type.

Emerald hid a sneer. He really didn't like this whole 'fashion' thing.

"Photo Finish!" Rarity chirped nervously, though obviously excited as well, "I must say, it's quite the honor to-" she cut herself off as Photo walked straight past her,

"We begin... now!" she declared as a third pony, wearing a green long-coat, rushed forward with a purple and gold briefcase, which suddenly popped open into a large tripod camera.

Rarity, completely nonplussed by the earlier dismissal, had already zipped back over to him and Fluttershy,

"Remember! Attitude and pizzazz!" she hissed quietly, obviously more nervous than before.

A flash from the camera prevented either of them from responding,

"Come on now, show Photo Finish, zomethink!" the photographer shouted.

Emerald and Fluttershy spared each other a glance.

Alright... attitude and pizzazz...

What the fuck did that mean?

Regardless, he lifted his front right leg, straightened his back, and turned his nose slightly upward, just as Fluttershy rose to her back legs, dropping into a pose he'd likely see on a hungry lion.

"No!" Photo shouted, causing Fluttershy to wilt, dropping her unusual pose, head beginning to tuck behind her mane. Emerald noticed his cousin's reaction, dropping his pose as well. He sneered at the cameramare, doing absolutely nothing to hide his disdain.

"Hmm... yes..." she muttered, though Emerald wasn't sure what she was talking about.

Rarity, who had once more snuck around behind Photo Finish, gave them a supportive smile, before miming for them to do the same.

Once more glancing at each other, the two of them tried to follow her directions, with Fluttershy giving a very obviously fake smile to the camera, holding a hoof beneath her chin. Emerald tried to do much the same, allowing his height over Fluttershy to help him peer over her back, giving the camera a sort of half-grin, turning his nose up a little more than before.

"No!"

Their smiles dropped, Fluttershy's face taking on a down-turned expression, while Emerald sneered once more.

"Yes!"

Both he and Fluttershy were once more confused by Photo's reaction, but their eyes drifted over to Rarity regardless. She smiled once more, though it was strained, and struck a pose of her own. Stretching her legs wide, while flexing one of her front hooves, it was likely some pose she'd seen in an old painting, he noted.

Either way, they copied her, Fluttershy in front facing to the right, with him facing the left behind her.

"No!"

Fluttershy wilted once more, this time nearly curling up onto the ground. He could practically see the anxiety pulsing through her. Fluttershy was a kind and gentle individual who loved helping her friends. If Emerald didn't think this was going well, which he most certainly didn't, then Fluttershy might be afraid she was screwing everything up.

Emerald placed a hoof on her back, while sending a glare back at Photo once more.

"Yes!"

He ignored her this time,

"You alright, Shy?" he asked gently. She turned and glanced up at him,

"Oh... um... y-yeah, I guess I'm just-"

"Enough!" Photo suddenly announced, collapsing the camera as she suddenly spun around. She walked past Rarity, with the three mares she'd come in with dutifully following behind her, the long-coat one carrying the camera with her.

Silence reigned for a moment, before Rainbow suddenly spoke,

"Jeez, what the hay is her problem?!" she snarled, tearing herself away from Pinkie, who, at some point, had covered her mouth with a hoof, "Who does she think she is, talking to you guys like that?!"

For once, Emerald agreed with her,

"I don't like her," he said contemptuously, stripping himself of his suit. Rarity ignored both of them, however, and merely proceeded to help Fluttershy undress, a sad expression overtaking her features,

"I-I'm so sorry," Fluttershy said, looking guilty, "I tried my best but..." Rarity shook her head,

"Your headdress was too big, the cape had too much sparkle, and Emerald's outfit was a little too shiny for him," she said, smiling gently at Fluttershy, before it fell, "I can't believe I thought _I_ could impress Photo Finish," she muttered sadly.

The door suddenly burst open once more revealing the very mare in question,

"I, Photo Finish, seem to have discovered the newest fashion sensation here, in Ponyville!"

"R-really?!" Rarity gasped,

"Really," Photo confirmed, "And I, Photo Finish, will do everythink in my power to make _all_ of Equestria see its magnificence shine!"

"Shine?" Rarity muttered, her voice rising in pitch, even as a smile overtook her,

"Tomorrow, a photo shoot in ze park!" Photo declared, and paused, "... I go!" she announced dramatically, and dashed out the door once again.

"Did you hear that, everyone?" Rarity asked, happily trotting over to the door, where she spun and faced them with a radiant smile on her face, "_I'm_ the newest fashion sensation! She said she's going to make me _shine_ all _over_ Equestria!" she cheered, almost bouncing on her hooves,

"Oh thank goodness!" Fluttershy breathed, "I was _so_ worried I'd messed this up for you!"

"I still don't like her," Emerald said,

"I hate her," Rainbow agreed, crossing her hooves. Rarity shook her head,

"I knew you two would be perfect!" she said, ignoring his and Rainbow's words. Finally, however, it seemed the excitement had made it's way to her head, and Rarity began excitedly bouncing on her hooves,

"Ooh! Yes, yes, yes, yes!"

Emerald sighed at her excitement, but a soft smile graced his features nonetheless. Rarity suddenly stopped bouncing,

"Oh my gosh, I have so much to do!" she realized, "I don't know how long the shoot will last, and I have to make dresses and suits to last the entire session!" she breathed, horrified, "I have to-!" she was cut off by a sudden, eager knocking on the door.

Confused, and likely thinking it was Photo Finish again, Rarity immediately spun around and opened the door,

"Is there something you need Pho-oh!" she interrupted herself, "Applejack? Spike? What can I do for you?" she asked, "I'm afraid I don't have a lot of time," she added.

"Uh, that's fine, Rarity, we were just here ta, uh..." Applejack's strangely unsure voice resounded from out of their sight. Emerald frowned, and ended up sharing a confused look with Rainbow,

"Do you want some pie?! I helped make it!" the hatchling asked,

"Oh, well that sounds lov-ely?" Rarity said, her voice shifting from delighted to unsure towards the end for some reason.

Rarity moved aside to let the two of them in, revealing a very uncertain looking Applejack, and Spike, who was carrying... a pie?

Emerald's nose turned up at the mere sight of the thing in his claws. It certainly _looked_ like it might have once been a pie, but given its sickly gray colour, and the fact that Emerald couldn't even _smell_ the thing, led him to believe that it was, in no way, an actual pie.

A thought suddenly struck him.

Wasn't Sparky doing a bunch of research today? Wouldn't she be needing her assistant for it? So why the fuck was Spike spending time with Applejack of all ponies?

It was possible that Sparky had given him the day off, considering that her research, from what he guessed, likely had to do with a lot of reading, leaving him with little to do to help. But if that was the case, wouldn't he have immediately made his way over to Rarity's for the day?

Seemingly in defiance of his expectations, Spike and Applejack walked into the Boutique, with Spike happily walking towards the kitchen. Applejack lagged behind a little bit, looking distinctly uncomfortable, and gave the entire room a pleading look, before moving on.

They all shared a confused look, before following behind the unusual pair.

When they arrived in the kitchen, they found Spike waiting patiently, but obviously excitedly, beside the 'pie', which he had set on the table.

"So, uh... why don'tcha give 'er a slice, Spike?" Applejack asked,

"Okay!" he said, and zipped off to grab a plate and fork. Taking the brief moment in his absence, Emerald turned to Applejack,

"Mind explaining?" he asked,

"Yeah, what the hay is going on?" Rainbow added. Applejack sighed,

"Well, thing is-"

"I'm back!" Spike cheered, inadvertently cutting Applejack off, before he ran back over to the table, setting not one, but five separate plates onto the table, "And I got enough plates for everypony too!"

"Oh," Applejack said, glancing at the others apologetically, "Well, uh, that's mighty... thoughtful of ya, Spike," she finished. Spike puffed out his chest, apparently proud of the pointless task, then set himself to dividing the "pie" onto the plates.

It took him a minute or so, but eventually everyone save himself and Applejack had a piece passed to them, excluding Emerald, who Spike was too afraid to get near, and, unfortunately, had Applejack pass, looking apologetic.

He stared down at his slice of the thing, and, without any hesitation or remorse, tossed it in the trash.

He ignored the angry glares that both Applejack and even Pinkie sent him, though Pinkie's glare faded when she took her first bite.

It was interesting to watch her face twist into something that resembled disgust, an expression that looked distinctly out of place on Pinkie. Spike, much to his surprise, seemed completely oblivious to Pinkie's reaction.

Though, after seeing how intently he was staring at Rarity, who had yet to take a bite, then perhaps it wasn't so surprising.

The sound of trash meeting bin interrupted his thoughts, and he glanced over to find that Rainbow had done much the same as him, though, seemingly, with more disgust than him.

He looked over to Fluttershy, only to blink in shock when he saw her empty plate. It faded a moment later when he spotted it hiding back inside the tin, as if it had never been moved.

Eventually, their gazes all rested on Rarity, save for Pinkie, who was too busy trying not to cry it seemed, and they waited.

She swallowed when she noticed everyone's gaze on her, and, timidly, used her magic to stick a bit of the "pie" onto a fork and, in a motion that reminded Emerald greatly of tearing off a bandage, bit into it.

Her eyes widened in horror, but, even so, she pressed on, beginning to chew on the foul substance.

"Wow, you look good even when you're chewing!" Spike exclaimed, confusing Emerald, "Who looks good when their chewing?" he asked nervously, staring up at Applejack.

Rarity took this moment of distraction to violently spit the food out of her mouth, before quickly wiping her mouth with a nearby napkin, just in time for him to turn back as well,

"Well, that was, um.. delightful, Spike," she said,

"Really?" he asked eagerly, then glanced down at the lone bite taken out of it, "Oh? Aren't you gonna have more?" he asked. Rarity stilled for a moment, and lout a nervous laugh,

"O-oh, well, I would but, you see, I had a rather large, um, lunch!" she said, almost shouting the last word, "Yes, a large lunch indeed. I'm afraid I can't eat anymore of your, er... wonderful pie."

"Oh," Spike nodded, and smiled, "Okay!"

"Uh, Spike?" Applejack interjected, "Why don'tcha wash off their plates?" she suggested. Spike saluted,

"Yes ma'am!" he said, and gathered everyone's plate, except Emerald's, who merely tossed his at the drake to save time.

"Oh my, what's all this about?" Rarity asked once Spike was out of hearing range. Applejack sighed,

"Well, thing is, I kinda saved Spike from some timberwolves in the Everfree, an' now he thinks he owes me 'is life," she said.

Emerald stilled for a moment, and sighed.

And here he had begun to think that whatever was causing this was stupid. If Spike was really doing this because he owed Applejack his life, then he could certainly understand what the drake was doing.

Although, Applejack _did_ sound a little exasperated. Strange, considering how many chores he does for Sparky, Emerald would've thought that Applejack would be glad to have someone like Spike around to help out at the farm.

He glanced back the pie, and frowned.

Then again, Spike cooked for Sparky all the time, and yet he claimed to have a significant part in that thing's creation. Not only that, but after all the fuss he had over Owloysius' introduction, he just shifted his loyalties like that?

Emerald's frown deepened.

Something was wrong. He knew that Sparky and the hatchling had made up, at some point, but, perhaps Spike was still feeling restless and was trying it make himself feel better? But that wouldn't explain why he screwed up the pie so badly.

...

She saved him from some timberwolves, right? Just how close had he been to dying, then? Depending on how close a shave he had with death, it could very well have put him into shock and his cooking skills were suffering from it, though he seemed fine, and it might've been going on for some time now.

And hadn't Sparky mentioned something about a full grown dragon in the Everfree chasing them not too long ago?

A delayed reaction triggered by his brush with the timberwolves, then?

It _would_ explain why he shifted to Applejack as easily as he seemed to. Maybe he was trying to distance himself from the mare he associated that instance with until he sorted through it subconsciously.

"Really?" Rarity asked, breaking him from his thoughts, "Oh that's marvelous! I only _wish_ I could have someone owe me a life debt!" she gushed, "Why, I could have them organize my closest, give me pedicures, help me with my sewing an-!"

"I get it!" Applejack snapped, "Havin' somepony doin' things for ya is a dream come true," she added,

"Heck yeah it is!" Rainbow interjected excitedly, "So what are you having him do? Laundry, cleaning, harvesting? Help write your novel?" she asked, "Cuz mine is all about a pegasus who's the best flyer ever and becomes the Captain of the Wonderbolts!" she boasted.

"Ingenious," Emerald snarked, "How _ever_ did you come up with that idea?" She shrugged,

"Eh, it just came to me."

"I don't _want_ 'im ta serve me forever," Applejack interrupted them, and frowned, "I don't feel comfortable with him thinkin' he owes me 'is life. I dunno how I'm supposed ta make 'im stop,"

"Um... maybe you could just ask him to stop?" Fluttershy suggested, but Applejack shook her head,

"I tried that, an' every time he tells me that his 'dragon code' won't let 'im." Rainbow scoffed,

"Then just make him do something _really_ hard," she said, waving her hoof casually, "Once that's over with he'll feel like he's repaid you, and stuff."

"That won't work," Emerald said suddenly.

Applejack blinked at his suddenly reply, and turned to him,

"Whaddya mean?" she asked. Emerald sighed, and shook his head,

"You could order him to move the mountains, and he'd do it no matter how impossible," he said, and looked her straight in the eye, "The value of a life is only equaled by that of another life, Applejack. It doesn't matter what you have him do, because it will _never_ equal the price of the life you saved. That is a guarantee."

Applejack sighed angrily,

"Then what am I supposed ta do?!" she asked, "You saw that pie! His help ain't exactly helpful!" she insisted. A loud crash interrupted them, just as Spike suddenly appeared in the door, laughing nervously,

"Hey, uh... where's the broom?"

* * *

Rarity, not wanting Spike to ruin her kitchen anymore than he was, had opted to show him where the broom was as well as watch over him while he cleaned to prevent any more messes. Pinkie, however, had rushed off to the bathroom, where he could faintly hear the sound of retching, and Fluttershy had decided to go and comfort her after he told her about it.

He'd've gone to do it himself, but-

"I don't believe you," he said bluntly, "There's no way in Tartarus that Sparky would just _let_ Spike serve you for life. Especially not after the whole Owloysius debacle." Applejack huffed,

"I'm tellin' ya, Spike went over an' asked 'er 'imself!" she insisted, "Said she was completely fine with it too!"

"And I'm telling you that I don't fucking believe it," he repeated, then smirked, "As a matter of fact, I'll fucking prove it, let's go," he stated, spinning around. Applejack blinked,

"'Go'?" she asked, and frowned, "Where?"

"To talk to Sparky, of course."

"Sparky?" he called, passing through the front door with ease. There was no one down in the actual library portion of the building, which made sense if she was still working on whatever assignment that Mother had given her.

He growled to himself.

Still doing it.

He shook his head, and immediately made for the stairs. While he couldn't hear anything going on upstairs, he just knew he'd find her sitting in her room, reading away.

And, indeed, that's exactly what he found.

Sparky, her back turned to him and Applejack, sat in front of her desk, the curtains partially closed, reading away. There were two stacks of books on either side of her, though one was significantly larger than the other. That either meant that she was finishing up the eleventh of what appeared to be twelve books, or had only just started on the second.

Knowing her, it was likely the former.

"Sparky!" he called once more, punctuating it by slamming the door open harder than usual.

"Ahh!" she yelped, sending her book flying once more, only Owloysius wasn't around this time, leaving the book to come crashing down atop her own head.

Emerald snickered at the sight, and ended up fighting a much harder laugh when she turned around to face him, her eyes only just visible underneath the edge of the book,

"Emerald..." she said lowly, though whatever effect it was supposed to have was ruined by the massive red blush adorning her face.

"Sparky," he replied cheekily, though his cheer faded quickly, "So, is it true?" he asked. Sparky paused, taking the book gently off of her head,

"Is... what true?" she asked, obviously confused, her eyes dancing between him and Applejack,

"Well, Spike told me that you were okay with 'im servin' me forever after I saved 'im from some timberwolves in the Everfree," she explained uneasily. Sparky stared at her, and, after taking a single, deep, breath, spoke.

"_What?_" she asked. Applejack blinked,

"He said... oh, of course," she muttered, dragging a hoof down her face, "He told me that you were okay with 'im servin' me since his 'dragon code' said he had to," she repeated, then gave herself a hard pat on the head, "Shoulda known ya wouldn't have jus' let 'im do that."

"I must've been really distracted to miss _this_..." Sparky muttered under her breath,

"Well, now that ya know 'bout all this, do ya think ya can help me get rid of 'im?" Applejack asked desperately. Sparky sighed, and shook her head,

"Oh, I'd love to, Applejack," she said, "But I can't. This is dragon code, we're talking about," she said, frowning, "Spike takes that very seriously, as long as he thinks he owes you, he won't stop," she said, then perked up, though it was faked, "I mean... it's not _all_ bad! He's a very good cook, and he's wonderful at doing his chores!"

Applejack, winced,

"Yeah... 'bout that..."

"I think he's going through a bit of a disconnect of some kind," Emerald interjected, "That mess with the dragon could be considered fairly traumatizing for someone as young as him. He was probably just burying it down, until those timberwolves brought it back up. He'll probably be fine in a few days. He just needs to feel like he's useful again, and I'm sure this will blow itself away."

"I... guess that makes sense," Applejack said, though she didn't seem too sure about it.

"Well, I'll see if I can't schedule a visit to the therapist. He's too young to deal with that kind of thing alone," Sparky added, then nodded, "But first, I think I have an idea on how to get rid of the debt he thinks he owes you," she said, wrapping a hoof around Applejack's shoulder.

Emerald scoffed,

"It better not have anything to do with putting Applejack in danger just to have him save her," he said, sneering, "An idea like that has too many risks." Sparky shook her head,

"Of course not!" she snapped, then relaxed, "That's why we're going to _pretend_ her life is in danger."

"That's not much better."

"What's the plan, Twilight?"

"Damn you ponies..."

* * *

Emerald's eye twitched, even as he felt a surge of respect for the foolish little hatchling.

Applejack and Sparky had gone out to gather the others, save Rarity, since Emerald had told them about her upcoming fashion show, while Applejack had asked Emerald to find a way to distract Spike, but keep him at the orchard.

He genuinely didn't know what to do, and had just given Spike the first impossible task he could think of, something that even _he_ wouldn't have done, regardless of whether Mother ordered him to or not.

Count the grass.

Of course he'd said that Applejack told him to pass along the message, as well as a bullshit reason as to why she'd even want that done, but he hadn't even gotten beyond the order itself when Spike had set himself to actually _counting_ the fucking _grass_.

That was a level of loyalty and determination that had to be respected, if not admired.

It was also hopelessly stupid, but respectable nonetheless.

Emerald shook his head and slunk back into the barn, where the others waited.

"Okay, he's... distracted," he said, and spared a glance backwards, "... _very_ distracted." Applejack nodded,

"Good," she said, and turned to everyone, "Now, I know ya'll are wonderin' why Twilight an' I brought ya here," she began, ignoring Pinkie's excited 'Yep!', "See, I need Spike ta save mah life."

"Uh... what?" Rainbow asked, then sighed, "Oh yeah, the whole 'serving you forever' thing, right?" Twilight nodded,

"That's right. Spike has this dragon code he's made for himself so that he doesn't end up like the meaner dragons that sometimes enter Equestria, and he takes it _really_ seriously," she explained, sounding a little exasperated, "I didn't see much of an issue when he first made it, but that was a long time before we came to Ponyville," she added with a sheepish chuckle.

"S-so, um... why does Applejack need Spike to save her life?" Fluttershy asked,

"Cuz I don't want 'im servin' me, an' Twilight says that this'll definitely get 'im ta think we're square," Applejack said.

"And we're here... why?" Emerald asked. He hadn't been made privy to their plans before they left, leaving him just as in the dark as the others,

"Ya'll are here, cuz I'm gonna get attacked by a timberwolf," Applejack announced darkly.

The girls, save Sparky, gasped at that.

"What?!" Pinkie shouted, sounding much more worried than he'd heard her, "But that's _super_ dangerous!"

"That's why it won't be a _real_ timberwolf," Sparky clarified, smiling, just as her horn glowed. A bright flash of light lit up the room, revealing-

"What the _fuck_ is that thing?" Emerald snapped.

Levitating quietly in Sparky's magical grip, was a timberwolf puppet that looked more like it belonged in a foal's play than anywhere near this kind of idiocy.

It's head was made of a log split in two, with it's body being a whole one. Twigs made up it's tail, and a few leaves were stuck to it's face.

All in all, it _was_ a well made puppet, but it was no where near convincing enough to make anyone who'd seen an actual timberwolf at least once, think they were seeing one again.

"This is our timberwolf!" Sparky announced happily, "Turns out that Cheerilee had one in storage. Apparently she uses it for the school play every year," she added. Emerald blinked, and sighed,

"Do you honestly believe Spike will fall for that?" he asked, brow raised, "I understand he's only a hatchling, but surely he's smarter than that? I mean, it's a fucking _puppet_," he stressed the word, "and not just that, but a puppet made for _foals_."

Sparky winced at his words, but shook her head and stood firm,

"It's the best we've got!" she insisted, "Besides, even if it doesn't _look_ like a timberwolf, we can trick Spike into thinking it _is_!" Emerald scoffed,

"_How?_"

"Rainbow here used ta tell me all 'bout how good she was at imitatin' a timberwolf," Applejack said. Rainbow laughed,

"Aw yeah! I used to practice that for hours at my old school for the talent contest," she said, then wilted, "Flying wasn't allowed..." she muttered petulantly.

"Plus," Sparky continued, "they're made of wood, so faking their steps won't be difficult either." Emerald shook his head, and cast his gaze around the assembled mares, before shrugging,

"Fine. Whatever. What's the stinkin' plan anyways?"

* * *

There was no way in Tartarus that this plan was going to work.

Honestly, Sparky raised Spike herself. Wouldn't that, logically, mean that Spike would be smarter than most his age?

Then again, he _did_ run to Sugarcube Corner looking for a _quill_.

Emerald shook his head. Matters of whether or not the hatchling was smart weren't his business.

Applejack and Sparky's plan involved the group of them running over to the park to begin. According to their plan, the idea was for Sparky to control the puppet from within the trees, out of sight, while Fluttershy and Rainbow hid off to the side. Applejack had provided a set of mugs for Fluttershy to wear to simulate the sound of the timberwolf's steps, while Rainbow would imitate it's roar.

That left him and Pinkie with two other, not quite as important, jobs.

Pinkie's role was to come running out of the Everfree, screaming about timberwolves to make it seem like she was actually getting chased. Emerald, however, was there to imitate it's growling, apparently.

Applejack was then left to perform her part, by pretending to trip and injure her hoof, leaving Spike having to drag her along behind him "away from the danger".

"Alright, everypony ready?" Applejack called,

"Yeah!"

"Yep!"

"Okay."

"Get on with it!"

He heard Applejack grumble at that last one, just as another voice shouted out,

"Hey, Applejack!" she stiffened,

"He's comin'!"

Emerald slid back into the bush he'd chosen as a hiding place, and watched as the hatchling came to a stop in front of the farm mare.

"I'm here, Applejack!" he said happily, "You said you needed me for something?"

"Oh, right, yeah, uh..." she looked around, "I needed ta grab some wood fer the house, but all the spare wood back home is wet from the snow, so I need some from the, uh, the Everfree," she explained.

"Really?" he asked, but nodded before she could answer, "Sure! That'll be easy!" he boasted.

Emerald rolled his eyes, but kept his thoughts to himself as the hatchling turned to the forest, his expression fading into one of nervousness now that Applejack couldn't see it.

Just before he took a step forward, however, Pinkie came running out of the forest,

"Timberwolves!" she shouted, though Emerald made a mental note to never ask her to perform, seeing as how, despite screaming, she was smiling widely, and her running was more akin to a quick trot than anything resembling a 'running for your fucking life' kind of run.

Despite that, she brushed past them with little issue. Moments after that, a loud roar echoed through the forest, surprising Emerald, whose head shot up for an instant,

_Timberwolves?!_

He nearly shot out from the bush, and would have, if not for the faint snickering he could hear coming from Rainbow and Fluttershy's hiding place.

He blinked in surprise.

_Holy shit, that's impressive!_

Of course whatever amazement he felt was quickly dashed away when the 'timberwolf' made it's appearance.

It came hobbling out of the forest, it's dark strings easily visible in the daylight, and even more so against the snow covered ground. The sounds of its steps were completely out of sync with its actual movements. And, lastly, _it didn't have a smell_.

Perhaps the most defining trait of timberwolves was their noxious breath. Something that this puppet sorely lacked.

Even so, it seemed to work, much to his astonishment, though he still kept up his growling.

Spike backed away a few steps from the puppet, looking terrified, though a quick yelp from beside him bid him to turn.

Applejack had 'tripped',

"Ah," she yelled, though it was painfully, obviously fake, "Mah hoof!" she added, holding a hoof up to her head dramatically, partially ignoring the puppet make its way over to her, "Spike, help! I need ya ta save me!" she pleaded.

Emerald paused his growling, just long enough to give a soul-suffering sigh.

Spike, however, relaxed and just stared at the scene before him. He watched as the puppet smacked against Applejack's head lamely, though only Emerald could hear Sparky 'Eep!' at the mistake. His nose twitched,

"... Seriously?" Spike asked, his expression flat, "I mean... seriously?"

"Uh... whaddya mean, Spike?" Applejack asked, dropping the act accidentally. Spike sighed,

"I mean, I know it's fake," he said, walking over to the shitty puppet, "Don't get me wrong, it certainly _looks_ like a timberwolf-" Emerald whacked his hoof against his face, "-and that roar was spot on!" he added, then shrugged and shook his head, "But you forgot one thing."

"What?" Applejack asked, completely giving up on the act, Spike laughed,

"It's breath! You can smell a timberwolf's breath a mile away!"

Emerald frowned, his nose twitching once more, before he stiffened.

"Great," he muttered, standing from his hiding spot, "Rainbow's little roar must've attracted the fuckers."

Thankfully he wasn't the only one to smell the sickly scent of rotting wood, evident by the way Sparky suddenly flashed down by Spike and Applejack,

"Timberwolf!" she screeched, and dashed off, followed quickly behind by Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, the former having discarded her little mug-shoes.

"Huh?" Spike asked, before suddenly sniffing the air, and chuckling, "Oh, nice, but it's a little too late for that, you know?"

Applejack turned to face the treeline, before paling and taking a step back,

"Uh... it-it ain't a trick this time!" she sputtered, scooting back rapidly, "Run!" she shouted, then bolted.

Spike blinked, and turned around, only to come snout to snout with an actual timberwolf. It's hate-filled green eyes bore into his own for an instant,

"Oh... right," he muttered, then nodded, "Yeah, that's one real... AHHHHHH!" he screamed, and ran as well.

Emerald sighed, and dashed out of the foliage, cutting off the wolves chase before it could begin.

The lone timberwolf before him growled, and let loose a massive roar that forced Emerald's ears to clamp down.

Great, the one time he didn't have his spear.

He heard some yelping from behind him, but he didn't dare turn around in case the wolf tried attacking him in that instant. He didn't have to worry about _that_, however, as, a moment later, two more of the fucking things emerged from the woods, and took their own place beside the first one.

The three growled at him in unison, before lunging at him as one.

Emerald skipped back a step, allowing the three of them to come crashing just in front of him, the absence of flesh causing the three of them to bump into each other. He took that one moment to lift a hoof, before slamming it down on the center wolf. It let out a pained yelp before it was reduced to a pile of twigs, the magic holding it together dispersing as its head was crushed.

He smirked, and stepped back, allowing the last two to stand once more.

They growled at him, but didn't lunge, instead choosing to spread out, and began circling him. Their newly cautious behavior amused the thestral, who made sure to keep his eyes on one, and his ears on the other.

It didn't take long for one of them to grow tired and lunge at his exposed back, but a quick spin had him ducking just beneath its attack, leaving its underside exposed.

Taking that single moment of opportunity, Emerald lashed out with a vicious uppercut, sending the wolf tumbling through the air, before it crashed headfirst into the ground, crumbling into a pile of twigs.

He smirked, and turned to the last one. The wolf now seemed much more apprehensive of him after disposing of it's only two allies, but that didn't matter to Emerald. He immediately charged at the wolf, taking it off guard, the predator not expecting the prey to attack so quickly.

He tackled the wolf, and lashed out with a quick punch to send it falling to it's back, where he quickly climbed on top of it, pinning it with his weight.

It was a simple matter, then, to lunge his head down and clamp his fangs around its neck. All it took was a bone snapping **_*CRUNCH*_**, and the wolf breathed no more.

He spat out the disgusting sap/blood that filled his mouth, and flipped off of its corpse. He watched, for a moment, as the scattered twigs and limbs of the once-timberwolves began to glow, but that was as far as he let them get, for a great torrent of sapphire flames incinerated them into ash a moment later.

He scoffed.

They were as stupid as ever, it seemed.

With the threat dealt with, he turned around, and blinked in surprise when he didn't see anyone around. That was... odd. He was certain he'd heard someone yell behind him.

He shrugged, and did a quick check with his hearing, and found the others not too far off, and made his way over to them.

"-lda seen it! I tripped and hurt mah hoof, and that timberwolf woulda been right on me if Spike hadn't saved me!"

"You mean... you actually tripped?" Sparky asked, just as he came into view,

"Sure did!" Applejack insisted, and shook her head, "But, like I said, Spike here got me right back to mah hooves and helped me get away. He saved mah life!"

"Uh, I was there too, you know?" Emerald asked, though it seemed he went ignored,

"Aw, it was nothing," Spike said, rubbing the back of his head,

"Course it was somethin'!" Applejack said, then frowned, a guilty expression forming on her face, "'Course, I wouldn't have needed savin' iffin I hadn't tried ta stage a _fake_ timberwolf attack in the first place, " she admitted. Spike scoffed,

"Well, yeah!" he said, then narrowed his eyes, and placed his claws on his hips, "What was that about, anyways?" he asked. Applejack grimaced,

"Well... I know that whole dragon code of yers is important an' all, but if this happens again, say we can just stick to mah code of 'that's what friends do' an' leave it at that?" she asked. Spike frowned, and looked away, a contemplative expression overtaking his face, "I promise I won't think of ya as any less noble," she added sincerely, taking off and holding her hat to her chest.

Eventually, Spike nodded,

"Yeah, alright," he agreed, reaching out with his fist, making Applejack laugh, and bump her hoof against it.

"Although, _do_ try to avoid getting in situations where you actually need saving," Emerald interjected with a smirk, "It would make my job a lot less stressful," he added cheekily.

"Hehe, of course!"

* * *

Thankfully, the rest of the day passed without a single issue, barring Rarity asking him and Fluttershy to return to the Boutique for a minute for some 'colour checking' as she put it.

The night was a little more active, however.

Apparently, Rainbow's little roar had attracted more than just those three timberwolves from before, much to his amusement.

At least it kept the night from being _too_ boring. It tided him over until it was time for him to shut down the barrier and call it a night, at the very least.

Eventually, the time came for Sugarcube Corner to open, but, unfortunately, he had to ask the Cakes to give him the day off, since Photo Finish, the bitch, never actually gave them a time to arrive at the park, or, at least, he didn't hear it.

And so, it was with more than a little irritation that he made his way over to the Carousel Boutique fairly early in the morning, just in time for him to run into Fluttershy, who was standing timidly outside the door.

"Oh! G-good morning Emerald," she greeted him, tucking her forest green scarf a little tighter around her neck, he nodded,

"Morning, Shy," he returned, and glanced at the door, "Is Rarity not in? Or do you just like standing out in the cold?" he asked teasingly. Fluttershy smiled faintly, but shook her head,

"No, no... I just don't know if she's awake yet. She was awfully excited about today, so I was worried that she'd stayed up too late and was too tired..." she said, then lowered her head, "but, then she wouldn't be up for the sh-show..." she trailed off.

"Right," Emerald said, and sided up to her, "Well, only one way to find out," he said, and gave the door a quick rap with his hoof,

"Coming!~" he heard Rarity's voice sing from inside. He smirked, and glanced sideways at Fluttershy,

"Well, there we go," he said simply.

Another few minutes passed, before the sound of hoofsteps approached the door, which opened mere moments later.

"Oh! Emerald, Fluttershy!" Rarity greeted them, shocked, then stepped away and ushered them inside, "Come in, come in!"

They did so, allowing Emerald a cursory glance around the Boutique, until his eyes landed on a clothe filled rack,

"I presume those are the outfits Shy and I are to wear for the show?" he asked, nodding towards them,

"Hmm? Oh, yes!" Rarity confirmed with a smile, "I'm rather proud of them as well. Since the Grand Galloping Gala is next week, I really put my all into them. I just _know_ Photo Finish is going to love them!"

"Oh, I'm sure she'll make you into a great star, Rarity!" Fluttershy quietly cheered, then smiled, "Just don't forget us little ponies when you do!" Rarity laughed,

"Never!"

"Well, you'll never get to be a star if we don't head out. Did Finish ever mention when we were supposed to be down there?" Emerald asked. Rarity froze mid step, and turned to face him mechanically,

"... We need to go. Now!"

"Oh, it looks even lovelier than I'd imagined!" Rarity gushed, taking a step back from Fluttershy. Fluttershy, while slightly embarrassed, did puff out her chest a tad, feeling a little more confident in the beautiful dress Rarity had provided her.

It was completely white in colour, with blue sapphires of varying sizes inlaid into the design. A similarly designed jacket covered her back, tying together in the front beneath her neck. It truly was beautiful, and it even made Fluttershy feel just the slightest bit festive with its colours!

"It certainly does look nice, Shy," Emerald noted, causing the two of them to turn to him.

Like Fluttershy, he was wearing the outfit that Rarity had prepared for him.

It was a white, skin tight outfit, that gradually turned into a dark blue towards his legs, with a short cape of the same design. It was remarkably simple in the end, but it was still a work of art, in Fluttershy's opinion.

"Put me down here," an accented voice called out, causing the three of them to turn to face the source.

Photo Finish, in the exact same outfit as the previous day, rode in to the park on a small pedestal, carried by a pair of stallions who smelled like too much mane gel and cologne, with the same three mares from yesterday trailing after them.

Fluttershy had to hide a frown.

She was really beginning to regret agreeing to being Rarity's female model, and not just because her nerves were beginning to act up.

She shook her head, and took in a deep breath.

_It's okay Fluttershy_, she told herself, _you're doing this for Rarity, so it shouldn't be too hard..._

Photo Finish stepped off of the pedestal, and took a quick look around,

"Ah, yes zis vill do nicely," she said, before her gaze fell upon Fluttershy, "Oh, no no no no!" she suddenly shouted, taking a few steps towards her, "No, ze model should in zomethink simple!" she said, spinning around, "Something inspired by... ze natures!"

Rarity blinked, and nodded,

"Well, I was thinking something similar!" she said, talking a few steps towards the rack of outfits she'd brought along with them, "Though, most of these designs are winter themed, instead of nature," she muttered, then perked up, "But I can go and whip together a few simple outfits if you give me but a moment!" she announced.

"Zat vill not be necessary," Photo said, waving her hoof,

"Wha-but-then how are you going to make me 'shine all over Equestria!' if you're not using my designs?" Rarity asked.

"You?" Photo asked, almost sounding disgusted, "I'm not going to help _you_ shine!" she said, and then suddenly turned her gaze onto herself and Emerald, "I'm going to help _them_!"

"Eh?" was Emerald's eloquent response,

"Um, what?" was hers.

Neither of them were acknowledged beyond that, however, as the three mares that accompanied Photo Finish crowded around her and ushered her away, the stallions doing much the same with Emerald, though he was putting up noticeably more resistance.

* * *

"I... I can't do this, Rarity," she said to the white unicorn, being mindful of the, admittedly pretty, dress that Photo's employees had all but stuffed her into.

The dress was nothing more than a long, transparent cape with flower buttons on the sides, and a similar flower headband, but it was still nice.

Not as nice as the dresses Rarity made, she believed, but nice nonetheless.

"Oh, but you must, Fluttershy!" Rarity instead insisted, much to her chagrin, "Photo Finish wants to make the two of you stars! This is the opportunity of a lifetime!" she added.

"Yeah, _your_ lifetime," Emerald suddenly snapped, appearing by her side, though he was, surprisingly, not wearing anything, "I'm not fucking doing this."

"But Emerald!" Rarity gasped, "This is a once in a lifetime chance to be a star! I understand we had all hoped, and even expected it, to be _my_ chance, but you can't simply throw something like this away!" she said, "You must do this, for me! You must! You must!"

Fluttershy swallowed.

Ohhhh... when she put it like that, she couldn't really refuse, could she?

But... she _really_ didn't want too... Just the thought of what it would be like, standing in front of those c-cameras, an-and those p-p-ponies, and-and-and-!

Oh sweet Faust she was going to have a heart attack!

Emerald snarled, thankfully breaking her from those... terrifying thoughts,

"I. Am. Not. A. Model. I refused when that bastard Hoity fucking _chased_ me around Ponyville for the better part of an hour, and I am most _certainly_ refusing _this_!" he growled, then suddenly turned to Fluttershy, "And so should you."

"Wh-what?" she asked, stunned, and glanced at Rarity, panicking a little bit, "B-but, what about-?"

"What about _what_?" Emerald asked, raising a brow, "You _want_ to be a model, Shy?"

"W-well, no..." Emerald clicked his tongue, and turned to Rarity,

"Listen, Rarity, I know this is important to you, but we're not you," he said simply, and frowned, "I'm not comfortable being in the spotlight like this, and you and I _know_ that Fluttershy isn't either," he paused, then narrowed his eyes at her, "You _do_ know that, _right_?"

"Of course!" Rarity said, almost sounding affronted at the accusation. Emerald scoffed,

"Well it certainly doesn't _sound_ like it!" he snapped, before taking a deep breath, forcibly calming himself down, and once more turned to her, "Do you want to do this?" he asked. Fluttershy blinked,

"U-um... w-well, if Rarity says-"

"I said. Do you _want_ to do this?" Emerald repeated, his patience obviously wearing thin, evidenced by the way he was gritting his teeth. Fluttershy swallowed, feeling herself begin to shrink behind her mane,

"... No..." she muttered meekly,

"What?" he asked,

"... No," she repeated, the faintest bit louder,

"Speak. Up," he ordered, and Fluttershy's head almost shot up,

"No!" she snapped, uncharacteristic anger flowing through her at having to repeat herself when she _knew_ he could hear her. Emerald smirked, and turned, once again, to Rarity,

"And there you have it. She doesn't want to this, and neither do I. So, what to you have to say to that, Rarity?"

Fluttershy blinked, and almost smacked herself in the face when she realized that he'd just fooled her, and so easily as well. It hadn't even occurred to her that Rarity would hear her say that.

Still, it _did_ leave her curious.

How would Rarity react? She knew how important Rarity believed Photo Finish's opinion was for her business, and what it might mean, having them refuse to model for her.

Then again, why would that matter? Photo had made it quite clear, when she chose herself and Emerald over Rarity, of what she thought of her designs. So then... why _was_ Rarity so insistent on them being models?

Had she forgotten that they, unlike her, did not enjoy the spotlight? Had she tricked herself into believing that such an 'opportunity' was something that _they_ would enjoy? Or had she genuinely thought that such a rare chance had to be taken?

Rarity was a wonderful friend of hers, who wanted nothing more than the best for her friends. She wanted them all to succeed, so... maybe she thought that by having them succeed where she failed, that she'd get to live vicariously through them, if only for a while.

"W-well..." Rarity began, glancing between herself and Emerald, as well as Photo Finish.

The look in Rarity's eye suddenly changed. Before it had been worried, fearful, even apprehensive, but, suddenly, it hardened, and she turned to look Fluttershy in the eyes,

"I'm sorry I tried to force you into something like this, Fluttershy," she turned back to him, "and you as well, Emerald," she added, before sighing, "It's just..." she sighed, and trailed off.

Despite this, Fluttershy stepped forward, and placed a hoof on her friend's shoulder,

"Um... It's okay," she said, and gave her a weak smile, "I know you didn't mean anything bad by it... you were just really excited, and then really sad about her not wanting to use your designs... you just wanted me to take a chance, and do something you thought might be good for me... so, it's okay... really!" Fluttershy comforted her.

Rarity smiled, and took a shuddering breath, then closed the gap between them, bringing Fluttershy into a tight hug,

"Thank you for not being mad, dear," Rarity muttered, "do forgive me for being such a selfish pony, trying to push my dream onto you."

"Of course," was her sincere reply.

"Besides, this isn't gonna hurt your business anyways," Emerald suddenly said, causing them to separate, with Rarity sending him a confused look,

"What do you mean?" she asked, and frowned as she glanced behind him at the impatient Photo Finish, "She's _the_ premier photographer in Equestria! If she doesn't like my designs, then who will?"

Emerald scoffed,

"Well, aside from esteemed fashion critic, Hoity Toity, and famous singer/songwriter Sapphire Shores, it just so happens that you have five of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony who love your work, a member of the Guard who likes your designs, as well as the two princesses of Equestria who are nothing more than a letter away from both myself and Sparky, two individuals who I'm sure you could convince to put in a good word for you," Emerald said, and smirked, "Quite frankly, Finish's career is in more danger than yours if she hates your designs when you've got _that_ kind of support, you know?" he added.

Rarity just stared at him for a moment, and then laughed.

However, it was a kind of laugh that Fluttershy had never heard from her usual composed friend. Whenever Rarity laughed it was always quiet, dainty even, and it always seemed to suit her so well.

But this? This was a loud, boisterous laugh that almost sounded like it belonged to Applejack and not Rarity.

She kept laughing for another thirty seconds, before she suddenly regained the ability to control herself, and covered her mouth with a hoof. A few, distinctly unladylike, snorts still escaped, however.

"I... I apologize," Rarity said, smiling wryly, "I... must admit, I haven't laughed like that since I was a filly," she admitted happily, and took in a deep breath, "Goodness, I might just have to laugh like that more often, I feel... quite a bit lighter than I did a moment ago," she muttered to herself. Regardless, she shook the thought from her head,

"You're quite right, Emerald," she agreed, smiling, but another voice stopped her from speaking further,

"Flootershy! Emrald!" Photo shouted, "Ve must begin ze shoot now!"

Fluttershy glanced at Emerald, who merely inclined his head in her direction. Fluttershy took a deep breath, and stood up a little straighter, before turning,

"I'm sorry Photo Finish, but... no!" she said, stamping her hoof, though it probably looked like she had but patted the ground if she was honest, "I-I don't want to be a model! I don't want to 'shine all over Equestria!'!" she declared, and carefully wriggled out of the dress, making sure to fold it properly once she'd finished.

"Yeah, me neither," Emerald added, much more casually than Fluttershy, "Go find another set of peacocks," he finished, sauntering off with nary a backwards glance.

"Vat?" she heard Finish question, "You-you can't!" she shouted, sounding slightly panicked, "You can be the next biggest stars in all of Equestria!"

"W-well... choose somepony else!" she shouted back, though it likely didn't come out as loud as she thought it did, "Like-like... Rarity!" she added after a rush of courage invaded her. The mare in question blinked,

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Vat?" came the same reaction from Photo, but Fluttershy continued, unwilling to let go of the momentary burst of courage,

"Rarity's designs are some of the most beautiful I've seen in Equestria!" she left out the part where they were also some of the _only_ designs she'd ever seen, "An-and Sapphire Shores really likes them! And so does Hoity Toity!" she felt the courage begin diminish, but she couldn't stop yet! "You-you-you should like them too!"

"Fluttershy..." Rarity breathed, honestly stunned at her shy friend's, not-quite, demand.

"H-here!" Fluttershy added suddenly, and quickly dashed over to the rack of clothes that Rarity had brought along, and gave them a shove towards Photo Finish, just in time for her courage to run out.

She 'Eep!'ed, and quickly hid behind Rarity, feeling mortified by her actions, and simply began hoping that she hadn't messed things up anymore than they were.

Part of her expected to hear shouting, but it was, thankfully, let down when all she heard was some quiet hums, and a few grunts, which stoked her curiosity enough to peek out from behind the unicorn.

Photo Finish was, surprisingly, taking a look through the outfits, and making a few noises of approval as she did so,

"Hmm... yes, I see..." she muttered, and glanced around, her eyes landing on one of the mares and stallions she'd brought with her, "You! Come over here!"

Fluttershy sighed in relief as Photo began ordering them to try them on. It certainly _looked_ like she liked the outfits, and that alone caused Fluttershy's nerves to calm down.

"Fluttershy, what did you do?" Rarity asked her, spinning around, looking both afraid, and oddly excited.

"O-oh!" she stammered, "W-well, I just... I just.. I told her to look at them?" she answered, not quite sure what she'd done herself, "I-I just... I know this is really important to you, an-and I thought that, maybe, if she looked at them, then... well..." she trailed off.

"You!" Photo suddenly called, causing her and Rarity to turn, "You made zese?" she asked, pointing at them. Rarity started slightly,

"Oh, um, why yes!" she said, "Each one of those outfits is a Rarity original!" she gushed, holding a hoof to her chest,

"I see..." Photo said, and turned away again, "Let us begin... ze magics!" she announced, striking a pose.

Rarity smiled, and nodded thankfully at Fluttershy, before approaching Photo,

"Of course! That's exactly what I was thinking!"


	27. The Night of the Gala

**Sorry for the wait. Stuff happened. Stuff is _still_ happening. But, hey, it's here now, so... yay.**

**EDIT 6/12/20: There's a lot of perspective swaps in this chapter, and, for some reason, the little dividers between them didn't save. They should be there now.**

* * *

"Are you _sure_ it's alright?" he asked once more, "Because, really, I can-"

"It's fine, Emerald!" Bon-Bon snapped, whirling to face him, setting an elbow on the counter between them, "But I swear, ask me that _one more time_ and I'll kick your flank out of here!"

He winced, but finally relented,

"Well... alright," he said, "Just remember, Wisp is allergic to-"

"I know!" she snapped again, bracing herself against the counter with both hooves, glaring at him, before she sighed, and relaxed, "Listen, Emerald, I know that you're not comfortable leaving Wisp behind while you and Trixie head to the Gala, but _trust me_," she insisted, "Wisp will be fine with me keeping an eye on her tonight."

Emerald sighed,

"I know," he admitted, fidgeting, "It's just... I don't like it..."

Tonight was the night.

After so much time, the Grand Galloping Gala was finally happening, and it was happening tonight.

Of course, he only had two tickets, for himself and Trixie, which meant that he was forced to leave Wisp behind.

It was lucky, then, that Bon-Bon was someone he trusted enough to look after his little sister, though it still left a sour taste in his mouth to leave her behind regardless.

He bid Bon-Bon goodbye, thanking her profusely for agreeing to look after Wisp, and finally left her shop, finding himself with nothing more to do, aside from meet up with the girls and get ready to go.

Since both he and Pinkie were heading off to the Gala, Mr. and Mrs. Cake had decided to simply close up for the day, giving themselves more time to spend with the foals, and leaving himself and Pinkie free to head out, thankfully.

Part of him wished they hadn't done that, and instead begged him and Pinkie to stay, if only so he didn't have to go.

It was strange. When he'd first received the tickets, he'd been against going simply because he knew how completely and utterly _boring_ the Gala turned out to be every year, but now?

Now he just wanted to avoid seeing Mother.

He growled.

Celes-ther

C-other

Mother.

_Dammit._

He cursed his luck.

It had happened a few days ago, and since then, he'd been completely unable to think of Mother as anything other than Mother, and, frankly, it pissed him off. He didn't want to deal with seeing her face to face with this new development. Or even at all, if he could help it.

Emerald sighed, and shook his head.

Whatever. He didn't have a choice. The only thing to do was to avoid her to the best of his ability. Problem was, the Gala was a distinctly boring event, meaning there'd be very little for him to do, and even less that would enable him to hide from her.

The only chance he had was if she got stuck greeting guests again.

Well... there was _one_ thing he could do tonight. But if Mother ever managed to start looking for him, then it would likely be the first place she'd check. Even so, it would probably be worth it. He hadn't seen them in years, and it was high time he paid them a visit, even if it ended up with him getting dragged alongside Mother's attempt to liven the Gala up.

Whatever _that_ would be.

"Howdy Emerald!" the voice broke him from his thoughts, causing him to turn to the source, "You ready fer tonight?" Applejack asked, breaking away from Rainbow and Fluttershy to come greet him. He shrugged,

"I could be worse off," he admitted, and glanced at them, "I take it you three are heading over to Rarity's to get dressed?" he asked,

"Eeyup!"

"Great," he breathed, "I'll come with."

* * *

In no time at all the four of them arrived at the Boutique, finding Sparky bent over a book, scanning its contents furiously, with Pinkie off to the side, bouncing on a trampoline without a care in the world.

"I can't believe the Grand Galloping Gala is tonight!" Pinkie exclaimed, eagerly flipping around in the air. Sparky didn't seem to share her excitement,

"Pinkie!" she snapped, glancing over at the energetic mare, "I know you're excited, but I'm trying to concentrate on this spell!"

Just as she'd finished speaking, the door to the Boutique opened, allowing Rarity and Spike to appear,

"Goodness, what's with all the- Pinkie!" Rarity snapped, cutting herself off, "You get down from there! We need to get ready for the Gala soon, and I will not have you put your dress on all sweaty!" she said.

Pinkie pouted, but hopped off the trampoline without any protest. Rarity sighed, and turned away,

"Now if only the others could-" she paused, having glanced up for a brief moment, "Oh! Thank goodness you're all already here! Come along now!" she insisted, waving for them to follow.

"Wait!" Sparky called, bringing the group of six to a pause, "I want to show you all something!"

Not waiting for them to answer, Sparky took out an apple from her nearby saddlebag and set it on the ground, before taking a few steps away. Taking this as a warning, the others, Emerald included, did the same, and watched with interest.

Slowly, Sparky's horn began to glow. Emerald watched on as she glanced a few more times at the still open book at her hooves, before the glow surrounding her horn flashed, and a light engulfed the apple.

The light suddenly swelled and grew to be well over his head, until it suddenly dissipated, revealing a large carriage in the shape of an apple. It had simple wooden wheels, a single door with a window, along with an intricate golden border around the door, as well as a single seat at the top.

"Woah!"

"Oh my!"

"Golly!"

"Awesome!"

"I have to admit," Emerald's voice cut through the throng of admiration, "That's pretty impressive."

Sparky preened at the compliment,

"Thanks!" she gushed, "But it's not over yet!" she revealed, turning to Fluttershy, "Did you bring your friends?" The meek mare nodded as four mice suddenly popped out of her mane. She leaned down, letting them scamper to the ground, forming a line in front of Sparky,

"Are you sure they'll be alright?" Fluttershy asked, clearly worried. Sparky nodded confidently,

"Of course!" she promised. Her horn began to glow once more, but this time the effect was made clearer much faster, as before a few seconds even passed, the same white light from before engulfed the mice.

Once it faded, in the place of the four mice were four...

Ponies?

They were definitely something, at least. Four legs, standing as tall as Mother, wearing saddles and reins.

They reminded Emerald, somewhat, of Saddle Arabians. Mostly the height.

...

_Only_ the height.

"What the fuck are those supposed to be?" Emerald decided to ask anyways. Sparky smiled,

"These are going to take us to the Gala!" she declared, "They'll be able to pull our carriage without difficulty!" she added, then turned to Fluttershy, "The spell wears off at midnight, so they'll be perfectly fine." Fluttershy let out a breath,

"Thank goodness."

The false-ponies suddenly let out a loud whinny, before all galloping off, a small streak of white and purple chasing after them. Fluttershy gasped,

"Opalescence, no!"

"Come back!"

Sparky and Fluttershy both stared off in the direction the former-mice and cat had run off to, looking dejected.

"... So much for that," Rainbow said, breaking the silence. Sparky threw a glare at her, but it fell almost instantly,

"Great, now how are we going to get to the Gala?" she asked. For a moment, Emerald almost suggested taking the train, but quickly withdrew the thought before he could speak it.

Unfortunately, that left him distracted for a second, leaving him unable to protest when their gazes turned to him.

* * *

Emerald idly stretched his back, the satisfying cracking scarcely audible in the almost empty room.

"Come on! Let us in!" Spike shouted, hammering slightly on the door to the room the girls had migrated to.

Apparently Rarity had an entire room dedicated to make up and mane care that Emerald hadn't seen before. Not that he was complaining, the fact that he was only aware of it now just meant he, thankfully hadn't need of it.

Unfortunately, he kind of did now.

"Yeah, sure thing Spike!" he heard Rainbow call from inside,

"What? No!" Rarity protested from right behind the door, "We're getting dressed!"

"We don't normally wear clothes, Rare," Applejack said. There was a brief moment of silence on the other side of the door, before a loud sigh was heard, and the door opened,

"I'm sorry you two, but _some_ of us value privacy," Rarity said with a sigh, but let them in. Spike seemed to ignore this, eagerly jogging over to Sparky and Pinkie, who were both sitting beneath a large dryer,

"I can't believe we're heading to Canterlot tonight!" he said, "Our hometown, Twilight! We can show everyone all our favourite places after the Gala, like Doughnut Joe's, Cocoa Bean's Cafe, and even that old hayburger joint!" he gushed.

"Eh, as cool as that sounds, I'm not too sure about that, Spike," Rainbow said, frowning,

"Hmm, we'll just have to see," Rarity added, placing on a false eyelash,

"Yeah, we're all gonna be a mite busy," Applejack said, scrubbing one of Fluttershy's hoof with a brush.

"Oh," came Spike's dejected reply as he fell back against one of the chairs.

"Don't worry, Spike," Sparky comforted him, idly applying some make-up, "We'll all get to spend some time together tonight." Spike perked up,

"Yeah!"

"Well, it's time for us to start getting dressed," Rarity said, "So move along you two," she said, shooing off him and Spike, "Out!"

* * *

Emerald grumbled lightly to himself, adjusting the damned harness he'd been hooked up to.

"You seem happy," a familiar voice snarked, just as Trixie came into view, a small black square cloth laying on her back. He scoffed,

"Do I?" he asked, equally sarcastically, and nodded towards the cloth, "That your dress?" Trixie spared a glance back at it,

"Hmm? Oh, yeah," she said, then eyed him up and down, "Aren't you supposed to have a suit, too?" she asked.

Emerald glanced down, finding his bare green coat greeting his gaze, rather than the black and red of his suit.

After Rarity had kicked him and Spike out, he'd left to grab his suit from the house, but hadn't bothered to put it on, choosing to lightly place it on the seat, where Spike would be sitting, since he didn't want to accidentally tear the damn thing while he pulled the cart. He'd also taken the time to talk to Wisp, and made sure she _definitely_ didn't want to go to the Gala, even though they'd probably run into Sapphire and Spits there. Once that was done, he'd asked her to tell Trixie to head to the Boutique when she was ready.

"Yeah, I'll put it on when we get to the castle," he said, then jerked his head to the Boutique, "Just head inside to change. The others are putting on make-up and shit," he added. Trixie nodded,

"Great," she said sarcastically, "_Make-up_," she growled, trudging over to the door.

About thirty minutes later, time during which the sun had set, allowing Luna's moon to take its place in the sky. Though it was swiftly covered by Ponyville's weather team, who were preparing yet another snowy night.

Spike had ended up changing into a simple black tuxedo, with white undershirt and red bow tie, some time ago, and took his place up on the seat, holding on to a pair of reigns that Emerald refused to wear. He occasionally glanced at Emerald's suit, the thestral having made it quite clear that it was his job to keep an eye on it while he dragged the carriage along.

His ear twitched as he finally heard the Boutique's door open.

"It's about damn time," he said, beginning to turn to face them, "I've been standing here for-" he cut himself off rather abruptly as the mares came into sight.

They all looked just as amazing as they had the first time he had seen them.

Though, Trixie's dress was both surprising, and honestly a little expected. It was a sleek, pitch black dress with no other form of decoration save a thin cut along her right thigh, exposing her blue furred leg.

He noted that Rarity sent a few glares in her direction, though her gaze was filled with a strange mixture of disdain and approval.

"Well, I see you girls went all out," he joked, smirking at them. Trixie scoffed,

"Of course," she said, confidently, then eyed the apple carriage, "So, this the ride?" she asked,

"That's right," Sparky butted in, smiling, "I used a simple growth spell and combined it with a slight modification charm, then I-"

"Come on!" Rainbow said, cutting her off, "We gotta get going!" she added, opening the carriage door and hopping inside.

Sparky huffed, causing Trixie to laugh, and pat her on the back,

"Come on, you can tell me about the spell combo on the way there," she said, climbing up the steps. Sparky perked up, and followed along. Rarity sighed,

"Goodness, I'll never understand those two," she said, then looked at Emerald, frowning, "Where is your suit?" he jerked his head up towards the hatchling, "Ah, I suppose you'll be putting on at the castle?" He nodded,

"Naturally," he said,

"Alright," she said, and smiled, "Well, we'll see you at the Gala." she added, and hopped aboard.

* * *

He sighed slightly as he finally pulled up alongside the road leading up to Canterlot, growling at one of the ponies in front of him.

Damn these fucking lines...

He unhooked from the carriage, and quickly swiped his suit from the spot next to Spike, just as the hatchling hopped down and opened the carriage door.

"Alright, ladies, we've arrived!" he announced, holding the door open for them.

Emerald watched as the mares each stepped out of the apple, one-by-one, until all seven of them stood, staring up at the castle that loomed before them.

Emerald took the moment while they admired the view to call one of the guards over, and had them take their cart.

"We're here girls!" Rarity gushed,

"I can't believe we're finally here!" Sparky continued, "With _all_ that we've imagined, the reality of this night is sure to make this-"

""""""THE BEST NIGHT EVER!""""""

Emerald winced at their volume, but decided not to comment, if only to let them be excited for a moment longer. At least, until the cold truth of reality set in, they'd be able to enjoy themselves.

"Oh, I can't wait to see the gardens!" Fluttershy squealed as they began to move forward, "And all of the critters I'll see! The big ones and the small one, the birdies and the squirrels, I'm going to make friends with all of them!" she added, practically vibrating on the spot, "We'll be friends forever, and its all going to happen at the Gala!"

"An' I sure can't wait ta start sellin' ta all them fancy nobles!" Applejack cut in, flipping her braided mane out of her face, "Jus' thinkin' 'bout all them hungry ponies linin' up fer my family's recipes sure get's me rarin' to go!" she nodded firmly to herself, "I'll definitely be makin' a lot'o money fer the family at the Gala!"

"And I'll be sure to dazzle the nobility that are attending tonight!" Rarity continued, "I'll be sure to show them that I'm just as regal as any of them! And not only that, but I'll finally get to meet my Prince Charming! he'll be the most gallant stallion of them all, and we'll finally meet at the Gala!"

A sudden flaring of trumpets interrupted their daydreaming, just as a familiar group of flyer's suddenly soared across the sky,

"Aw yeah!" Rainbow cheered, "I'm totally gonna meet up with the Wonderbolts! After tonight, they'll definitely have to consider letting me join, especially after the Young Flyers Competition! After the Gala, I'll be one step closer to the dream of a lifetime!"

"Ooh! This is gonna be so amazing!" Pinkie shouted, ignoring the angered looks from some nearby ponies, "The Gala is the greatest party in all of Equestria, and I'm invited!" she squealed, bouncing on her hooves, "Tonight's gonna be the most fun night I've ever had, and it's all because it's happening at the Gala!"

"And tonight, I'll be spending the entire Gala with the princess!" Sparky gushed, "I'll get to tell her about everything I've learned and seen in Ponyville! It'll be just me and her, just like back then! She'll be taking time just for me at the Gala!"

Trixie smiled,

"I'll get to spend time with family tonight," she said quietly, but no less heard then the others because of it, "No letters, no waiting, just as many of us as we could get, all here at the Gala," she declared firmly.

Emerald winced, his eyes sliding over each of the seven mares by his side.

He... didn't have the heart to tell them the truth. Not even Trixie.

"And you know what, girls?"

"Tonight-!'

"Is gonna be-!"

"The-!'

"Best-!'

"Night-!"

""""""EVER!""""""

He sighed, and glanced up as the door to the castle loomed over him.

Welp. It's time.

As expected, but no less disappointing, the mares had all split up near immediately once they'd made it inside.

The castle was, of course, as magnificent as ever. The large red carpet covering the floor appeared freshly cleaned, the lavender hanging from the walls was obviously just replaced, and the various plants hanging from the ceiling almost glowed with a radiance that almost had to be magical in origin. Not to mention everything else that may lay further behind the door just inside, though Emerald didn't dare venture further, as that was likely where Mother greeted the guests.

Roses, orchids, daisies, petunias, all different kinds of flowers lay in every visible window, providing a pleasant and constant scent throughout the nearby area, not to mention the massive and lush Castle Gardens not too far away. Accompanied by the faint sound of an orchestral band playing in the background, and they provided a pleasantly relaxing atmosphere to the whole thing.

Nobles flocked to and fro almost the castle over, often finding themselves conversing peacefully with each other in small groups. They could even be seen roaming just outside the castle walls, and even standing amicably beside the hors d'oeuvres table.

The sight of the castle during the Grand Galloping Gala could truly be compared to a scene straight out of a fairy tale.

It was, then, a total shame that Emerald hated every second he spent surrounded by these fools.

Once the mares had, all but, abandoned him and Spike, he'd then gone on to the nearest restroom to change into his suit, giving the drake the standing order to stay by the door and wait for him.

"I'm surprised you actually listened," he remarked, appearing silently beside the hatchling. Spike, not expecting his sudden appearance in the slightest, yelped and jumped a good foot into the air,

"Agh!" he flinched away, as if he'd been bitten by something, only to relax, "Jeez, how the heck do you-you... you..." Spike trailed off, then forcibly turned his head away, refusing to look at him, his body going stiff. It almost looked like he was expecting Emerald to attack him, and was trying to hide it. Emerald scowled.

"What's your issue with me, hatchling?" he demanded suddenly, taking a dominant step in front of him, cutting off his escape in the same motion. Spike, predictably, took a step back, bumping into the wall behind him,

"Wh-what?" he asked, stuttering nervously,

"Don't play coy," Emerald said, frowning, "You fear me. Why?" Spike shuddered for a moment, and averted his gaze,

"... You're just... scary..." he said, sounding for all the world like the child he truly was. Emerald made a surprised sound, honestly taken aback by the response.

"What?" he asked, taking a step away to give the drake some breathing room. Spike fidgeted,

"I-I dunno... I just... you're just kinda scary... I mean, you weren't before when I thought you were just a pony, but I saw that whole..." he waved his claw at Emerald's bracelet, "disguise thing... I just reminded me of a few years ago... I saw a couple of those... thestrals, right?" he asked, but shook his head, "I saw some of them when I was walking back to the Canterlot Library from mine and Twilight's parents' house," he explained, "I didn't know it at the time, but it turns out they were drunk. They were just... screaming and hissing a lot. Breathing fire randomly. Seeing you just reminded me of that, and it freaked me out," he admitted.

Emerald frowned, but not at Spike. He... thought he remembered that day.

Yeah... sometime about two years ago there was a disturbance late at night. A few of the night patrols called in for some help when they ran into some highly violent drunks who could apparently breathe fire. That had actually been one of the first times he'd met another of his own species during his freedom, shame it had been with a bunch of drunks. After that incident, he'd lost the sort of... drive to go out and meet more thestrals, despite there being plenty of them in the Elite Lunar Guard. Oh, he'd met a few, but none of them stood out, if he was honest.

Still, was that it? Spike only feared him because of a small, almost forgettable incident with another thestral? He'd expected something worse.

Just goes to show, not everything had to be big and complicated, he supposed.

Well, at least it explained Sparky's somewhat lackluster response. Thinking about it now, if it _had_ been something big, then she likely would've gone to some extreme length to get him and Spike to be friends. But with this, just her telling Spike that he wasn't that scary really _was_ the most she could do.

He shook his head.

Whatever, not important anymore.

Having received his answer, Emerald promptly dropped the subject, sighing in the process. He stepped further away from the hatchling, and moved out the door not too long after, ignoring the sound of pattering claws following behind him.

Now, what was he to do? The girls had split up earlier, each one of them heading off in a different direction from the others. Sparky ran off towards Mother, Rarity had headed into another room, both Applejack and Fluttershy immediately turned around and ducked out the door, before splitting off. Trixie slid over to the hors d'oeuvres table, keeping an out for their family, Rainbow had wandered over towards the right, where a large V.I.P area waited, and Pinkie...

Pinkie flat out vanished as far as he was aware. The moment they passed through that door she had simply stopped being there.

Now he was all dressed up with little to do. Not there really was something he _wanted_ to do here. He supposed he could join Trixie's hunt, but...

If it was family he wanted to see, then there really was only one place for him to go.

Safe in that knowledge, he sped up his gait, sliding past various ponies who got in his way.

He soon arrived in the Castle Gardens, and, for a moment, simply stared at them.

They truly were magnificent. Not too large, but certainly sizeable. An intricately designed metal fence blocked it off, with a series of blossoming vines entwined with the metal. The entrance into the gardens consisted of a large wrought iron gate, which was laying open, allowing the general public to wander through. Just past the large gate was the cobblestone path that led further in, before stopping at a massive circle in the center of the entire place. Lined up at the side of the path were blossoming bushes, each one holding a different kind of flower; roses, orchids, daisies, sunflowers, irises, hydrangeas, lilies, and so many others that he couldn't begin to name. Reaching the large circular center, there were three other paths leading on in the other three cardinal directions.

He currently stood at the northern entrance to the gardens, the one closest to the main entrance of the castle. Taking that into account, he knew that the left, or eastern, path led on towards the statue portion of the garden, which featured stone recreations of the most well known figures, both good and bad, in Equestria's history.

The path in front of him, or the southern path, simply led further into the gardens where most of the animals frequented. Consequently that part of the garden was usually closed off to the public, but was open on the night of the Gala, and, presumably, was where Fluttershy had sequestered herself for the night.

However it was the right, or western, path that he was most interested in.

That particular path led into the Canterlot Hedge Maze. It was a very large portion of the grounds dedicated to an equally large maze. It held a fair amount of statues and hideaways within its green walls. Various ponds and even small parks could be found littered throughout the paths, but it was the center that was most important to him.

He glided along the stone path until he'd arrived at the maze entrance. He chuckled slightly as he took in its large walls, each one easily five times his height.

It would be so easy, so simple, to take to the air and land down in the maze's center. A few beats of his wings, a couples seconds of air time, and that was all it would ever take.

He smiled, and shook his head, before taking a step into the miniature labyrinth.

He didn't pause. He didn't hesitate. He walked with a simple and straightforward confidence in his steps. Every turn he took, he took without thought. A casual observer from above could look upon the maze and see the myriad of different paths. Of the multitudes of twists and turns that made up the famous Canterlot Hedge Maze, which was known for its surprising difficulty. Of course, one who wanders for long enough would, inevitably, find their way out, and repeated entry _would_ make the navigation trivial.

However, the sheer size and complexity of the maze would guarantee that any who attempted to memorize the paths would soon find themselves overwhelmed by the repeated scenery, and the total lack of land marks to guide them along.

Yet Emerald navigated through the maze with the familiarity that could only be gained through countless days of repetition. Through hours upon hours of careful navigation, painstakingly committing every nook and cranny of the maze's path to the center into his brain, never to be forgotten.

And soon, his work paid off once more as he came to the massive center of the maze.

He sighed, scanning the ever familiar Center of the Maze.

It was a large, open area. Much like the Castle Gardens, there was a stone path laid out before him, leading on to a large open circle in the center of the area, before once more branching out in the cardinal directions, with each path ending in yet another entrance to the center. In each of the four corners of the maze's center, there were small oriental ponds, each with a series of towering stones helping to create a small, tranquil waterfall.

There wasn't much else in the way of decoration within this small, empty space.

But there, standing in the center of the open circle was a single, large slab of stone. It was truly massive, standing over twice his own height, and as wide as he was, and nearly as long. No decoration of any sort drew attention away from the stone, in fact, it was quite obvious that this entire area was dedicated to this stone, and nothing else.

Emerald let out a shuddering breath as emotions long since ignored sprang forth the longer he stared at it.

The longer he stared at the stone.

The... stone.

The...

_The gravestone._

* * *

Trixie sighed, idly biting into a small sandwich.

Ten minutes had passed since she'd split off from the others, and in that time she'd been hit on by at least four separate stallions, three mares, and had downed two glasses of wine, as well as five of those little sandwiches, and yet there remained no sign of anyone she recognized.

Gustave, she could understand. He was probably slaving away in the kitchen as he always did. Spitfire? Probably living it up with all those famous athletes over in the V.I.P section. Sapphire had a bunch of shit to do with her upcoming tour next year, and likely hadn't even made it to the Gala.

But a part of her still wanted to wait. Just in case any of the others showed up. She didn't care of they were one of the seven she knew or one of the twenty-four she scarcely remembered.

She just wanted to see her family again.

And yet, they didn't appear.

A soft, saddened sigh left her. She supposed it wasn't too much of a surprise in the end for none of them to appear. Most of the motley group of thirty-two from back then were just regular ponies who went off back with their families during the recovery. If anything, most of them probably hadn't done anything too exciting, likely wanting to live a regular, peaceful life.

It was with a mixture of joy and sorrow that Trixie realized...

Maybe she'd have to hunt them down herself?

_Yeah... that would nice_, she mused. She couldn't stay in Ponyville forever, much as she'd like to. She was a traveling magician, an entertainer, at heart. She could never be strapped down to one place, else she'd never spread that joy, that wonder, she'd grown to love.

She smiled, and cast her gaze over the dozens of ponies in attendance.

Somewhere out there, her family lived their lives, and where was she?

Putting hers on hold just to spend time with one of them. That wouldn't be what they wanted. They'd want her out there, _living_.

She nodded to herself. It was decided then. Once the Grand Galloping Gala was over, she'd be back on the road once more. Of course, until then, she'd simply let loose and have just a little fun at this stuffy party. Or maybe just ditch the place and hunt down that doughnut shop the dragon, Spike, had mentioned.

But after that, she'd leave.

_I'm sure Emerald won't mind,_ she thought.

Her smile turned mischievous.

_He's got Twilight to keep him company, after all._

* * *

Orders were given and commands were issued, spurring all who were near to action.

"Take this platter out to the guests and don't come back until it's empty!"

"You call this clean? It's only clean if I can see my own face!"

"Wellspring! How many times do I have to tell you: Mops are not for sweeping!"

It was a rough job, especially on tonight of all nights. Working not only the kitchen, but the cleaning staff as well.

Gustave Le Grande sighed miserably, running a talon over his beak. He wasn't even supposed to be here tonight. The Dear Princess had seen fit to give him the night off, and yet here he was, reprimanding the new, and foolish, members of the cleaning staff.

He was supposed to be out there, enjoying the party. He'd specifically groomed his charcoal gray fur down, and even spiffed up his gray feathers up to a near point for the occasion! Not to mention, of course, his favoured red ascot around his neck. And, perhaps the most important part of himself tonight, his dear handlebar mustache! He'd spent a pretty bit on that wax, and tonight was finally the night he got to use it!

But instead, he was here, wasting that very same night.

Not for the first time, he cursed the lackluster recruitment process. Why, if any of these _fools_ had tried to apply for a position in _his_ kitchen, he would've had them tossed out within the first hour!

Still, he reminded himself, if the head of the cleaning division, Honey Pot, had seen fit to keep them around, then there must be _something_ worthwhile in them.

"S-sir?" came the squeaky voice from somewhere behind him, "A-aren't you being a l-little harsh?"

He turned around, coming face to beak with a familiar young colt by the name of Apple Berry.

Little Apple Berry was a small earth pony of nineteen years, with a bright lime green coat and raspberry pink mane and tail. Like any earth pony, he was well-muscled, but, most unusually, he was, for lack of a better term, _tiny_.

Despite being nineteen, Apple Berry could quite easily pass for a fourteen year old, or even a mature thirteen year old colt.

He was also Gustave's assistant in the kitchen.

"Of course I'm not, Berry," Gustave countered without issue, "If anything, Honey Pot is the one who's not harsh _enough_," he stated, and huffed, "If I didn't know she was home taking care of her foals after that damned divorce of hers, I'd have marched down there and dragged her back here to deal with _this_," he snarled, casting his gaze over the disorganized mess of a team that had been called in for the night.

He wanted to be out there, having a good time during his unexpected day off, and yet he was forced to deal with this.

Well, not _forced_. He fully admitted that he was putting this unnecessary work onto himself, and that no one else had any sort of impact in doing so, but _dammit_! He took _pride_ in his work, and he would be _damned_ if he let some greenhorn maids and butlers _ruin_ the night he'd been cooking for the past two _weeks_!

All that careful partial cooking. All those painstaking recipes! All that time and effort, and he _refused_ to let _anything_ ruin it!

Not until he got to enjoy it, at least.

After that, who cares?

Certainly not him, not when it had been made for all those... _nobles_.

If it been for his family? He'd be defending the damn thing with his life. Charity? He'd become the tyrant of the kitchen just to make sure it was done properly. Even for one of those few nobles he actually liked, he'd have worked himself to the bone to make sure everything worked.

That was why, even on his day off and for a group he hated, he'd put in the effort, simply because the Dear Princess had asked him to.

Still, tonight was _not_ going to be a good night.

* * *

He scoffed silently to himself as he nodded to a passing guard.

Wasn't infiltration supposed to be difficult? Where was the challenge? The tension? The fear of failure?

Was this the price of his hard work? To be _stuck_ in a world without challenge?

He chuckled. No, there was still _one_ out there who could push him, who could make him feel _alive_ once more.

And _he_ was one of the main reasons he'd accepted this silly little invitation, to this silly little party, that the silly pony princess had sent him. The other two were, of course, as follows:

1\. He got to meet up with some old family, and that was always nice.

2\. Mother had ordered him to the second she read the contents of the mysterious invitation.

He brushed a lock of his ivory mane out of his face, the crimson of his coat catching his turquoise eyes for but a brief moment. He smiled to himself. While it wasn't his best disguise, he'd always felt a little attached to this one.

Peppermint, was its name. It had been his first successful disguise after he'd been reunited with Queen Chr-

_Mother_, he reminded himself.

She had asked him to call her, Mother.

He smiled at the warmth that the thought brought. _Family_ was such a wonderful thing to have, was it not? And to think, coming to this silly little party provided him with the perfect opportunity to meet some more of his _first_ family, and so early as well!

Still, he couldn't just _walk_ in. Technically speaking, he was enemy number one, as far as ponies were concerned, so, invitation or not, infiltration was his only course of action.

But soon, that would change. And Thorax couldn't fucking _wait._

* * *

Spitfire laughed, the sight of one of her long time friends gorging himself on his favoured confection was funny as always. She never did understand Soarin's strange obsession with apple pie, but, at the very least, she could agree that they were damn good.

Sometimes.

He was just lucky that the Gala was considered a cheat night for the team, otherwise she'd have kicked his flank halfway across the castle for even _looking_ at a pie.

Granted she'd be kicking all of their flanks, hers included, into some strict training for the next couple months to make up for all the extra calories they were bound to eat tonight.

She turned and eyed the mare who'd ended up 'saving' Soarin's pie when the clumsy little moron had dropped it.

"So, your names... Rainbow Dash, yeah?" she asked, and continued when the obvious fan nodded, "Cool. I remember you from the Best Young Flyers Competition," she said, and smirked, "You were the one who kept flying into the walls and nearly pelted the princess with a cloud."

She watched on, amused, as the mare went though a dozen different expressions, ranging from glee, to embarrassment, to horror, and finally into shame.

"U-uhhh, yeah," Dash said, her scratchy voice coming out with a squeak, "yeah, that was me, b-but I was also the one who, uh, who..." she trailed off, her face turning red. Spitfire laughed, and patted the mare on her shoulder, being mindful of the amazing dress she was wearing,

"Yeah, yeah, the sonic rainboom," she said, voice laden with mirth, "I was just teasin'. You sure saved our flanks out there," she added, much more sincerely, then jerked her head towards the other members of the team, "Why don't you come over and hang with us for a bit? Least I can do for a fan who saved our sorry butts," she offered.

The squeal the chromatic mare made was definitely something that she never usually made, but Spitfire was certain she'd do it at least twice more tonight.

Hehe, this party might not be so bad after all.

* * *

Celestia smiled as honestly as she could, but, really, the strain was beginning to take its toll on her after not even an hour of this torturous activity.

Oh, how she _loathed_ tonight. Hated it with all her being. When she had first proposed the idea be changed into something less militant two hundred years after her sister's banishment, she had envisioned a fantastic party filled with joy and happiness.

Not this... boring little gathering. If it could even be called that. As vulgar as it sounded, Celestia occasionally thought of the Gala as nothing more than a dick measuring contest between some of the nobles who attended.

And she was the one stuck saying hello to each and _every. Single. One._

It was then, of course, nothing more than a small miracle that Luna had offered to take her place once Twilight and her friends showed up, if only to give her time to spend with her dear student.

"Princess!"

Speaking of...

"Twilight!" she greeted with equal enthusiasm, gently leaning down to embrace her, "My, that dress is just as lovely as the first time I saw it," she complimented. Twilight flushed a bright scarlet, but the smile on her face didn't fade,

"I'm so excited to be here!" Twilight gushed, "Oh, there's so much we have to catch up on!" Celestia giggled,

"Indeed we do!" she agreed, and gestured for her to take a place by her side, "And I can't wait, but, unfortunately, we'll have to do just that until Luna arrives," she said. Twilight tilted her head,

"Why's that, Princess?"

"Well, as the host, it's generally my duty to greet each and every guest who appears tonight," she explained, and even demonstrated as a few ponies approached them, "And, you see," she continued after they left, "I don't often get a break. But, since my sister's return, quite a few my previous duties have shifted, and Luna has been more than happy to shoulder many of them. She's agreed to take my place for the night, so that we can spend some time together, just like old times."

"Wow," Twilight breathed, "That's wonderful, Princess! But..." she trailed off, and kicked one of her hooves in embarrassment, "you didn't have to trouble your sister for me," she said sheepishly. Celestia smiled down at her student,

"You're quite right, Twilight," she said, nodding, "I didn't _have_ to. I wanted to. Besides," she added, lowering her voice, "Luna could use some more social interaction."

"Oh, is that so, dear sister?"

Celestia immediately stiffened at the voice from behind her, and elegantly spun around,

"Luna!" she cheered, putting on a large, false smile, "You're a lot earlier than I had anticipated!" she noted, ignoring the bead of sweat trailing down her forehead.

Luna quirked an eyebrow at her,

"Of course I am. I did promise to allow you to spend time with your student. Did you think I would take my time?" she asked, almost sounding offended, if it weren't for the teasing smile that overtook her features for a moment.

"Well, I must admit, I thought you might take a while longer, if only because..." she trailed off, her eyes roaming over the vast number of attendants, "... you're _shy_," she whispered conspiratorially. Luna blinked at her, and sighed,

"Just... go on before I change my mind, Tia."

* * *

Emerald gave off a content sigh as he lay before their grave.

This was why he had refused to fly over the maze earlier. To take such a shortcut... it seemed disrespectful. It was through their hard work and sacrifice that the lone thirty-two had been freed, and so, too, would he work to find them once more, here at this old forgotten tomb.

_The Grave of The Sixty-Eight._

Names were inscribed upon its surface, but it was clear that no professional had done it, for the work was too shaky, too unclean. In fact, the sheer discrepancy between each name made it seem as though each one had been carved by a different individual.

Their bodies may not lie here. They may instead lie within that cursed place, that perverse prison, but their memory would live here. Untainted by the foul stench of that wretched Facility.

Emerald prayed that they found peace, where ever they ended up.

"Uhhh... what is this place?"

The voice was not unexpected, but it still caused him to twitch. This was a place for remembrance, not idle chatter.

"If you're going to stay here, then at least pay your respects first," he chided the young drake. Though his words were scolding, his tone was soft, as if its usual edge had been dulled.

Spike squawked a little, but he at least followed his directions, pattering over to his right, until he knelt before the grave, clasping his claws together. They stayed like that for a moment. The silence enveloped them after a minute, drowning out the world beyond this little alcove.

Sounds ceased to exist, it was as though the world beyond him, beyond the grave, slowly darkened into blackness. His attention on that lone slab of stone only increased, never falling, never fading, never-

"So... what _is_ this place?"

For a moment, Emerald could've sworn that the sound of a thousand shattering panes of glass echoed as the silence was broken. His eye almost twitched,

"This is a grave site, hatchling. What else is there to know?" he asked calmly, not allowing his gaze to drift, even if he was beginning to get annoyed.

Seriously, didn't Sparky teach this child any manners?

"Well... yeah, but... _who's_ grave site?" Spike asked once more, "I-I mean, shouldn't this be in an... _actual_ graveyard?"

His logic was sound. It was a grave, after all. It had no purpose for being here, so far out of reach. For what of the families that mourned of them? Did they not deserve easier access to the ones that died? Was it fair, then, to sequester them behind the walls of a labyrinth? To hide them away from the world that missed them?

Perhaps.

Perhaps not.

But did that matter?

They had been taken from this world long before their death. At least here, hidden away, it was as though they now possessed their own little world. One just for them, and those who had left them behind.

**_And any who would dare endeavor to take it away, their Fate lie only on the end of his blade._**

He knew this, deep within his heart, his mind, his soul. He knew this, but he also knew that he could never convey that thought to another. So, he remained silent, ignoring the ever growing curiosity of the hatchling beside him.

He hoped they forgave him. He hoped they didn't blame him. He hoped they were happy. He hoped, he hoped, he hoped.

_If only he'd been a little faster... a little smarter, then..._

_Then maybe there would have been more than thirty-two..._

He shook his head.

No, there was no point in thinking like that. To look back and wonder what he could've done better would undermine the efforts he'd taken, the lives he'd saved. But still, it was an attractive idea. To lose himself to those thoughts, to wander and wonder eternally on what could've been done better, on what could've been saved.

It was soooo very tantalizing... it was such a sweet, delectable thought...

_Would they have lived?_

_Or would they have all died?_

It _begged_ him to indulge. _Implored_ him to investigate. _Demanded_ to be satisfied. To lose himself to those thoughts... to allow him to fade away, enraptured by fantasies of what could've been...

But no. He could not. For not only did he have commitments that must be seen too, he knew, deep within his soul, that _they_ would want him to live. _They_ would want them all to live.

Sixty-eight had died so that thirty-two could live, after all.

The sudden shrill chirp of a bird derailed his thoughts suddenly, the unexpected sound finally driving his gaze away from the grave.

A few small birds, and what appeared to be a spider-monkey, had suddenly appeared in the alcove. That was... unusual. As far as he knew, the animals tended to keep to the southern portion of the Gardens, if they were migrating _here_ of all places then...

Something was driving them away.

He frowned, and glanced at the grave one last time, then stood up.

_Whoever had thought to disturb his family's resting place was in for the worst night of their lives._

* * *

Trixie laughed lightly as she swayed to the gentle beat of the band.

They weren't _really_ her kind of band, but she was a little more willing to listen to their tune after a few glasses of wine. Of course, that changed when that peppy pink party pony had decided to dash right on in, bouncing around on her hooves like a filly at her first birthday party, singing happily, and loudly, to the entire room.

It was a shame that the crowd of nobles didn't seem to like it all that much. Trixie thought it was actually kinda nice, like a streak of colour on an otherwise gray canvas.

Then again, it _was_ Pinkie Pie. The mare who had wormed her way behind her brother's walls, even if he didn't acknowledge it yet.

If she could bring a splash of rainbow to _his_ life, then this was nothing in comparison.

In fact...

Oh, goodness, the alcohol must've been _quite_ a bit stronger than she'd thought if she was really considering this, but...

Oh well!

"Hey, Pinkie," she breathed, sidling up to the saddened party pony, who had migrated over to some nearby tables in her sorrow,

"Oh... hey, Trixie," Pinkie greeted, and sniffed, "I guess you must be having some fun, huh?" she asked. Trixie smiled, and tilted her head, though it ended up tilting her body as well,

"Hmm... yep!" she agreed,

"That's great," Pinkie said, giving her a faint smile, "I'm glad somepony is. This whole Gala thing isn't what I expected..." she muttered. Trixie giggled tipsily,

"Weeeellll... I _might_ have an idea to liven up this little shin-dig! If you're up for it..."

* * *

Gustave let out a deep breath.

Things... were going better than he'd anticipated. Quite honestly, he'd half expected everything to start imploding at some point during the night, but, so far, everything was working out alright. Not _perfect_, but alright.

Well, apart from some minor disturbance in the dance hall, but apparently it was just a, presumably drunk, mare being a little loud. At least she calmed down once someone asked her to be quiet, so he hadn't thought to have her escorted out, and possibly home.

Of that, he was glad. Having any member of the staff leave to escort any of their guests home could potentially leave them in a spot of trouble later on in the night. He respected Honey, truly he did, but he was still against her more lackluster recruitment processes, and didn't quite trust the quality of the workers she hired.

Perhaps it was unfair, perhaps it wasn't. Gustave really didn't care.

"Um... S-sir?" Apple Berry chirped from beside him, "Um... one of the waitresses said that th-theres some mare trying to sell some f-food just outside."

"What?" he asked, "But..." he sighed, "What kind of _idiot_, is trying to sell food at a party?" he growled, "What's this mare look like, I'll have the guards go out and explain how things work to her," he demanded. Apple Berry swallowed,

"W-well, Sir... I-I think she's an Apple..." he said. Gustave's ire drained at that. An Apple? He held quite a lot of respect for the Apple Family, if he was honest. It was one of the main reasons he'd agreed to take on the shy Apple Berry as an assistant.

But for one to appear and try _selling_ food when there was a large table filled with _free_ food already available... Either this was her first visit to the Gala, or she was confident in her family's cooking to the point of arrogance. Or she was desperate. That was always a possibility.

"Take me to her," Gustave requested, prompting Berry to nod shakily, before he turned and led him out of the kitchen.

For a moment, Gustave wondered what he'd do. Apple's were known for their strong love of family, so if this mare was here to help out her family and was simply unaware of the free food...

Well, he wouldn't mind purchasing her wares to serve to the guests. Though he'd prepared a wide spread, he had neglected to provide desserts due to a lack of time, and the Apples often prided themselves on their apple based goods.

And perhaps he'd keep a few of them for himself, as well.

* * *

Dammit, where was _he_?!

Nearly twenty minutes of searching, and Thorax had yet to find that _fool_ anywhere! There could only be so many places _he_ could be, and _he'd_ yet to be in _any_ of them!

Although it was true that he'd spotted a few of the others, they had all been distracted by their own little issues, and thus, were unlikely to know where his target was!

Well... in hindsight, there _was_ one other place...

But his intelligence claimed that _he_ was currently acting as a bodyguard, so would _he_ truly leave his charges to simply visit one little grave?

_Heh, of course he would_, Thorax concluded with a smile.

A sudden surge of Affection blind-sided Thorax so abruptly, that, for a moment, he thought he'd been knocked over.

**_But then the hunger hit him, begging him to investigate, to find the source._**

_Starving... so... hungry..._

He violently shook his head, dispelling the primal thoughts. A growl escaped his throat, even as he held a hoof to his stomach, where the pangs hit him.

Changelings didn't need to eat solid foods, rather, they sustained themselves off the emotions of those around them.

It was his luck, then, that he'd been born to the only hive that consumed Love.

He didn't know how many hives still existed in the world, or even what emotions those hives developed a taste for, but Love was what he sought. The stronger the emotion consumed meant that the changeling in question grew stronger in turn, but, of course, the stronger the emotion generally meant that it was harder to steal.

It was such a shame, then, that ponies had a princess _dedicated_ to protecting their Love. It made things so much harder than it needed to be.

It was only through centuries of effort on their Queen's part that they'd managed to hunt enough food to keep them alive and healthy.

_But soon... that would change..._

Until then, of course, it was up to their Hunters to scout out prime targets to harvest Love from. Thorax was no Hunter, but he knew a few techniques to harvest Love without drawing any attention.

_And he was so... so... hungry..._

He swallowed, his throat so very dry, even as he started salivating as the sweet magical scent of Love wafted over him.

_Just a bite... a little nibble... surely no one would notice?_

A blinding pain struck the side of his face. For an instant he thought he was under attack, but the stinging present in his hoof clued him in to the fact that he'd only smacked himself.

_Keep it together, Thorax..._

Even so, he couldn't help but be curious about the source. Whatever it was, it certainly tasted strong. Whomever it originated from held a lot of Affection for someone. There was a sort of... aged quality to it, as if it was a crush harbored for years before it was finally uncorked, but, at the same time, it was fresh like the spark of a crush newly formed.

It was strange, he noted. A taste like this was rare, but not hard to figure out. The aged quality suggested that the individual had known the target of their Affection for years, but the fresher taste hinted at them having only just met.

If he had to guess, this was likely a crush resulted from years of rumors and fantasies, but only now had they met the object they so dreamed of.

It was actually rather amusing. What fool would fall in Love with someone they didn't know?

His curiosity successfully peaked, and his hunger momentarily suppressed, Thorax made his way off in the direction the Love came from, sneaking through foliage and skirting around guards on the way.

Eventually he came to an area just around the Gardens, where two ponies stood, a mare and a stallion.

The source of the scent belonged to the mare, it seemed, and it seemed directed at the stallion in question.

Thorax had to admit, the mare looked positively lovely. With a dark pink dress with golden accents that fanned out toward her mark, elegant blue shoes, curled mane of royal purple, and a coat as white as the driven snow, she was the picture of regal beauty, in Thorax's opinion.

In contrast, the stallion bore a coat as white as pure silk, a styled mane of golden blonde, and wore an equally white suit with black tie.

Despite his nice appearance, Thorax could sense a deep pit of Arrogance coming from the stallion. It held such a contrasting flavour to his appearance that he was struck silent for a moment.

"-lood," the white stallion finished speaking, the former half of his sentence lost during Thorax's moment of distraction,

"Well, I am Rarity," the elegantly dressed mare replied, "Oh my, isn't this just a lovely rose?"

Thorax smirked. Even without his clairsentience, his empathy, it was all too easy to hear the faint Nervousness in the mare's voice, the slight tremble present in her words. Even clearer was the way her eyes darted about for a moment, searching for that one little detail to start a conversation, before she settled on... well, that.

He noticed her eyes darting up to her current partner and back to the rose. Her desire was clear,

"You mean, this rose?" the stallion asked, plucking the flower in question from the push, before placing it within his own breast pocket, "Thank you, it goes with my eyes," he said, smiling self-appreciatively.

Thorax almost snorted at the affronted look on the mare's face.

Well, his search might've turned up fruitless, but at least he stumbled upon some entertainment.

Hmm, he supposed _he_ could wait. For now, he had an interesting little drama playing out before him, and he'd be loathe to let it pass him by.

It certainly helped that it was both dinner _and_ a show.

* * *

Ah, the one part of the night that she _actually_ enjoyed, if only slightly.

Spitfire nursed a single glass of wine, her first, and only, one of the night. She might not be a fan of the stuff, but she agreed that at least one glass was good for easing up those nerves.

The V.I.P section had filled up quickly, just as it did every year, a result of the many nobles who demanded such tickets or flat out bribed their way in ensured that it rarely ever received any peace. Though, it wasn't all bad. Some of the nobles happened to be fans of the Wonderbolts, and often dropped their snooty airs whenever they engaged in conversation with one of the team members.

That was one of Spitfire's joys. Talking with the fans. It was always something to speak to someone, be they filly, colt, or fully grown pony, or whatever else. To see that little spark in their eyes as they spoke, to see the smiles on their faces, as well as the excitement in their movements.

It was a kind of magic all on its own.

Of course, that wasn't to say it was perfect. While there were plenty of those nobles willing to set aside their cruddy attitudes, there were just as many who lacked that courtesy.

So it wasn't uncommon for one of those morons to go around, speaking to them as if they were better despite having never lifted a hoof for anything in their lives, or even went so far as to attempt to bribe one of them for some reason or another.

Honestly, Spitfire often ignored such proposals, to the point where she honestly forgot what half of them were even for.

A flash of colour caught her eye suddenly, and a smirk wormed its way onto her face.

It seemed that Rainbow mare from earlier was quite determined to talk with someone from the team. She was ducking and dodging through the crowd, worming her way through various nobles, waiters, and everything in between towards one of her teammates, before spotting them talking with someone else, then repeated the whole thing towards another Wonderbolt.

It was funny, and slightly heartwarming, she'd admit. To see a fan of theirs dedicated enough to worm their way through a crowd like this, but mature enough to not barge in on a conversation just to talk with one of them was a treat they didn't often get to experience.

For a moment, she contemplated approaching the mare herself, but the thought was derailed when a younger looking mare walked up to her with a piece of paper and a pencil.

Hmm... _one_ autograph couldn't hurt. After that, she'd see about heading over to talk to this Rainbow mare.

Spitfire smiled at the younger fan, who returned it with a bright beaming grin, before rushing off, sputtering excitedly to another, older, mare. Likely her mother or sister given the resemblance.

She turned, ready to approach Rainbow Dash, only to come face to face with a small line of ponies, each with another sheet of paper, looking at her eagerly.

She sighed. So much for _that_ idea.

* * *

Celestia breathed a happy sigh, settling down on her ever-so-comfy satin pillow, just as her dear Twilight did the same across the table from her.

After Luna had taken over the greeting duties, she had led Twilight back into her private study, where they used to spent many a day going over her old lesson plans and the assignments she gave.

It was a small room, at least in comparison to the other rooms of the castle. It had dark violet coloured walls, a fine crimson carpet with a massive golden sun embroidered in the center, contrasting the dark brown of the ceiling nicely. A small podium sat off to the side, filled with some papers she had yet to look over. A large brick fireplace sat snugly in the middle of the farthest wall, where she and Twilight currently lay, each upon a royal purple pillow with golden linings. A small mahogany table sat between them, littered by a porcelain tea set, fit with some biscuits.

There was also a set of glass doors leading onto a small balcony, though they were currently covered by curtains a few shades darker than the walls.

There were so many memories she'd had in this one room.

Tender kisses, loving embraces, happy lessons, somber remembrances, hateful fits, and so much more.

This one room was, perhaps, the one place in all of Equestria that she felt _truly_ at peace.

She looked over at Twilight, who was almost vibrating in place, presumably, from excitement.

_For a moment, she was overtaken by old memories, of a much smaller filly eagerly staring up at her, waiting for her very first lesson._

_Another memory took over, this time of an older colt, dutifully scanning over the plethora of books she was using to teach him to read._

Celestia let a soft chuckle escape her.

She remembered those days. Teaching the younger Emerald how to read and write. She often left him here, alone, while she attended to Twilight, only to come back and find him burning through everything she'd taught him.

...

She wondered...

With how well the two of them seemed to get along, how would everything have turned out if she had only thought to introduce them sooner?

Would Emerald have turned out healthier with someone to stabilize him? Would Twilight have been more social with someone to push her? Would they have been happier with each other?

It was a nice thought, but a thought nonetheless.

She shook her head, dispelling the distracting thoughts.

"So, Twilight, what did you want to start talking about?" she finally asked. Twilight took a deep breath,

"Honestly, Princess, I'm not a hundred percent certain," she admitted with a smile, "So many wonderful things have happened since you sent me off to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration, and I just... I'm not sure where to start," she said.

"Well, it certainly seems like you're doing well," Celestia remarked, "After all, it's been quite some time since your last friendship letter."

Twilight's eyes widened,

"I-I-but-there-there wasn't-I'm-!"

Easily noticing her student's panic, not that it was difficult in the first place, Celestia immediately spoke up,

"But that's perfectly fine, Twilight," she comforted gently, "If I recall, you had quite a lot to deal with. Those Diamond Dogs, the buffalo, as well as the upcoming Gala," she nodded, "yes, knowing that, it's perfectly understandable why you haven't had anything to write about," she added.

Twilight sighed, her panic successfully averted.

Unbeknownst to her, Celestia hid her own sigh of relief.

She adored Twilight, truly she did, but her dear student could too easily fall into the trap of worry and shame, even when it came to something she had no need to worry about.

...

_Usually_ when it came to something she had no need to worry about.

"Um... now that you mention it, how are those other ponies doing?" Twilight asked, "The ones from the mines, I mean."

"Oh, they're doing wonderfully," she said, then grimaced, "or at least, as wonderfully as one _can_ be after that kind of treatment." Twilight nodded,

"Right, that... makes sense..." she perked up suddenly, "What about that one stallion... Spun Gear, I think?"

"Ah," Celestia breathed, "Yes, Mr. Spun Gear is doing quite well," she said, then regarded her student with a curious glint in her eye, "It's funny you ask. Ever since he returned to the Guard, he's been... unusually determined," she remarked, and smiled, "I wonder what he could've seen down there that caused that change."

She honestly didn't know. It could've been one of several things, or even all of them combined.

After all, he was one of the guards sent out to search for the missing ponies, and to have found them only to end up with them must've been quite the sting to his pride. Plus, she distinctly remembered the horrible condition they were all in. To have witnessed that as long as he did, and to have also been part of it, could have encouraged him to grow stronger.

Perhaps it was her student and her friend's determination to save their foalnapped friend despite lacking the same training he had been through?

Or maybe, just maybe, seeing Emerald in action spurred a spark of competitiveness in him?

She didn't, and likely never would, know the answer.

"Yeah..." Twilight muttered, a far away look in her eye. Celestia smirked,

"Emerald really is something, isn't he?" she asked idly, taking a sip of her tea, paying close attention to her student's reaction.

"Yeah..." Twilight breathed, "He really is..." she said.

...

Well, that was disappointingly lacklus-

Twilight's face suddenly went bright red, and Celestia could've sworn she just saw steam burst out of her ears.

Celestia couldn't help but laugh at that, having completely let down her guard moments earlier. She laughed and kept on laughing until her lungs started to ache. She wound down after a time, only for Twilight's, still red faced, pout to send her into another fit of laughter.

"P-princess!" Twilight cried, her voice uncharacteristically high pitched. Celestia's laughter soon died down once more, until only a few errant giggles left her,

"Oh... oh my," she breathed, panting slightly, "I haven't had a laugh quite like that in some time," she admitted happily, then took in a deep breath, "Alright Twilight, why don't you continue?" she suggested.

"O-okay," she stammered, not quite meeting Celestia's gaze this time around, "Well... a lot has happened since I started living in Ponyville, but of course you already know that," she added lamely, then shook her head, "I managed to finish that assignment you gave me last week, plus I've written a few pages on the chemical make-up of comets as well as a brief history on how and why Princess Luna first created them," she was getting more excited now, her words coming out at a faster pace than before, "Oh! I also found and used this interesting transformation spell on an apple that allowed me to turn it into a carriage. It's such an interesting spell! It combines several growth spells with several complex transfiguration arrays! Not to mention it requires a timer spell to make sure it wears off at midnight! I had to practice it for a few days in order to get it down. Transfiguring a static object into a much larger, multifaceted object, made up of dozens of interlocking pieces made of just as many materials, as well as the spell designed to reverse all the changes turned out to be a lot harder than I originally thought," Twilight admitted modestly, smiling widely.

Celestia smiled at her dear student, even as she internally shook her head.

Of course Twilight would simply pass something like that off to the side. Most unicorns she knew, and many she had known in the past, would have found a spell like that beyond their capabilities.

It was simply a matter of talent. Most unicorns had cutie marks in smaller, more focused fields, and so their magic usually never strayed far from those focused areas, with a few minor exceptions. In fact, in most cases their magic _couldn't_ extend outside their talents.

So, what about a unicorn whose talent _is _magic?

What kind of spells could they cast? Large complex arrays designed for a _hundred separate_ Mages, each one specialized in something different, to cast at once was simply a matter of effort for a _single_ magic oriented Sorcerer.

Celestia often liked to think of Twilight as possessing the potential to be a great Sorcerer, the highest Title attainable for a purely magic focused individual, but she knew, realistically, that, despite her once-in-a-century talent, she barely amounted up to the lowest Title, Apprentice, a whole level below her brother, who was a Mage. Like him, she simply lacked the experience to be anything higher.

Of course, even a dozen powerful Sorcerers were worth little when faced with a competent Champion.

Speaking of the Champion...

"And how have you been getting along with Emerald?" she asked, smirking at the sight of Twilight going stiff, "He's made me aware that you and your friends know about his position as the town guard, but your letters tend to paint him as a close friend. I would imagine that took some getting used to. Aside from Spike and Shining, I don't recall you spending much time with the opposite sex growing up," she teased light-heartedly. Twilight averted her gaze once more, though she only turned a faint red this time,

"I know... but, I suppose it _was_ a little odd, at first," she said, her gaze focusing down on her untouched cup of tea, "When I first met him, I didn't really think too much of it. I was more concerned about being a good host than anything else. Then, some time passed, and out of nowhere he somehow gets you to appear during Cider Season," she said. Celestia laughed,

Oh, she remembered that. She also remembered the slight stomachache she had once she'd finished all that delicious cider. Though, as sweet as it was, Luna's expression when she'd returned with a massive barrel of the stuff in comparison to her lone bottle had been _far_ sweeter.

Though... hadn't Luna been called over to Ponyville not long after Cider Season had ended to pick up some criminals that Emerald had caught? Or was she remembering things wrong...?

"Then, of course was the incident with him collapsing from that stupid little eating problem he had," Twilight continued, unaware of the guilty wincing of her teacher, "He was stubborn at first, but I managed to convince him to eat, at least. Though he never told me why he had trouble eating in the first place," she sighed, "I'm guessing it must have had something to do with that Facility he mentioned," she mused, then shook her head, "Then he got put in the hospital. Then I found out that he was the older brother of that filly I tutored a few years ago!" she exclaimed, "After that I started spending more time with him and... he's a good stallion," she said, then glanced down at her dress, "A little... mean at times, but he has a good heart, I can tell," she let out a short laugh, "Even when I started dragging him around during some of my problems, he just went along with everything without complaint. He was there for me when I needed it, just like all my other friends."

"Then he told us the truth," she added suddenly, "That he wasn't actually a pony, but something called a thestral. He told us how he got his cutie mark and how apparently we've all been connected since we were foals. It was... I just... It's hard to describe. I liked spending time with him, he turned out to be a good friend, and then that trip to Appleloosa happened..." she trailed off after that, her eyes glossing over, evidently seeing something she wasn't, "... I think Rarity was right, back then," she said suddenly, her eyes returning to life, now directed at her teacher, "If I'm being honest, I have a crush on him."

She promptly turned red at the admission, but nonetheless seemed proud of herself for having done just that.

"When is the wedding?"

She then wilted at her teacher's teasing.

* * *

He wasn't sure what he'd expected to find.

But whatever it may have been, it most certainly wasn't _this._

Fluttershy, sweet, innocent, would-never-shout-at-anyone-even-if-her-life-depended-on-it Fluttershy.

Was currently running around the Gardens like a loon, _seething_, periodically shouting "COME OUT!" whenever she was outstripped by an animal.

So Emerald really couldn't be faulted for just standing there for a minute, slack-jawed at the sight before him.

Fluttershy came to a sudden halt, huffing. Her eyes were wide, her back was hunched, her legs were spread, and she looked a little too close to the edge of her remaining sanity for his liking.

"COME OUT!" she screeched once more, looking around wildly.

"_Fluttershy!_" Emerald finally snapped, stomping towards her, causing the usually demure pegasus to 'Eep!' and cower in surprise.

"O-oh, um, hi, Emerald," she squeaked,

"What the fuck is going on here?!" he asked, waving a hoof around at the numerous cowering animals.

"Well, I was trying to make friends with the animals, and, th-they kept running away..." she muttered,

"So you decided to chase them, while screeching like a banshee?" he asked sarcastically. Fluttershy blushed,

"I-I know it's bad but... I-I've never had a-any animal n-not like me, and I was just so worried that they didn't want to be friends an-!" He pressed a hoof against her mouth, cutting off her rambling, an act he honestly thought would only be necessary for Pinkie. He sighed,

"Shy, you of all ponies should know how bad of an idea that is," he scolded her gently. She looked away from him,

"I know..."

He sighed, every ounce of anger he'd previously had all but gone at this point.

He'd been wanting to give the fool responsible for interrupting his mourning a piece of his mind, but could he really bring himself to do that to someone like Fluttershy?

Yes, actually, he could.

But since the pony in question happened to be family, he'd let it slide this one time.

"C'mon," he said, leading her over to a small group of the still cowering animals.

He noted that they flinched away at their approach, but a click of his tongue caused them to stay. He pulled Fluttershy to his side,

"Well?" he asked, ushering her forward, "Go on."

Fluttershy stared at him for a moment, wide-eyed, but another push from him broke her from her thoughts.

She regarded the animals in front of her shyly, lowering herself to the ground,

"U-um... h-hello little ones," she cooed softly, but no less nervously, "I-I'm sorry for scaring you... I just want to be f-friends," she stammered.

One of the animals, a small brown squirrel, took a few steps forward, cautiously staring up at the butter-yellow pegasus. It eventually came to a stop a hoof's length away, patiently waiting.

Fluttershy slowly extended a hoof, her entire leg shaking as she did so, until it came into contact with the little rodent's head. Slowly, she began to pet the creature, but soon picked up the slightest bit of speed when her confidence came back.

The sight of the squirrel enjoying Fluttershy's no-longer-violent attention spurred a few of the larger animals into coming out of their hiding places, until Fluttershy and Emerald had a veritable ring of fuzzy critters surrounding them.

Fluttershy gasped softly as she looked up, her eyes sparkling as she cast her gaze around, the excitement within her almost palpable.

"Oh my!" she breathed, her smile as wide as the sun, she looked at him, "H-how did...?" Emerald shrugged,

"I used to spend my days training here, even back before I joined the Guard," he explained, looking around at the many animals surrounding them, "Whenever I took a break from training, I just laid around. Eventually they started getting curious, and I ended up making friends with most of them. Long as I'm here, they should give you a chance," he chuckled, and looked back at her, "Though, I imagine you'll have all of 'em eating out of your hooves in minutes," he praised, before his grin turned wicked, "It only makes sense that you're so skilled, since you're a Skies after all."

* * *

Trixie let out a drunken laugh, watching in delight as Pinkie bounced across the stage, singing The Pony Polky to a massive crowd of stuck-up nobles, who each stared up at her in fascinated horror, though some of the lyrics were rather... odd.

_~Even though your dates a lout!~_

Seriously, where in the world did she come up with these lyrics?

Regardless, she didn't know how the idea came to her, but the outcome was everything she'd hoped for and so much more.

The fact that it served to cheer up the saddened party pony was nice, but a mere side-effect in the end.

She would later contribute the entire thing to her slightly drunken state, but, in truth, she was fully aware of everything she was doing.

"_YEAH!_" Pinkie finished her song with a mighty cheer, throwing her hooves into the air. Trixie continued laughing, but none of the others in the room seemed to share her thoughts,

"Young lady!" some mare in the crowd scolded Pinkie, "This is not _that_ kind of party!"

"Goodness, with the way that mares acts, I'd think she was part of the common rabble."

"How could anypony act so debased?"

"How revolting."

The voices weren't particularly loud, but they carried much farther than they had any right to. Trixie felt her own heart lurch as the pink pony's smile faded away.

One of the musicians on stage, specifically the cellist, spoke to Pinkie for a moment, before gently leading her off the stage. Pinkie said something in return, and walked off a moment afterward, her head held low. Trixie sighed, and set down her glass of wine, her thirst vanishing along with the previously lighthearted mood, then made her way over to the saddened pony.

"Don't let it get you down, Pinkie," she comforted the mare when she got close enough, wrapping a hoof around her, "These ponies just don't know how to have fun like you do." Pinkie sighed,

"Yeah... I guess..." she muttered, causing Trixie to frown,

"... C'mon," she said, beginning to drag Pinkie towards the door, "Let's go do something else," she suggested, though it came out more as an order.

Much to Trixie's surprise, however, Pinkie actually pulled away,

"No," she said, bidding Trixie to turn to face her, only to be stunned by the fiercely determined look in her eye, "You're right, those ponies _don't_ know how to have fun!" she declared, a bright smile overtaking her features, before she pointed dramatically into the air, "So it's my job as Ponyville's Premier Party Pony to teach these ponies how to par_taaaaaaaaaay_!" she announced, then proceeded to bound off towards the dance floor.

Trixie stood there for a moment, then sighed.

"What have I done?"

* * *

So... this was the mare that so many ponies were beginning to complain about?

A bright orange coat, braided blonde mane, vivid green eyes, and an immaculately made dress? To be perfectly honest, she didn't _look_ like a member of the Apple Family. Oh, to be sure, there were a few characteristics, like her freckles and her height, but if Gustave's eyes could be trusted, and more often than not they could be, then she looked more like a member of the Pear family.

Her eyes and ears were the same shape, and even her muzzle looked similar to the Pear family traits he'd seen most often, but it was possible that it was just a coincidence. After all, he sincerely doubted Berry would mistake a Pear for an Apple, given the longstanding rivalry between the two families.

She was constantly looking around, a promise in her eyes, searching for that one individual to approach her stand, ready to pounce on them and let them leave with their stomachs full, and their wallets empty.

He'd seen that look quite often, and it only led further evidence to the mare being an Apple.

He decided to approach her, while little Apple Berry followed discretely behind him.

"Hello there," he greeted casually, eyeing her wares. It was an, admittedly, marvelous selection. Fritters, dumplings, pies, caramel apples, cupcakes, juice, and even regular Apple Family apples adorned every inch of the stand she'd set up, sending the sweet scent of the various confectioneries soaring into the air.

He was... honestly surprised that none of the nobles had bought anything, if the abundance of wares still available meant anything. He knew that plenty of them would consider this spread beneath them, but, really, who could resist such a cacophony of delectable scents?

The mare perked up when he spoke,

"Well, howdy there!" she greeted him enthusiastically, "How can I help ya?" she asked,

"I must say, this is quite the lovely spread you have," he complimented, causing her to flush,

"Aw shucks, I 'preciate it. Spent all night makin' all these fiddles fer the Gala. Shame nopony's buyin' though," she said, muttering that last part to herself. Gustave hummed,

"Hmm... Well, considering that the guests all have access to the free buffet inside, are you really that shocked?" The mare blinked,

"Buffet?" she asked, staring at Gustave as though he'd grown a second head, "Are ya tellin' me, that the only reason nopony here is buyin' anythin' is because they got free fiddles inside?!" she asked, almost angrily. Gustave shrugged,

"Well, that, and the fact that desserts like these aren't generally served to the high class due to their classification as 'carnival fare'," he explained, then sighed, "Honestly, the only reason I haven't had you shut this thing down is because I respect the Apple Family enough to let it slide, but I've recently been getting complaints about ponies tripping and getting held up around this stand of yours, so I'm afraid I've no choice but to shut you down." She blinked, again,

"'Shut me down'?" she asked, and frowned, "An' who the hay do you think you are? You ain't got the right!"

"Considering that I'm the chef who catered this Gala, and that I'm responsible for all the food entering the party, as a matter of fact, I do," he said, quirking a brow. The mare deflated,

"Oh..." she murmured, "I guess that's fair," she added, and sighed, "Darnit, I just wanted ta sell some food ta help out mah family's farm! If I'd'a known 'bout the free fiddles, I'd've thought'a somethin' else!" she snapped. Gustave hummed to himself, inspecting her wares for a moment longer,

"Well... I suppose there _is_ a solution that would benefit both of us," he said lightly. The mare narrowed her eyes at him,

"I'm listenin'..."

"Well, you see miss-"

"Applejack."

"... Applejack, due to a time constraint caused by the Princess's foolish nephew, I was unable to provide our dear guests with a form of dessert, as is the usual course of action for these Galas. Though, if I'm honest, I'm sure it's simply a method for Princess Celestia to indulge her sweet-tooth," he added conspiratorially. Applejack nodded along with his words, though she'd paused and blinked at the last part of it,

"I... see. But what's that gotta do with..." she trailed off, a spark of understanding flickered in her eyes. Gustave nodded,

"Indeed, I was, perhaps, hoping I'd be able to purchase your wares and have them served to the guests. Not only that, but perhaps I could offer you the use of the royal kitchens to prepare something a little larger to end the party with? What do you say?"

Applejack regarded him for a moment, then smiled,

"Alright sugarcube, ya got yourself a deal!"

* * *

Hehehehahahaha!

Oh, he was going to have so much extra Love to share with the rest of the Hive tonight, that they'd _all_ be able to eat a single full meal for the first time in _decades_!

It was glorious! Magnificent! And oh, so delightfully entertaining as well!

Watching the poor fool of a mare trot about with the poor excuse of a stallion, whose name he still didn't bother to find out, proved to be more entertaining than even fighting!

If only because he had so few worthy challengers, of course.

Still, it had been fun watching them go about their business, with both of them expecting the other to fulfill the chivalrous role, only for the mare to end up giving in every single time. Since he'd found them, they had visited a small section of the Gardens dedicated to a small performance group, only for the stallion to steal the final seat for himself, leaving Rarity to keep standing, lest she dirty her dress on the, admittedly well cared for, grass.

After that, they'd headed towards the doors to the castle, only to pausets ouide, each waiting for the other to open the door for them. That had led to a humorous interaction with them shaking their heads at each other, unsubtly urging the other to open the door. That ended when the stallion huffed, turned up his nose at her, prompting her to hide a groan, and ease the door open for him, before following after. Thorax had to take care to avoid being spotted slipping in, but it was foal's play for one such as himself.

He had to admit, the castle was well decorated, but he supposed that was expected, since this was supposed to be one of the biggest events held in Equestria, sans the New Year Carnival.

His attention was brought back to his live entertainment when he heard the two of them begin conversing once more, this time about a small spill on the ground in front of them.

Thorax shook his head, allowing a small scoff to escape him. What was the point in arguing about some stupid spill? Just walk around it, after all. There wasn't a need for any sort of chivalry when the solution was as simple as that.

Yet it would seem that the two of them were unable to think of that solution, given their ongoing argument.

Well, not so much an argument, as it was, yet another, unsubtle attempt to coerce the other into giving up their clothing to cover up the spill, again, instead of just going _around_ it.

Thorax groaned.

Were most other ponies like this?

He watched in mild disappointment as Rarity draped part of her dress over the spill, allowing her 'date' to step _completely over_ the entire thing, causing her eye to visibly twitch, before she huffed and slung the now sopping wet cloth back around her neck.

Strangely enough, the Affection she had for the stallion had yet to disappear. Oh it had begun to fade, absolutely, but it seemed determined to stick around.

Then again, that _was_ Love. You couldn't always get it to do what you wanted.

Still, by now she _should_ be realizing that he wasn't going to play to her expectations. And judging by the slowly dejected look coming over her features, it certainly seemed that way.

Thorax sighed, and slowed to a stop. Was there any point in following them further? The Love she was radiating was diminishing, and he'd already eaten his fill and stored the rest away to share with the Hive later. Plus the amount of entertainment he was getting from it was fading as well, since the Love was beginning to be replaced by Sadness, as well as a bit of Anger, and that combination rarely went down well.

Both for changelings _and_ ponies.

The doors behind him burst open, revealing a familiar face as well as two he didn't recognize.

It wasn't _him_, but seeing Gustave was nice too.

* * *

Spitfire _finally_ bid the last pony in that Faust-be-damned line a polite goodbye. She loved her fans, there was no doubt about that, but they could be so _irritating_ sometimes!

Then again, that was the price of fame. Of putting herself out there for the world to see and enjoy.

She scoffed. Perhaps this was why Emerald hadn't come out as Champion yet?

Oh, who was she kidding? That was _exactly_ why he hadn't!

Regardless, the impromptu signings took _far_ longer than she'd initially expected, and no matter where she looked, she couldn't spot that rainbow coloured head anywhere. It would've been irritating, if it hadn't been so damned crowded.

Finally she spotted that slightly familiar splash of colour. As it turned out, Rainbow had found Soarin and was trying to engage the moron in conversation, but his attention was instead on a different mare, who seemed to be trying to get a little _too_ friendly with her teammate.

For a moment, Spitfire pondered on whether she could go over there and cock-block him herself to save him the embarrassment, or just let him do it to himself, as he was wont to do.

Eventually, the decision was taken out of her hooves when the mare huffed and walked away, leaving Soarin standing there, put off. He then proceeded to walk off, leaving Rainbow to do the same. Knowing Soarin though, it was likely he just hadn't heard her. The pegasus completely lacked the mean spirit to just outright ignore someone, no matter who they were.

She wove through the crowd, and eventually came out right beside the slightly down mare,

"Hey, you seem like you're having fun," she greeted sarcastically, watching in amusement as Rainbow jumped and bit down a yelp. Was this why Emerald did it so often?

"Oh, uh, hey Spitfire!" Rainbow returned her greeting awkwardly, "Uh, yeah! _Totally_. This party is, uh... pretty awesome!" she said, smiling. Spitfire quirked a brow,

"Really? Is that why I've seen you lurking through this crowd all night? Doing nothing other than try to catch our attention?" she asked. Rainbow stiffened, and began to sweat,

"W-well, uh..." she tried to say, but Spitfire shook her head and cut her off,

"Relax, Bow, you have- what's with the face?" she asked, cutting herself off at seeing the ugly grimace adorning her fan's face,

"Bow's my Dad's name," she muttered, looking away. Spitfire chuckled,

"Alright, anyways. Relax about the whole, 'lurking' thing," she eased the mare with a lazy smile, "It's a little odd, yeah, but at least you're not doing anything crazy, like knockin' stuff down and catching it to get our attention."

For some reason, Rainbow started sweating harder.

"Oh! Yeah!" she agreed, though her voice was a little too high-pitched, her hooves beginning to wring her ponytail, "That'd be pretty dumb!"

Spitfire regarded her with a critical eye for a moment, before shrugging it off. Even if she had _thought_ about it, she hadn't _actually_ done it, so she couldn't really get on her case.

"Ignoring that," she continued, "How've you been enjoyin' the party?" she asked, Rainbow perked up,

"Oh, it's awesome!" she gushed, pumping a hoof, "Getting to meet all these athletes is a dream come true!"

"Oh?" Spitfire breathed, raising an eyebrow, "Like who?"

"Like-! Uh... well, you guys!" she said, "I've been a fan of the Wonderbolts ever since my Dad took me to my first game when I was filly! Back when Red Rocket was the Captain!"

"That's pretty cool," she said, chuckling, "Lotta stuffs happened since Rocket stepped down, but he was a damn good flier. I've still got some pretty big shoes to fill," she admitted.

She missed that bastard. Probably living it up in Las Pegasus, though, knowing the old womanizer.

...

On second thought, maybe she didn't miss him.

Regardless, he _was_ a great flier, and ended up being Warrior rank, the third Rank in the Knight class. Even introduced Spitfire to the team two years after she reunited with her parents as well.

She'd just been ghosting around back then. The escape from the Facility had left her feeling cold, purposeless, even. She'd spent so long trying to keep the spirits of the others up that it had practically become ingrained into her very being. And it certainly showed in her cutie mark.

A wing made of solid flame. A testament to her efforts to fan the flames of the hearts of her broken and shattered family, even if it set her own wings alight in the process.

Part of her knew that she wanted to be an entertainer, but professional flying had never occurred to her. At one point, she just thought of following Emerald's example and going to work for the military, and ended up meeting Red Rocket, the Captain of the Wonderbolts at the time. Originally, the Wonderbolts had been a branch of the Equestrian military, specifically made for pegasi, but after years of peace, Princess Celestia had repurposed the Wonderbolts team into an entertainment focused team instead.

Despite this, they were still considered a part of the military, and could be called in to assist the Guard if necessary. Because of this, it wasn't uncommon for the Wonderbolts to scout the Guard for potential new members, alongside the more standard scouting processes.

It had been a regular day, going through drills with the other recruits, when he had appeared, tried to ask out the wife of the instructor, got his flank kicked, then, somehow, ended up scouting Spitfire and three other pegasi for the team.

A few months of rigorous testing later, and she was placed onto the Wonderbolt reserves.

Another two months after that, and she was on the team.

Almost a year later Rocket stepped down after twenty years of service, and Spitfire was named the youngest Captain in Wonderbolt history, and a Warrior just like her predecessor.

"Are you kidding?" Rainbow asked, incredulous, "You're _way_ better than Rocket ever was!" she insisted, causing Spitfire to laugh,

"Thanks Rainbow, I appreciate it," she thanked the mare, smiling, "But apart from his flying, it's not that hard to be better than him. He was a lech. But he was a good stallion, aside from that," she added. Rainbow blinked at that,

"Kaaayyyy?" she began, then dropped it, "Soooo... have you ever done a rain-cloud double back-flip?"

* * *

Celestia sipped her tea, the picture perfect image of innocence. It mattered not what she did, for how could anyone blame such a golden image?

Well, she was certain her student had no troubles doing just that, if the pout/glare she was directing at her was any indication.

"P-princess?!" she whined, face red as a beet, "Please don't say stuff like that!"

"Like what?" she asked innocently, tempted to use magic to place a halo over her head, but dismissed it, "I only suggested you ask Cadence to give you some tips on winning that stallion over." Twilight flushed even harder, though she wasn't sure how it was possible,

"I can't do that!" she protested, "I'd die of embarrassment if I ever even _mentioned_ having a crush on anypony to her!" she said, then paled slightly, the red flush draining away, "And what would my _brother_ do if he found out?" she whispered to herself, "Or my parents? Or... or..." she trailed off, now falling into the endless spiral that was her thoughts.

Celestia smiled and shook her head.

While teasing Twilight was fun and all, she was genuinely surprised by her confession.

To think, shy, studious, socially-awkward Twilight Sparkle, would fall for strong, distorted, too-stubborn-for-his-own-good Emerald? It was almost unthinkable, the two of them were so different.

Emerald was a hardened Guard. Twilight was a well-cared-for student.

Emerald was cynical. Twilight was optimistic.

Emerald was often laid-back. Twilight was a ball of anxiety and stress.

But then... they were also fairly similar, she supposed.

They both loved their family.

They were both loyal and hardworking.

They both put their all into everything they did.

She wondered what had sparked this little crush of hers. Was it his looks? His personality? His actions? Twilight wasn't so shallow, so it was likely the simple combination of all three. Or perhaps even something else. She wasn't the Princess of Love, so it was beyond her depth of understanding, unfortunately.

She was out of her element, so to speak.

...

Speaking of elements...

"Tell me, Twilight, have you experienced any... unusual magical phenomena since Nightmare Moon's defeat?"

It was unthinkable. That she hadn't thought to ask before was a major oversight on her part.

Twilight blinked at the sudden question,

"Umm... I don't think so?" she said, though it came out as a question, "What do you mean, Princess?" she asked, tilting her head worriedly,

"I mean have you noticed anything strange since you became the Bearer of the Element of Magic? Spells that you used to be able to do easily becoming difficult, difficult spells suddenly becoming easy, strange surges of magic, mood swings, flashes of emotion or feelings that aren't yours...?" she listed. Twilight's eyes widened as the list grew, but none of the things she listed elicited any sort of response from the mare aside from that,

"I haven't noticed anything like that, Princess," she admitted, furrowing her brow, "But..." she continued, "I... did notice something."

"What is it?" she asked imploringly,

"W-well," Twilight began, feeling a little nervous, it seemed, "I sometimes get these... impressions around my friends, and even you and Princess Luna," she said, causing Celestia to nod, "... Um... if you don't mind me asking, Princess... why?"

It was a fair question, one that she'd be happy to answer.

"Well, Twilight, the Elements of Harmony are powerful magical artifacts, and, admittedly, not much is known about what they do," she began, "When my sister and I wielded them, they were shared between the two of us equally. Even when she became Nightmare Moon, I could only wield the power of the three Elements bound to me. Using their power on Luna broke the bond, and they disappeared, only to finally choose another set of wielders," she looked at Twilight, smiling,

"Me and my friends." she inserted,

"That's right," Celestia agreed, "But, most unusually, they changed shape and form when they bonded with you six, something they never did with my sister and I. With Luna and myself, they were foci that we used to strengthen our spells, but, with you six, they became generators and created their own spells. Were my sister and I to use them, the most we could've done was imprison the Nightmare, but you and your friends destroyed it, or something like it, at least," she shook her head, "I'm sorry, I went off on a bit of a tangent. After my sister and I first discovered the Elements, we noticed, after a time, that we were stronger magically. Our spells increased in potency, and wielding magic came easier than ever. However, there was something else we noticed. We started feeling each other's emotions, seeing through each other's eyes and sharing our senses as well," Twilight's eye widened,

"Really?" she asked, leaning forward. Celestia chuckled,

"Really. Over the years it became easier to separate ourselves from each other, but at first it was hard to tell who was who. If it wasn't for the Element's assistance, it's likely that Luna and I would've gone on until we mistakenly ended up as one individual with two bodies." Twilight swallowed,

"That's... terrifying," she admitted,

"It was," she agreed, "But that bond disappeared along with the Elements when the Nightmare appeared, and it's one of the reasons why I blame myself for it so much. If I had just paid a little more attention, then I would have _felt_ her anguish, but I was just too absorbed with myself at the time," she wilted at the thought, but shook her head, "I ask because my experience with the Elements taught me that they aren't something to take lightly, and are often unpredictable."

_That_ was an understatement.

"So, please, tell me about these 'impressions' you're getting."

Twilight nodded, and took a deep breath,

"Well, I noticed that I get these... feelings around my friends and you and Princess Luna. It's... they're usually the same. A feeling of warmth or comfort, though it's always a little different from individual to individual," she glanced up at her, "You feel like a warm day spent reading in the library to me, and Luna feels like a nice night under the stars. Applejack feels like a warm day out in the fields, Rainbow like a cool breeze in the sky. Rarity feels like a soft silky piece of fabric, Fluttershy feels like a quiet day outside, surrounded by flowers. Pinkie feels like I'm surrounded by sweet smelling frosting," she smiled at the recounting, "But they're all the same warm, comfortable feeling, even if it's made by something else."

Celestia nodded, smiling.

Yes, that certainly made sense given their personalities and occupations. Though, hearing that she and her sister caused some of these impressions was surprising, but understandable, given that they had once wielded the Elements as well. Thou-

"Oh, right! I nearly forgot!" Twilight said, smiling sheepishly, "Emerald feels like a cold night, wrapped in a large, warm blanket."

E-emerald?

But-but that... that didn't-!

"What do you mean, 'Emerald'?!" she demanded, jumping to her hooves at the revelation. Twilight blinked rapidly, and flinched away,

"U-uh, I mean... Emerald?" she said, obviously confused, "L-like... the stallion I l-l-like?"

Right... yes... that... that was possible. Perhaps the Elements were simply responding to Twilight's first crush? After all, the Element of Magic wasn't tied to a specific characteristic, like the others were, so its responses were a little more user based...

Yes... yes that had to be it.

The implications otherwise were... hard to comprehend.

"Right... of course, my mistake, Twilight. I apologize for... overreacting."

The air around them was tense, but it disappeared when the door to her study opened, revealing her dear sister, wearing a... strange smirk,

"Luna?" she asked, turning to her in surprise, before glancing at the clock, and blinking in surprise, "Goodness! Is the Gala really almost over?" she asked, then shook her head, turning back to her sister, "Do you want my assistance in closing things up?"

"Actually, it's... about our _dear_ guests," she said, the smirk replaced by a momentary scowl, "Something seems to have caused a bit of a... stir," she tilted her head, and sighed, "You're... going to need to see it for yourself, Tia." Celestia sighed,

"I see," she said, then turned to Twilight, "As fun as it was to catch up with you Twilight, It would seem that our time has come to an end." Twilight nodded, a little hesitantly,

"Of course, Princess. It was nice talking with you," she said, smiling sincerely.

Celestia returned the smile with one of her own, before turning back to Luna,

"Well, lead the way."

* * *

Emerald sighed, his steps leading him and Fluttershy back towards the castle.

It had been... fun. Spending time with Fluttershy, watching her play around with the animals. Spike had approached them at one point, telling them that he was heading off into town to Doughnut Joe's, since he was bored.

But now, it was getting late, and the Gala was due to end soon. So, it was time to round up the others and head home, or at least find somewhere to stay for the night if it got late enough.

"Hope you had fun, Shy," he said, stopping just outside the door,

"Oh! Absolutely!" she gushed, smiling brightly, "I'm just so glad that you came along and helped me. I don't know what I might've done if I kept scaring the animals like that," she said, frowning demurely. Emerald shrugged,

"Eh, I doubt you'd have done anything too extreme. You're still sweet little Fluttershy, after all," he said, causing her to giggle, though she still didn't look so sure.

The conversation died down, prompting Emerald to push through the door, just in time to come face with a rather... strange scene.

Pinkie was up on the stage, dancing and singing around, though it seemed the musicians were against her being there, given how she kept grabbing hold of their instruments and playing along with them.

He didn't know what she was singing, though it had something to do with putting hooves in and out of something, so he wasn't sure he _wanted_ to know.

Not too far off he could spot Applejack pushing a cart laden with a massive cake, speaking to some-_Gustave_?!

Emerald balked at the sight of his brother talking with the farm mare, but, unfortunately, his attention was torn away when Pinkie did something that only Pinkie could think of doing.

She attempted to stage dive onto the fucking cake.

Predictably, it didn't pan out as she had intended, as rather than hit the cake directly, she ended up overshooting her mark, hitting the cart just behind the cake. This had the unfortunate, but humorous consequence of launching the towered confection into the air, straight towards-

"Rarity!" Fluttershy shouted, trying to warn her long-time friend.

Emerald watched in fascinated horror as the cake continued its unplanned trajectory towards the wide-eyed mare.

The stallion she was attending the Gala with, who Emerald distantly recognized as the foolish Prince Blueblood, or Blueballs as he was secretly called in the Guard, let out a shrill cry of horror and _pulled Rarity in front of him_.

It was just as the cake was about to collide with his unfortunate date, that another pony, a red-coated stallion with a stark white mane and tail, suddenly reached out and tore Rarity out and away from the cake's path, leaving Blueballs hunkered down behind no-longer-existing cover.

It was with a strange sense of glee that he watched the cake impact the buffoon, and a not unwelcome surge of euphoria when the fucker _screamed like a little bitch_, though the pain in his ears was decidedly less welcome.

Indeed, Blueballs let out a shriek so loud, so high-pitched, that for a moment Emerald thought it might leave the realm of mortal hearing, and become a thing of pure force rather than sound.

But no.

Delightfully, Emerald was able to fully appreciate the pure _horror_ in that shriek, one that belonged more coming from the victim of some eldritch abomination than the fool covered in cake.

Unfortunately, as with all good things, it couldn't last forever. Soon, Blueballs managed to recover some manner of movement, and, like the fool he was, he started backing away, as if he thought to escape the fate that had laid itself out upon him, before outright turning around and _bolting_.

Happily, he ended up running face-first into the large statue, hopefully breaking his nose in the process.

...

Was he a sadist and just hadn't realized until now?

Eh.

The moment didn't last long, however, as the statue began to tilt, much to his surprise. Surely the stallion hadn't the momentum or weight to have that strong of an impact on something so much larger and heavier than he?

Yet, seemingly in spite of his thoughts, and perhaps logic as well, the golden statue of the solar monarch began to fall.

It was majestic, in a way. The slow, but inevitable, arch of the large golden pony was almost hypnotic.

Of course it was also dangerous, a fact that Emerald would never ignore even if it wasn't on course to actually crush someone.

He bolted forward, skidding to an immediate stop, just in time for the massive statue to crash down on his spine, causing his knees to buckle slightly, before he straightened himself with an annoyed grunt. Unfortunately, one of the serving staff had drifted too close while she wasn't paying attention, and the statue's horn hit the platter she was carrying sending the various snacks soaring into the air.

He didn't watch them, more occupied with the massive weight attempting to crush his spine, but by the sound of the many ***SPLAT***'s he heard, followed by all the horrified screams, it was likely quite humorous. He growled at the heavy weight, before allowing it to slide off behind him, letting it hit the ground with a small, but still quite heavy, ***CRASH***, though it went mostly unheard.

The entire room was in chaos. Nobles were running to and fro, screeching their heads off and running into each other. A few them ended up running into other members of the serving staff, only to cause further panic when ponies began slipping and tumbling over each of the discarded treats, crashing into tables and walls, causing _even further_ issues.

Emerald cast his gaze around, scarcely paying attention to the pandemonium surrounding him, his eyes pausing each time he met the eyes of one of the mares. Applejack looked torn between being cross and amused, Pinkie's expression reminded him of the one time he caught Wisp trying to steal a cookie from a box he'd brought her before he'd actually given it to her, Fluttershy's jaw was hanging open in an expression of shock never-before-seen on her features, Rainbow's eyes were constantly darting towards one of the windows, as if contemplating escape, Rarity's hoof was laying against her heart, and she was sending the red stallion who'd helped her furtive glances from the corner of her eye, and Sparky, who had just arrived with Mother, was simply staring out amongst the crowd, watching with wide, stunned eyes.

"Run."

His Mother's words, though quiet and nearly overshadowed by the chaos around them, nonetheless reached his ears.

As Sparky stared up at her in surprise, Emerald had already begun to mobilize, grabbing the nearby Pinkie and Fluttershy, before darting towards the door where his Mother and Sparky stood.

It was as he slipped past them that Sparky called out to the others, before following after him, the other mares hot on her tail.

They all burst out of the castle, with Emerald slowing down to let the two mares he was carrying move under their own power instead. Sparky suddenly came to a halt,

"Wait, where's Spike?!" she shouted, turning back to the castle,

"Doughnut Joe's!" Emerald shouted back, then skidded to a stop, before running back to the group, "I don't know where that is!" Sparky stared at him, before shaking her head,

"C'mon everyone, follow me!" she announced, taking off into town, with the lot of them following right after,

"Don't run so quickly!" Rarity shouted, trotting at a rapid pace behind them, "You'll get your outfits all sweaty!"

"Not the time fer that!" Applejack returned, brushing past her, eliciting a shocked intake of breath from her,

"Ooh! We're going to Doughnut Joe's?" Pinkie asked, leisurely bouncing alongside them, though she managed to keep up, "I love doughnuts! And cupcakes, and pies, and cakes, and-!"

""""""We get it!""""""

"That... was a mess..." Emerald muttered, leaning back against the seat.

The seven of them had arrived at the doughnut shop, where Spike and another pony, presumably the 'Joe' that ran the place were waiting. Sparky and Joe had a small conversation, though most of it consisted of Joe teasing Sparky for _finally_ making some more friends, before he pushed for them all to take a seat and served them each a cup of milk and a doughnut on the house, 'for old time's sake'.

"I agree..." Rarity said, frowning heavily,

"I dunno," Rainbow cut in, "I think things went pretty well!" she said, then frowned, "Er... 'till the end, at least."

Rarity sent the chromatic mare a venomous glare, but it fell almost immediately.

"I guess tonight wasn't the "best night ever" for everyone, huh?" Sparky asked, smiling faintly, looking over each one of her friends with a sad look in her eyes.

"Not in the least," Rarity said, huffing, "That _prince_ wasn't a prince at all!" she snapped, mouth twisting into a furious grimace, "He was such an uncouth ruffian! He didn't seem to understand common courtesy in the least! He treated me as nothing more than some... some... wench!" she snarled, "He even tried to _ruin_ my dress!" she added, eyes lighting up with fury, before it fell apart immediately, "Thankfully _somepony_ decided to be chivalrous," she said, smiling, her head tilting, "Goodness, I never even got that kind stallion's name..." she muttered with a despondent sigh. Applejack scoffed,

"Yeah, it wasn't any good fer me either," she began, "I only got one customer the entire night!" she exclaimed, "I mean, can ya believe it?! Nopony wanted any'a my family's fiddles! All because'a that darn feast," she snapped, then smirked, before producing a single, large bag, and dropping it on the table, the sound of tinkling metal from within echoing loudly, "But, that nice griffon, Gustaf or somethin', came along an' bought everythin'!"

Emerald twitched, and went to correct her, only for Sparky of all ponies to beat him to it,

"You mean Gustave?" she asked, sounding surprised. Applejack blinked,

"Uh, yeah that's sounds 'bout right," she said, and tilted her head, "Ya know 'im 'r somethin'?" Sparky laughed,

"Know him? He's the royal chef!" she gushed, smiling, "He hasn't been there long, only a few years, but he has the best cooking I've ever tasted!"

Her excitement was palpable, eliciting a round of smiles from the entire group, before she noticed, promptly turned red, and looked away, smiling sheepishly.

"Yeah, while you were having fun with the royal chef an' all," Rainbow cut in, "_I_ was busy rubbing elbows with the _Wonderbolts_!" she squealed, smiling brightly, "I got to spend the entire night with some of the best athletes in all of Equestria!" Applejack rolled her eyes,

"Yeah, yeah, you'll be a Wonderbolt in no time, Dash," she said, smirking sarcastically, then looked over to the surprisingly quiet Pinkie, "How 'bout you, Pinkie?" she asked. The party mare perked up, her face covered in sprinkles and glaze,

"Mmmph?" she asked with her mouth full, before swallowing, her throat bulging almost comically, "Huh?"

"The party, Pinkie," Rarity asked, regarding her curiously, "While it was far from entertaining for us, did you at least have fun?"

Pinkie tilted her head, and frowned.

"I... I dunno," she finally said, looking up in thought, "I mean... I wanted everypony to have fun, but... none of those ponies seemed all that excited," she said, her ears folding over her head, "But-" she perked up, "I think Trixie had lots of fun!" she said, her smile returning in full force,

"Really now?" Emerald asked, "What makes you say that?"

"Well, she was really happy!" Pinkie explained, "She was laughing and giggling a lot!" she said, then frowned, "But... I think she might've gotten _too_ excited, since she looked really woozy and got all wobbly sometimes," she said.

Emerald blinked, then let out a groan as he buried his head in his hooves.

Dammit... now he'd have to deal with a hungover unicorn tomorrow...

"She'll be fine, Pinkie," he said, noticing the worried frown marring the party pony's face. That seemed to do the trick, as she gave him a blinding smile right after,

"Okay!"

"Well, that's sounds... wonderful?" Sparky said, obviously not sure how to take that last part of the conversation, "I wish I could've been there to help you two, though," she apologized to Rarity and Applejack, "But I was spending time talking with the Princess!" she gushed, obviously proud. She suddenly flushed a little bit though, likely remembering something from her time with Mother.

"Why, that sounds lovely, Twilight!" Rarity said, then frowned, "At least one of us had a good night with royalty," she added bitterly, unintentionally causing Sparky to wince.

"Hey, what about you, Fluttershy?" Rainbow suddenly spoke up, smirking, "I bet you had all of those animals eating out of your hooves, yeah?" she asked, quite obviously confident in her friend's ability with animals.

Fluttershy turned red as the group's attention was turned onto her, but she didn't shy away,

"Oh... well... n-not exactly..." she muttered. Rarity gave a dainty scoff,

"Oh come now, Fluttershy, there's no need to act all humble. Everypony here knows about your wonderful talent with animals," she comforted the mare with a gentle smile. In response to her praise, however, Fluttershy only turned redder,

"U-um... w-well, you-you see..." she stammered uselessly, her eyes darting between each of her friends and their supporting smiles, before they eventually fell on Emerald's amused sapphires, silently begging him to help. Deciding to save his dear cousin, Emerald spoke up,

"She went nuts."

It _was_ an accurate description of what happened.

"Very funny, Emerald," Sparky admonished him softly,

"I'm not kidding," he insisted, "I was minding my own damn business when a bunch of scared animals came by and got me to investigate. I head over to the Inner Gardens and there I see Fluttershy, running around like a loon, _screeching_ at the animals to come out and love her," he said, then smirked, "I've seen a lot of weird shit, but that _has_ to be top ten, easily."

As his explanation went on, Fluttershy continued to grow ever redder, and even begun sinking down in her seat part-way through, as if thinking that it would save her from the incredulous stares of her friends.

The front doors to the shop suddenly burst open, preventing anyone from questioning the butter-yellow pegasus.

The entire group whipped around at the sudden entrance, finding Mother of all ponies walking into the room with a smile as bright as the sun she rose,

"That was the best Gala I've ever seen!" she gushed, rapidly making her way over to the them, "I just knew inviting you all would make the night better than it's ever been!"

Emerald blinked,

"... Didn't you only invite Sparky and the hatchling, though?" he asked, "You didn't invite the others until she told you she wasn't going without them," he deadpanned. Sparky perked up at his question, and she and the others turned to faced the solar princess, curious gleams in their eyes. Mother's face turned red, and she looked away,

"W-well, I-I, um..." she sighed, "I... may or not have forgotten that Twilight had friends at the time," she said, "B-but in my defense I was simply so used to only addressing her and Spike that it was merely reflexive!" she defended hurriedly, then wilted slightly, "When I realized my mistake, I admit to being too afraid to send five other tickets for your friends," she was addressing Sparky now, "I was worried that by doing so I'd accidentally force them into attending a party they'd rather not be apart of. I was... suitably relieved when you sent that letter later on," she admitted.

Huh... that was disappointing. For a moment there, he thought she'd say it was some sort of test for Sparky. To learn that it was just a case of her being forgetful was lackluster.

Then again, it _did_ seem like something his Mother would do. Forget a small, but ultimately important fact, then panic about it later to herself.

...

Hadn't she done something similar when he was first learning to use a weapon that wasn't a damn pipe?

Eh.

"Well, we're mighty glad ya invited us, Yer Highness," Applejack responded respectfully, nodding her head, "It was... eventful."

"Yeah, it sure was," Rainbow agreed, then leaned back in her seat, "But as fun as it was hangin' with the Wonderbolts, this is pretty cool too," she added, smiling at the lot of them, even when she looked at him.

Oddly enough, it didn't feel forced.

Strange.

"Yeah, as wonderful as it was spending the night with you, Princess, I have to say: Spending it with my friends makes it even better!"

"Oh, you mean like I wanted to do in the beginning?" Spike asked petulantly, though there was a grin on his face. The mares all laughed at that, but there was a round of agreements from all of them, even Emerald found himself nodding along before he could stop himself.

...

He'd really grown close to this lot, huh?

It was strange. Hardly a year ago he didn't know these mares. Didn't care about any of them. And yet, here was now, sitting in a quaint little doughnut shop, smiling and laughing with them. Hay, he'd fallen for one of them, too!

He wondered, how would the him of back then react to seeing the him of now?

Would he have condemned himself? Looked down upon himself? Cursed himself for choosing this path?

It was amusing, because Emerald was certain he'd be doing the same to his past self as well.

Funny how that worked, huh?

* * *

Six gems gleamed within the light, the product of her setting sun reflecting off of them in a spectacular array of rainbow coloured light.

They were each perfectly cut. Smooth contours, rounded edges, immaculate detail.

_An Honest Apple._

_A Laughing Balloon_

_A Kind Butterfly._

_A Generous Diamond._

_A Loyal Thunderbolt._

_A Magical Star._

Any gem cutter, regardless of skill, could accurately say that these gems were priceless, each one worth enough to buy all of Equestria a hundred times over with plenty of change to spare. Works of art in every sense of the word, they filled all who gazed upon them happiness, with safety, with comfort.

Yet, none would be able to tell who had crafted such masterpieces. Logically, one could simply examine the gems and determine their age with a spell, then cross reference that age with any gem cutters at the time, but, there was just _one_ issue.

_No one knew how old these gems were._

They had existed long before Equestria, perhaps long before ponykind, even. Perhaps, before _life_ existed. When there was nothing but the harmonic order of a world without life.

Yet, there were some things that everyone knew about the Elements. A simple fact that could never be argued against.

There were six of them. And there had _always_ been six.

Except...

_There used to be five._

Celestia remembered those days. Back then, when Discord was terrorizing Equestria.

She and her sister had challenged him to a duel, foolishly believing themselves to be strong enough to take out the draconequus.

They were _very _wrong.

His power had eclipsed theirs by so much, that they had nearly given up after the one fight. Yet, they managed to pull through that state of despair after hearing tales of five magical artifacts known to cleanse and purify evil.

The Elements of Harmony.

It had taken decades to find them. Sequestered away in a long forgotten corner of Equestria, where monsters the likes of which _still_ haunted her nightmares roamed, monsters that now resided within Tartarus today.

It had been strange, to find such pure magical artifacts residing within that Tree, but, in the end, they had thought it to be worth it, for wielding the sacred Elements would allow them to defeat the wretched King of Chaos.

They were wrong, once more.

The Elements, so very powerful, were not strong enough to face off against the pure ocean of chaos that Discord could wield. They provided some protection from his magic, mind altering spells could no longer affect them so long as they remained in contact with the harmonic jewels, and even his offensive magic felt... dulled against them for a time.

_But what did it matter that his weapon was dulled, when it could still crush them beneath its titanic weight?_

They retreated from that fight as well. And they continued to fight him, again and again for years, decades, after that. Their fights against the Mad King numbered well above the hundreds, perhaps even falling into the thousands, though, in truth, Celestia did not know.

But she did know that they hadn't been strong enough, each and every single time.

Then, one day, when they had _finally_ begun to sink into despair, it happened.

The ponies surrounding them, the many friends and allies they had made during their time began to cheer them on, just as every other time they fought Discord, no matter the outcome.

But there was something different about it, this time.

Ever since they bonded with the Elements, they had noticed many changes within themselves. They felt each other's emotions, often even shared thoughts without realizing. They had been so close, so many times, to fading into each other and becoming a single individual.

But, through time and the help of their friends, they remained separate.

However, in turn, they began to understand the Elements better. Not enough to describe to any what they were, for even they were left scratching their heads at the thought. But they could better understand the Harmony they wielded, and, in turn, better appreciate the ponies around them, and how they tried to remain a part from the rampant chaos.

It had been during what would become their final fight with Discord, that... that a _spark_ had ignited within them.

A sudden surge of understanding that seemed to come from nowhere, yet everywhere all at once.

The understanding that they stood, not as two sisters before a monster, but as two individuals who stood with their friends before someone who wished to take that away.

Perhaps it was a lackluster realization. Perhaps it had taken them far too long to come to that conclusion, but it had been enough.

_The Magic of Friendship had ignited that spark in their hearts, and a Sixth Element had appeared._

Discord had, predictably, thought nothing of it. A thousand and more battles with five had proven him to be superior, what would _one more_ change?

Yet, they knew. Knew that the Element of Magic had provided them the strength, of heart, mind, and magic, to _finally_ take him down.

And thus, in a spectacular display of rainbow light, Discord, the Mad King of Chaos, was turned to stone.

After that, they were named the rulers of Equestria by right of conquest, and a new castle was built for them within the very forest they had discovered the Elements in, a forest that would later be known as the Everfree Forest.

For the longest time after that, things were peaceful. Even so, a question often lingered at the back of their minds...

_Where had that Sixth Element come from?_

Legends stated that there were, are, and will always be _five_ of them. Never any more.

Then, there were _six._

And legends stated that there had _always_ been six.

It would seem, however unlikely, that history was repeating itself, and a Seventh Element could very well be on its way.

Celestia... smiled after a moment, and gently closed the box she housed the Elements within, before storing them back within the vault she had built, and locked it with her horn. She both heard and felt the numerous enchantments on the door come to life, and gave a small, but dark, chuckle.

Any who attempted to steal them would _not_ like what they found.

And neither would the cleaning staff like the mess they'd find afterwards.

Still, it was strange to think that _Emerald_ might become the catalyst for a Seventh Element. What would it be? How would he discover it?

... _Would_ he discover it?

There was still so much that she didn't know about the Elements. So much that she'd _never_ know about them.

So she wondered. Why was another Element appearing? Why had a Sixth Element appeared all those years ago?

...

A Seventh Element appearing in the generation of wielders directly after her and her sister, who had _also_ experienced the sudden appearance of a never-before-seen Element...

Was it... natural? Did the number of Elements symbolize the number of times they'd been bonded with someone? Did the Elements grow weaker after every use, and require a new one to strengthen them back up?

It... made some sense, after all.

She and her sister _could not_ have been the first to wield them. After all, if they had been, then who had started that legend of the Five Elements? Perhaps the Elements had started with just one, and grew to two, then three, and four, and then five after they faced a powerful evil, only to go dormant each time afterwards.

Yet... they had not discovered the Sixth Element until they had faced an insurmountable foe, and even then, it had been when they were at their lowest. Then, and only then, had the Element of Magic appeared.

If that was true, and things were repeating themselves then...

_What sort of danger were Twilight and her friends about to run into?_

The thought chilled her to the bone.

_Something was coming._

Celestia let out a shaky breath. They'd have to face something greater than Nightmare Moon, something greater than Sombra.

Something, perhaps, greater than even _Discord_.

She shook her head. No, she couldn't let those thoughts overtake her. There was... there was _no_ guarantee that Twilight simply feeling something from Emerald was evidence of a new Element. The Element of Magic was the youngest, and perhaps, most powerful of the current Elements. Its capabilities were entirely unknown to any, and the method in which it worked even _less_ known.

If Twilight was getting impressions of others by being bonded with the Element of Magic, then what sort of unusual effects were the other five having on the others?

Perhaps they too got impressions from others. Or perhaps they simply had a sort of sixth sense for when their friends are in danger.

She didn't know. And because she didn't know, she wouldn't be able to figure out if they felt something, _anything_, from Emerald.

If they didn't, then it it was proof that it was only Twilight, and that could easily just be the Element of Magic's influence.

If they _did_...

Then he would soon be the wielder of the Seventh Element of Harmony...

Whatever it would be.

She swallowed a thick lump in her throat. This was... this was taking quite a toll on her, it seemed. She needed to take her mind off of this for now.

And what better way to calm herself down than to have some cake?

She was sure that there would be some leftovers from the Gala...

Right?


	28. A Day in Canterlot

**Hey, I have returned from my hibernation to bring you... whatever this is. Sorry for taking so long, shit happened as I'm sure quite a few of you can agree with. My life is... currently all kinds of fucked right now, but I'm getting it all back together. Slowly, at least.**

**Anyways, here's this thing. I'll try to be more diligent in uploading stuff here. Speaking of, I _will _be posting some more stories on here. In fact, I've got another one up right now, or it should be, at least, so check it out.**

**Oh, uh... I don't know if ya'll care, but I'm going to be openin a Pa.t.r.e.o.n soon. It's not up yet, since there's some stuff I need to work out in life before I do it, but it'll happen. I'll let you guys know when it's up, if you feel like supporting my loathsome self. It won't be required, obviously, but, hey, I won't stop ya.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

The sound of a pair of curtains being pulled apart woke Emerald from his slumber.

Which was funny, because-

His eyes snapped open, and he leapt to his hooves, reaching under his pillow, intent on grasping the dagger he kept hidden there, only to grasp nothing.

The disappearance of his hidden weapon startled Emerald into full wakefulness, revealing that he was not, in fact, in _his_ bed, in _his_ room, in _his_ house.

Instead, he currently stood in a massive bedroom, perhaps as large as his entire living room and kitchen combined, with golden and white walls, ceiling, floor, the latter of which was covered in an equally large velvet rug. It was furnished with a proportionally sized bed and canopy , which was lined with the aforementioned curtains, which were just as white as the room, lined with gold along the bottom as well. The bed was covered in a massive blanket the same style as the curtains, causing the blood red and gold pillow to stand out astonishingly well.

All that aside, he recognized this room. It had been the one that Mother had given to him when she'd first taken him in.

Despite the feelings of nostalgia, as well as the sudden surge of gratitude he felt towards Mother, his focus was instead on the form of the grinning griffon in his room, curtain in claw.

"S'bout time you woke up, Emerald," Gustave mocked, "And here I was thinking you'd be the first one up and about with all of us around." Emerald stared at his brother for a moment, then sighed.

Figures that Gustave would end up being a morning griffon. Though, to be fair, he didn't work the ungodly hours Emerald had found himself settling into, so could he really be blamed for it?

On that note, Gustave probably didn't know about his newest hours if he was going around like this.

But, Emerald wasn't complaining, and, to be frank, he wouldn't even if he'd had any. Though he didn't get much sleep, more often than not, he _did_ sleep well whenever he did.

Still, his work schedule had instilled a very strong appreciation for his sleep, and it was taking more self-control than Emerald would admit to using to prevent himself from attacking Gustave on the basis of not letting him sleep longer. It certainly didn't help that the beds at the castle were _criminally_ soft.

After the Gala last night, and even after Mother had found them all hanging around Doughnut Joe's, the nine of them had taken the moment to have a small party of their own to make up for those who hadn't had as much fun during the Gala. Unfortunately, Emerald had initially underestimated how horrible of a time Rarity and Applejack had had, and even _further_ underestimated the lengths the other mares would go to make it up to them.

As it was, they'd spent nearly four hours last night having fun at the doughnut shop, which cut _heavily_ into Emerald's accustomed schedule, as well as many of the other's schedules as well.

Once it was clear that most of the group had nearly fallen asleep standing up, they'd decided to retire for the night, with Mother thankfully offering to let them stay at the castle for the night.

Surprisingly, however, Spike had insisted that he and Sparky spend the night at their parent's house, since they hadn't often come back to Canterlot since their initial move, and might not get another chance for awhile. Sparky, who'd been hesitant at the idea, eventually agreed when the others got involved and practically forced her into going.

That left himself, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow, and Rarity to head along with Mother back to the castle. She'd then personally led them each to their rooms for the night, though had asked them to please be quiet if they decided to stay up longer, as there were a few others she'd offered to house for the night.

Apparently, one of them was Gustave.

A groan from behind him caused Emerald to blink, before turning to face the sudden noise. There, he found Trixie of all ponies lying in the same bed he'd just left, curling further into herself as the light from the open window fell upon her.

And Trixie seemed to be another.

Emerald scowled slightly, the faint scent of alcohol finally reaching his nose. He must've been quite tired to sleep through Trixie stumbling into his bed smelling like _that_.

"Why'd you wake me up, Gustave?" he decided to ask, turning away from the groaning form of his sister. He rolled his eyes,

"C'mon Emm," he began, shaking his head as though it was obvious, "There's _five_ of us grouped here in the castle today! That's more of our group together right now than in the past six, almost seven, years!" he snapped, but the smirk on his face didn't fall, "Are you telling me you want to miss that?" he then asked, rhetorically.

Emerald rolled his eyes,

"Yeah, yeah, I get..." he blinked, and shook his head, "I'm sorry... did you say _five_?" he asked, his eyes scanning Gustave's face, "Who the fuck is the fifth?"

That didn't make sense. Trixie, himself, Spitfire, and Gustave. Those were the only ones he knew were here, and he _knew_ he hadn't seen any of the others!

Iron Will would've stood out _way_ too much, Starlight would've immediately panicked and started hunting for one of them, and knowing her... unfortunate lack of care for anyone else, she'd probably start slinging spells around if she got panicked enough, and Sapphire was busy with... whatever it was she was doing, and Thorax couldn't fucking disguise himself anymore!

So who the _fuck_ could he have missed?

Gustave stared at him for a few seconds, then scoffed, and shook his head,

"Figures you wouldn't know. I was pretty shocked myself," he admitted, then frowned as his eyes moved onto Trixie, "... I'm gonna have whip something up to help her, aren't I?" he asked, though it was clear he wasn't expecting Emerald to provide the answer.

Trixie's resulting groan gave them both the answer.

Gustave sighed,

"Alright, you drag her down to the kitchen, while I work on something to ease her oncoming nausea and headache."

Emerald wasn't sure what it was that Gustave cooked up. It had an ugly brown colour, and appeared to have the same thickness as mud. Though it had lacked a smell of any sort, Trixie's look of unadulterated horror when she took a drink of the stuff didn't paint it as tasting any better than its appearance suggested.

Despite that, Gustave had been _very_ clear that she had to drink the whole thing for it to work. Unfortunately, Gustave wasn't the best liar, and had ended up giving himself away with the massive smirk on his face and the inability to look either of them in the eye when he said that.

Still, Emerald had to commend Trixie for downing a grand total of half the damn thing, before she bolted and threw up in the sink, which quickly wiped the smirk from Gustave's face, and ended up placing one on Emerald's instead.

A glass of spare cider later, Trixie was finally feeling better, having emptied the contents of her stomach apparently helping.

Jokes aside, it seemed that Gustave's remedy had worked. Somehow.

Oh well, not like Emerald cared. He'd never touch alcohol, so there was no point in knowing how it worked.

"Alright, now that I don't feel like dying, what's going on?" Trixie asked, glaring at the two of them through lidded eyes, Emerald shrugged,

"Apparently, Gustave thinks the four of us should spend the day out in Canterlot together."

"_Five_, Emerald, the _five_ of us," he corrected immediately. Trixie blinked,

"Five?... Who the fuck's the fifth one?" she asked, mirroring Emerald's earlier confusion, "I haven't seen anyone other than you two and Spitfire," she added, causing Gustave to sigh irritably,

"Faustdammit you two..." he groaned, holding his head in one of his claws, "It's _Thorax_!" he snapped. Trixie stared at him for a moment, before laughing,

"Ha! I know I was drunk last night, but there's no way in _Tartarus_ I'd've missed the panic him showing up would've caused!" she joked, smirking confidently, "Just fuss up, Ave, you're a shitty liar." Gustave growled,

"He was in disguise you moron! Of course there wasn't a panic!" he snapped, "He came up to me last night before I headed to bed, and showed me!" Emerald sighed, and cut in,

"Gustave, you _know_ Thorax can't disguise himself. He doesn't have... you know," Emerald finished lamely, feeling a stab of guilt at the reminder. Gustave nodded, though he still seemed somewhat irritated,

"Yeah, I know. That's why I was pretty damn stunned when a _changeling walked up to me last night_," he said, putting very heavy emphasis on the last part. Emerald sighed,

"Alright, alright... then take us to him," he said, "If he really _is_ here, then that's fantastic, but if he's not, then we get to make fun of you more," he added, smirking, "It's a win-win, really."

Trixie laughed.

Gustave didn't.

* * *

It didn't take long for them to be on their way once more, this time though, they seemed to be heading towards the Guard's training grounds. Knowing Thorax, if he was indeed at the castle, it _would_ be his most likely hangout.

Eventually they made their way through a set of doors leading outside, and found themselves in a large clearing, devoid of any plant life aside from some random patches of grass strewn about.

Littering the field were various clumps of fur, the occasional bundle of straw, and, rarely, a weapon of some kind. That was, of course, if you ignored the thirty or so guards milling about the field, either conversing with each other, or sharpening their skills against a straw dummy or another guard.

Few of them were wearing armor, though the majority were wearing what Emerald recognized as weighted vests. Unfortunately, his skilled eyes managed to spot the weights labeled on each, and found that none of them were wearing anything higher than an extra ten pounds.

Shame.

Must be either the Royal Guard, or Solar Guard, then. No one in the Lunar Guard would _dare_ wear anything less than forty extra pounds, lest Luna get on all of their cases.

...

He'd have to see if he could convince Mother to do the same with her Guard...

She always was a bit more relaxed when it came to this kind of thing. Understandable, considering that there hasn't been any _real_ conflict in Equestria for nearly a thousand years.

The Facility aside, of course.

Tossing those thoughts aside, Emerald set about scanning the crowd, finding Gustave and Trixie doing the same from beside him.

"I don't see him," Emerald noted quickly, not finding any sign of the semi-familiar bug-pony, which caused Gustave to scoff,

"He's in disguise, remember?" he asked. His remark earned a heavy scowl from Emerald, who turned back to him, a fire in his eyes,

"He. Can't. Disguise. Himself," he snarled through his clenched teeth, "Why are you so stuck on that?"

Rather than be offended, or even put off by Emerald's unusually hostile reaction, Gustave merely smirked, and nodded towards a pony that was approaching them.

Namely, the pony who had assisted Rarity last night.

"Ask him yourself."

Confused, Emerald turned to the red and white stallion, who had finally stopped, just in front of him.

There was a look in the stallion's eyes. A sort of... hunger as he stared back at Emerald, a predatory grin splitting his face.

A glint of steel.

"_Found you._"

And the stallion struck.

* * *

Twilight stretched her hooves far above her head, the final dredges of sleep being forced away as her body was flushed with the sound of popping joints.

A smile lit up her face when her eyes opened, revealing the somewhat familiar sight of her old foalhood room, looking almost the exact same as it had been when she left, right down to the papers and books on her old desk, laying messily next to an old pair of glasses, which she hadn't needed for quite a long time now.

The room wasn't big, and a stranger would be hard pressed to imagine it as the room of a young filly turned teenager. Unlike most fillies, she'd never been interested in dolls and dresses growing up, aside from her favoured Smarty Pants doll. So the shelves and desk one might expect to see toys or poorly, but happily, drawn pictures were instead filled with books more at home in a college student's room, and various notebooks filled with her old thoughts and difficulties when it came to spellcasting. Those old things were filled to the brim with ideas and theories as to why certain spells worked the way they do, how to make them better, as well as noting down the ones she'd had a hard time with, and how they had gone wrong, to be presented to the Princess at a later date.

Not only that, but her room was practically spotless, with the messy desk being the only exception. Her old closet, which had some old dresses that her grandmother had gifted her, was painstakingly organized by size, colour, and what events she'd be likely to wear them too.

Also, more books.

In fact, a good portion of her room had been dedicated to holding as many books as possible without making it difficult to move around. The walls were scarcely visible behind the bookcases that had been placed in front of each one, every visible shelf filled to the brim with a different tome of some sort. Also painstakingly organized by author, size, and subject. Not in that order.

Just about the only thing in the room that could paint it as a young foal's, were the fake stars on the ceiling, each one acting as a faint nightlight, lovingly placed there by her parents when she had been scared of the dark.

She'd been pleasantly surprised last night to find that they still worked, even after all this time.

Twilight smiled wider, and even let a giddy giggle escape her as she ran her hooves across the old star themed blankets she was laying under. The bed was a bit small for her, which had been expected, but it still held all the warm memories she'd made over the years.

Of comfy nights cuddling with her Smarty Pants doll. Of late night study sessions, lasting into the early morning. Of nights spent getting absorbed into a thrilling novel of some sort, only to fall asleep, dreaming wild, wonderful dreams of the worlds she had just been reading.

All those memories filled her with warmth, a warmth not too dissimilar to the ones she felt from her new friends, but still distinctly different.

A faint smell caught her nose, breaking her from her daydreams. It was sweet, and wonderfully familiar, to the point she nearly faded into old memories.

Luckily, those same memories reminded her exactly what was to come, and they spurred her out of bed quite quickly. She paused for a moment, then proceeded into the bathroom to take care of some morning needs.

Once she'd showered and brushed herself, she rapidly made her way downstairs, coming face to face with the sight of an entire breakfast spread out across the kitchen island.

Pancakes stacked worryingly high, bowls of oatmeal laying to the side, eggs and hay bacon lying on scattered plates, and a large pitcher of orange juice beside a carton of milk. And lastly, a large bowl of various fruits for the family to pick and choose from.

It was a spread of foods that she hadn't had the pleasure of seeing for five years now, ever since she moved into the Canterlot Library when she was sixteen.

There was a clatter of dishes from inside the kitchen,

"Oh! It's so wonderful to have you and Twilight back for a while!" a warm, loving, and familiar voice spoke from the kitchen, "Your father and I have been so lonely without our little foals and drakey!" the voice cooed, followed by an audible 'Mwah!',

"Ugh, Moooom!" she heard Spike whine, though she could hear the smile in his voice,

"Oh don't be so dramatic, Spikey! Can't your dear mother show a little affection for you every now and then?"

Feeling far too excited to hear her wonderful mother's voice again, Twilight decided to make herself known,

"Morning, Mom!" she called, sliding around the island to find Spike and her mother working on the dishes.

Twilight Velvet was a beautiful mare with a silky gray coat, a straight, striped white and purple mane and tail, with a set of light sky blue eyes, and a cutie mark of three purples stars. She was a thin, but well developed mare who could have easily passed for her sister despite being in her mid-forties. She boasted a dazzling and near-permanent smile, an optimistic attitude, and a unfaltering level of support and love for her family despite whatever difficulties they faced, which were few and far between. She was truly a mother that Twilight was lucky to have.

Although, a part of her mind couldn't help but notice how attractive her mother was. A set of fair, pretty features, a taut stomach, and well rounded rear that she knew still drew stares from the local stallions.

She felt a surge of inadequacy as she looked at her still gorgeous mother.

She needed to step up her training if she ever wanted to look as amazing as that.

_Emerald might not notice her if she didn't._

She blinked at the sudden thought, but found that it sent a tidal wave of motivation coursing through her, urging her on!

"Twily!" Velvet suddenly cheered, rounding on her in an instant, and nearly leapt forward, wrapping the younger mare in a tight, almost crushing, hug.

Right. Her mother was also very affectionate.

She'd honestly forgotten.

Still, despite the nearly painful hug she was receiving, Twilight happily returned it, though it was a bit awkward due to the angle Velvet had wrapped her hooves around her.

"Hey Mom!" she grunted through the squeeze, "Its great to see you again!" she pulled away, a brilliant smile on her face, though her eyes darted around for a moment, "Where's Dad? He's usually helping you set the table," she asked, tilting her head.

Velvet just smiled at her daughter,

"Your fathers out grabbing Shining," she explained, returning to the dishes, "I'm so excited! All three of my little babies are coming home!" she gushed, giggling happily,

"Mooom!" Spike whined, "We're not babies! I mean, Shining's the Royal Guard Captain! Twilight's an Element of Harmony! And I'm a tough dragon!" he explained, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Velvet just giggled, and rubbed his head affectionately,

"Oh I know, Spike, but you'll _always_ be my little babies!" she countered, her smile never faltering, and turned to Twilight, "Even if you save Equestria, you'll _stay_ my baby, got it?" she asked playfully, pointing a soap covered hoof at her. Twilight smiled, and nodded,

"Of course, Mom," she relented. Velvet nodded, as if she knew exactly how the argument would end, and turned back to the dishes once more, when-

"We're back!" a voice called from the front door, followed by the sound of the door hitting the wall, "I forgot we replaced that."

The mares and dragon all perked up at the familiar voice,

"Night Light!"

""Dad!""

A stallion soon stepped out into the living room, his dark blue coat slightly ruffled, even slightly obscuring his two opposing moons cutie mark, and his usually brushed, darker blue mane was equally mussed up, though his copper eyes were sparkling with a hint of mischievousness, likely due to whatever caused him to look so ruffled in the first place. Aside from that, he was a rather thin unicorn stallion, not boasting any eye-catching muscle or an attention drawing physique like her mother. His personality, on the other hoof, was bright and filled with laughter, though not to the same degree as, say, Pinkie.

Twilight doubted _anypony_ was on the same level as Pinkie.

"Hey everypony!" her father, Night Light, called to them, smiling sheepishly, "Looks like you're all up and about bright and early, just like always, eh?" he asked, directing that last statement to her and Spike. Twilight smiled,

"Yep!"

"Yeah..." Spike echoed, though less enthusiastically.

Velvet brushed past her and Spike, before eagerly wrapping her hooves around her longtime husband, who grunted, but smiled, at the tight hug.

"Hey honey," he greeted her in return, before she mercifully let go of him, before she suddenly whacked him on the leg, "Ow!" he whined, jumping back, "What was that for, dear?" he asked, pouting at his wife's narrowed gaze,

"You were busy wrestling with Shining again, weren't you?" she asked, "That's why you were taking so long," she added, nodding firmly at her husband's wide-eyed gaze.

Unfortunately, for him perhaps, another pony slipped past him while he was distracted.

This pony was yet another unicorn stallion, with a two-tone blue mane and tail, an ivory coat, and a pair of baby blue eyes. Both his mane and coat were ruffled like their father's, though it was only in patches, like he'd stayed behind to try and pat it back down. He boasted a cutie mark of a sparkling shield, with a bright purple star in the center.

"BBBFF!" Twilight cheered, racing forward to embrace her Big Brother Best Friend Forever, who was caught by surprise at the sudden appearance of the purple pony.

"Woah!" he cried, stumbling back a bit, before chuckling and returning the embrace, "Long time to see, Twily!" he said, and looked up, spotting Spike hanging back, "And hello to you too Spike," he said, smirking, before gesturing him to join the hug.

Spike perked up, and did just that, rushing forward to hug his leg, which was about as much as he could reach.

"Well," Velvet suddenly spoke up, "as _adorable_ as this little scene is, the food is getting cold!" she called, "C'mon everypony, eat up!"

The promise of the warm food, lovingly cooked by the resident matriarch, was more than enough to spur everyone in the house into shooting towards one of the seats at the table, with a miniature competition between Spike and Shining over who could get the seat closest to the pancakes first.

While they were busy shoving each other around, their father happily stole the seat for himself, not a shred of guilt on his features.

Once the two of them finished messing around, and dejectedly made their way to their seats, they all tucked in.

The food was _wonderful_! Every bite was full and delicious, and every single moment she spent in the company of her beloved family served to drown her in the many, many amazing memories she'd had growing up, doing this very activity every morning of every day.

To finally have yet another breakfast with her family...

Gosh, she'd never realized just how much she had missed it.

Though, a part of her couldn't help but note one, little thing...

Despite being made with better ingredients, and by a more experienced hoof, Twilight found herself preferring Emerald's pancakes over her mother's.

It was an interesting revelation, one that had her smiling a mite harder than she had before, if that was even possible at this point.

"So, Twilight," Night Light began smoothly, wiping his mouth with a napkin, "the Princess hasn't said much, since we wanted to hear it from you," Velvet perked up immediately, "but how's life in Ponyville coming along for our little Twily?" he asked, smiling over at her.

Twilight straightened at being addressed, though she ignored the use of the old nickname, for now,

"Oh it's wonderful!" she gushed, smiling brightly, her excited demeanor seemingly taking her family, save Spike, off guard for a moment, "I met the most wonderful ponies and made the most wonderful friends! Not to mention I'm learning so much about friendship in the process!"

"That sounds amazing!" Velvet chirped, "Go on! Tell us about them!" she insisted, leaning over the counter as much as she could without touching the food, a wide smile on her face.

Twilight giggled at her mother's antics, feeling warmth at seeing them once more,

"Well, where do I start?" she asked herself, before nodding, "First of all, is my friend Pinkie Pie," she began, smiling, "She's extremely hyper and unfailingly optimistic. She's the town's resident party planner, and I swear that mare can barely go a day without eating something sweet. She's actually a baker at the town's bakery, Sugarcube Corner!" she said.

"Sugarcube Corner?" Velvet asked, "Wow! Sounds sweet!" she gushed,

"Very," Night Light agreed, though less enthusiastically, "a little too sweet, maybe?" he added, smiling sheepishly. Velvet rounded on her husband immediately,

"There is no such thing as 'too sweet', Nighty!" Shining laughed at the byplay,

"C'mon, what about the others, Twilight?" he urged her, smiling at her. She nodded,

"Okay, next is Applejack! She's a hard worker at the local farm, Sweet Apple Acres! She might even be a harder worker than you, Shining!" Twilight teased, earning a chuckle and scoff from her older brother, "She's also a very honest pony, but stubborn to a fault as well," she added, recalling the disaster that had been Applebucking Season, "_Very_ stubborn, but she loves her family more than anything else!"

"Sounds like she'd fit right in!" Night Light joked, though there was some sincerity in his tone of voice nonetheless. Twilight nodded in agreement,

"Absolutely!" she said, "Then we have Rainbow Dash. She's a really competitive pegasus who dreams of being in the Wonderbolts someday. She's loyal as can be, and never fails to put her friends first!" she boasted slightly, "Though, she's a bit full of herself, but I suppose it's pretty justified with how much she trains and how good she is at maintaining the weather around Ponyville," she added, smiling.

"She sounds like a good friend," Shining said.

"Yeah! And after her is Fluttershy. She's the sweetest, nicest pony I've ever met!" Twilight exclaimed, "But she's also _painfully_ shy. She's very quiet and tends to spook easily, but I've never heard of anypony being better with animals, not even the Ponyville vet!" she said, sparking a memory, "Oh yeah! I can't believe I nearly forgot, but I got a pet owl too!"

Her family blinked at that, followed by Shining laughing,

"An owl?" he asked, "That definitely sounds like something you'd get!" he teased, "With how often you stay up all night, you _would_ need a pet that'll stay up just as late!"

Twilight responded to her brother's comment by sending him a fervent glare,

"I'll have you know that Owloysius is a fantastic Number Two Assistant!" she defended her dear feathery friend,

"And he better stay the Number Two Assistant..."

"Hmm? What was that Spikey?" Velvet asked her youngest,

"Uh, nothing!"

Night Light rolled his eyes at Spike's obvious deflection, but turned to Twilight regardless,

"So? Any others?" he asked, taking a sip from his juice, Twilight nodded, her previously peppy attitude back up and running,

"Absolutely! After Fluttershy, there's Rarity, and she's-!"

"The prettiest and most amazing unicorn in the world!" Spike suddenly interrupted, though his usual dreamy tone implied that he hadn't been entirely aware of it. Despite that, he blinked rapidly, and seemed to suddenly recall exactly where he was, "O-or so I've heard! Y-yeah, I, uh, hear that around town a lot..." he trailed off, flushing scarlet.

Her mother's eyes began to sparkle as she looked at Spike, bearing an all too familiar gleam in them,

"Oh?~ Does my little Spikey have a _crush_?" she asked, her voice, perhaps, a little too sweet, before she suddenly grabbed the young drake, and pulled him into her chest for a bone-crushing hug, "Oooh! Tell me _everything_! How old is she? Is she pretty? Is she nice? Does she like hugs? What does she look like? Ohoho, _tell me_!" she gushed excitedly.

Twilight watched Shining scoot away from her, a haunted look in his eye.

This was exactly why she had been so immensely glad that she hadn't asked her mother for advice. If she found out that Twilight had a crush on somepony, she'd, well, do _that_!

It had been amusing, back when she'd first done it to Shining, but after the third time it had happened it had become a little more scary.

Even so, it had never occurred to her that _she_ might be in _that_ position.

She stiffened suddenly.

_What if Cadence found out?_

Oh, Cadence, her favourite foalsitter in the entire world, and a mare who she honestly wished she could see more often-

_-was even worse than her mother when it came to romance._

That was one of the reasons that she'd been repeatedly called to watch Twilight when she was younger, as she had later found out. Not only was she around Shining's age, meaning Twilight would probably be more comfortable with her, rather than some even older mare she didn't know, but she got along a little bit _too_ well with her mother, and occasionally spent _hours_ talking about whatever love story the two of them happened to be reading at the time.

Her father had found the whole thing funny, but often stayed as far away as he could whenever it happened.

She was torn away from her thoughts when Spike finally freed himself, and darted over to Shining, hiding behind the stallion's stool. This, unfortunately for Shining, brought their mother's attention onto him, and the apparent trauma he still suffered from caused him to freeze in place.

Him. Captain of the Royal Guard. Frozen like a statue. Not because of a monster many times his size, but because of a mare a full head and a half shorter than he was.

She wondered if Emerald ever had moments like this with _his_ family.

A momentary image of the same stallion, usually appearing so indomitable, cowering before the tiny form of an irate Wisp caused her to smile.

But, as funny as both the image and the scene in front of her were, she needed to finish telling her family about her friends first!

"As I was saying," she said, bringing all the attention in the room back to her, though Shining's sigh of relief was not missed by anyone, "She works as the local seamstress in town, and her designs are absolutely _amazing_!" she praised, "And not only is she one of the most skilled designers I know-"

"And the only one you know..."

"-but she's also a very thoughtful and generous pony!" she said, then frowned, "She's even given me and the others free dresses on occasion, just because we're friends..." she added, "I... actually feel a little guilty about it, sometimes," she admitted, "is that normal?"

"Uh, yeah," Shining said, shrugging easily, "I mean, friendship is all about give and take, right? You just don't feel like you're giving anything in return, right?" she nodded, "Well, then you'll just have to ask her," Shining suggested simply, "There's no point in worrying about it when the answer is right in front of you."

Twilight regarded her brother for a moment, before nodding with a smile,

"You're right, Shining! If I just... talk to her about it, then I'm sure we can sort things out!" she proclaimed, happy at the simple solution.

"Well, all your friends sound like wonderful ponies, and I'd _love_ to-" Velvet tried to say, but she was cut off,

"B-but I haven't talked about all of them yet!" Twilight interjected quickly, pouting slightly. Velvet blinked, and shared a strange look with Night,

"O-oh!" she gasped, "I-I'm sorry, Twilight. But the Princess only mentioned that you had made five friends!" she said, then smiled, "Well, I suppose nopony ever said anything about not making new friends. Alright then, tell us all about her!"

"Well, _his_ name is Emerald, and I haven't known him as long as I've known the girls," she began, ignoring the sharp look Shining was sending her, as well as the _interested_ gleam in her mother's eye, "He's a nice stallion, though he can be pretty rude sometimes. He's got a good heart though, I can tell. He actually works with Pinkie as the bakery's cashier, but he came to town because he's a member of the Guard, just like you, BBBFF!" she exclaimed.

Shining blinked in surprise,

"He is?" he asked, his previously sharp look fading, "Emerald, huh?" he hummed to himself, before frowning and shaking his head, "I don't know an Emerald. And believe me, I make sure to know as many of my guards as I can," his sharp look returned suddenly, "Are you _sure_ he's a member of the Guard?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. Twilight blinked in surprise.

Her brother didn't know Emerald? But... but Emerald said he knew Shining!

Then again... Shining _is_ the Captain, so it wouldn't exactly _be_ hard to know him.

"W-well, yeah! Princess Celestia said so herself!" she defended him immediately, which only served to make her mother narrow her eyes, a rather predatory smile appearing on her face.

Shining deflated at the news,

"Oh..." he said, sounding almost... disappointed for some reason, "He's probably in one of the other Guards, then."

"Other Guards?" Spike asked, looking up at his elder, confused, "Isn't there only one?" Shining straightened his back out, and spared a glance over at the rest of his family. Night Light and Velvet didn't seem too interested, but were still paying attention, but Twilight was staring straight at him with an all too familiar gleam in her eyes, and he suspected the only reason she hadn't grabbed a quill and pad was because they weren't allowed at the table.

"There are three Guards," he began, then frowned, "well, five if you want to get technical. The Royal Guard, where I'm Captain is the lowest, and largest, of them. The Royal Guard is sent out all over Equestria to deal with smaller threats and domestic situations, and you'll find most First and Second Ranked guards there, but I know a few Third Ranks. The Solar Guard and Lunar Guard are the next step up, each one run by one of the princesses after Princess Luna's return. They're usually stationed in Canterlot to protect the castle, but they sometimes get sent out to provide back-up to the Royal Guard if necessary, and are mostly dominated by Third, Fourth, and the occasional Fifth Ranks," he explained, then sighed, "And the last two are the Elite Solar and Elite Lunar Guards. They are stationed _directly_ under each princess, and they contain the best of the best. They do whatever the princesses tell them to, really. They're mostly filled with Fifth Ranks, but you'll find plenty of Sixth Ranks as well. You'll also find the Champion sitting right on top of both."

Twilight blinked at the veritable wealth of information spewing from her brother's mouth, which was not a common occurrence.

Ranks? Elite Guards? Champions?

"Ranks?" she decided to ask, a certain Soldier coming to mind, "But... I thought the Guard used Titles?" she asked, causing Shining to blink,

"You know about Titles?" he asked, sounding surprised, before he smirked, "And here I thought you weren't interested in anything about the Guard. I mean, I used to try telling you everything about it, but you always blew me off for some dusty old book of yours," he teased lightheartedly, then nodded, "But, yeah, we use Titles. The term Rank, just refers to the general level of a Title."

That... didn't help at all.

"Uhh... what does that mean?" Spike asked in her stead,

"Well, there are three Classes that a Guard falls into, and each Class has five Titles, which are equal to each other based on the level, and called Ranks. Like, the first Title in each Class is equal to the other two, and so is the second, and third, and so on," he said, and sighed, "It's... kinda boring, really."

"What are they?" Twilight asked immediately, undeterred by her brother's lack of enthusiasm, which caused him to sigh fondly,

"Shoulda known you'd want to hear all about it," he muttered to himself, "Alright. It goes like this. The first Class is the Knight Class. From lowest to highest Rank, it goes: Soldier, Fighter, Warrior, Veteran, Knight. The next Class is the Sorcerer Class, going: Apprentice, Mage, Wizard, Conjurer, Sorcerer. After that, it's the Assassin Class with: Shade, Specter, Shadow, Spy, Assassin. Each Class has its own fields that Guards specialize in, like, anypony in the Knight Class specializes in weaponry and strength, Sorcerer Class Guards lean towards magic combat, both for and against, and Assassins tend to specialize in stealth and speed."

"Wow son," Night Light said after a moment of silence, "I'm surprised you know all this stuff. You never were interested in reading that much when you were younger," he praised, causing Shining to laugh and rub the back of his head,

"Oh, it's, uh, not a big deal," he said, before turning red, "I, uh... had some motivation..."

"Who was she?" Velvet asked instantly, only making Shining blush harder,

"Wha- Wh-who said anything about a she?! I certainly didn't! It's not like Cadence promised to go out with me when I-!" he abruptly cut himself off mid-sentence, freezing in place, "... Aw, dammit."

""_YOU'RE DATING CADENCE?!_""

And thus, Shining Armor found himself on the receiving end of an interrogation, courtesy of an excited sister, and an even _more_ excited mother.

Night Light simply shook his head fondly at the scene before him, taking another sip of his juice.

_Just like old times,_ he mused.

* * *

*CLANG* *SHIING*

_The shrill echoing of blade against blade rang through the clearing._

*SWISH* *CRACK*

_A battle between titans unfolded before the wide-eyed gazes of the many spectators._

*CRASH* *BOOM*

_Blurring green and vanishing red clashed against each other, each one vying for another strike against their opponent._

Emerald ducked under a swipe from one of his opponent's daggers, spinning around to deliver a violent kick to his open chest. The red stallion, however, avoided the strike by a hair's breadth, and lashed out with his second blade, scoring a thin, shallow cut along Emerald's back leg.

Undeterred by the superficial wound, Emerald brought his spear back, jabbing the butt of the spear into his opponent's jaw, staggering him for an instant.

The instant proved more than enough for Emerald to right himself, and bring his hoof to bear, smashing it against the same spot he'd just struck, knocking the stallion backward.

His opponent had only a moment to react as his spear was swung, the long weapon easily reaching him despite the distance now between them, forcing him to counter by swinging both his daggers upward, sparks flying as the blades made contact.

He growled as he was forced back by the strike, but even so, Emerald could see an almost feral grin lighting his opponent's face.

_Why don't you ask him yourself?_

Could it be...?

"Thorax," he intoned, curious about his adversary's reaction. He was mildly surprised, to find the stallion's grin fall, replaced by a more honest smile,

"Long time no see, Emm," he said, then lunged forward once more.

Now aware of his opponent's identity, Emerald allowed himself to relax minutely.

Of course, he blocked the downward swing of Thorax's dagger's, the sharp steel biting into his spear's shaft, with similar ease. Thorax's movement restricted for a moment, allowed Emerald to twirl his spear, sending Thorax's dagger spinning from his grip. Momentarily off balance by the unexpected move, Thorax was left with little ability to block the heavy kick Emerald delivered straight to his chest, the added momentum from rapidly spinning around fueling the strength behind it.

Thorax grunted as he collided with the stiff ground, but rolled back to his hooves in an instant. He had no time to breathe, having to bring up his lone dagger to deflect the one Emerald had saw fit to return to him, its blade causing sparks to fly for a brief moment. This instant of distraction was more than enough to allow Emerald to charge forward, spear at the ready.

He thrust it forward, before it came to a near instant stop, inches away from Thorax's eye, its tip glinting in the morning light.

They stayed like that for a moment, before the quiet thud of Thorax's lost knife hitting the ground broke the silence.

"Damn... you haven't slacked one bit," Thorax praised his elder brother, before scowling, "Guess I'm not as good as I thought. I came for a challenge, but all I got was a slaughter." Emerald smirked, and lowered his spear, before tossing it back to the Guard he'd temporarily stolen it from,

"I wouldn't say that. You got my leg pretty good," he said, indicating the still bleeding wound, "Any deeper and I doubt I'd be able to move as quickly."

"Well, it wasn't. A little thing like that is almost nothing in a fight," Thorax countered,

"Even a little thing like this could kill an experienced fighter. You know that," Emerald returned with ease. Thorax chuckled,

"Yeah, if it's in the right spot," he agreed, then narrowed his eyes at Emerald, "But an experienced fighter knows how to counter that little issue," he argued. Emerald nodded, then dropped the subject, turning instead to another, perhaps more pressing, one.

But first...

"Let's head inside. I haven't eaten yet, and a spar like that sure works up an appetite, wouldn't you say?"

"So, your disguise," Emerald began, biting into an apple, "How the fuck are you doing it?"

The four of them had left the training grounds behind, though Emerald and Thorax were mostly oblivious to the wide-eyed stares they'd drawn from the Guards in the area, something that both Trixie and Gustave found funny.

They had returned to Emerald's temporary room, now laden with a bowl of fruit to share, and proceeded to sit down, facing each other.

Thorax smirked, and brushed his fur covered chest,

"What? This old thing?" he asked, before a pillar of green fire erupted all around him, and vanished just as quickly.

In his place, rather than the red and white stallion he'd just been, Thorax was revealed as a large, pony-shaped creature, with a black chitinous exoskeleton, large, orb-like turquoise eyes, reminiscent of a large bug. Above his eyes was a set of ragged looking pieces of flesh that acted as his ears. Trailing down his neck was a large fin with a few holes in it, which matched the fin-like tail he bore. A pair of insect wings were folded along his back, further adding to his bug-like appearance. A set of pearly white, inch-long fangs jutted from his maw, passing his chin. Adding to his distinctly non-pony like appearance, were the presence of multiple holes in each of his legs, letting any who saw fit peer straight though to the other side.

On his front legs, however, were a set of small, silver daggers, with a pair of holsters hooked in and around the holes in his legs, allowing him to carry them with ease.

However, perhaps the most eye catching feature he possessed, was the jagged stump of a horn that no longer belonged to him.

Emerald's eyes locked onto the stump, the sole reason he'd never believed Thorax to be able to disguise himself, feeling a pulse of rage echo within him.

_A permanent reminder of what _He_ had done to them._

_A reminder of _failure_._

"Yeah, I don't blame you," Thorax said suddenly, breaking Emerald from his dark thoughts, "Honestly, I never thought I'd use magic again."

"Can you?" Trixie asked, leaning forward attentively.

"Oh fuck no," Thorax replied easily, stumping the three of them, "I'll never be able to cast another spell for as long as I live, not unless I get my horn back, of course," he added, and smirked, "But, it turns out, the disguise spell that changelings use is as intrinsic to changelings as breathing fire is to a dragon. Its literally a part of who we are, and it can never be taken away," he concluded, leaning back against the bed, his hooves cradling his head.

He paused, however, and sighed,

"Still, it _would_ be nice to cast magic again. I mean, with all the Love I collected last night, I must be nearly as magically empowered as the fucking pony princesses," he said, and frowned, "Er, I think? I never really learned how to tell, since, you know... I kinda can't _do_ anything with it," he added, and shrugged, "Eh, Mother can teach me if I ever take back my horn from that _bitch_," he snarled, clenching his fangs angrily.

"I'd pay to see that fight," Gustave joked,

"I can think of thirty others who would as well," Emerald cut in, smirking, before it fell for a moment, "Mother?" Thorax waved his hoof almost dismissively,

"The Changeling Queen, Chrysalis, saw fit to directly adopt me as one of her brood," he paused, "Well, I say brood, but I'm really the only one in it. The others starved," he said. His face was lax as he said, but his tone was sufficiently dark enough to portray that sentence in a different light.

"Still, she's a good Mother," he said suddenly, eyes drifting to the ceiling, "She occasionally treats me like a newborn grub, hovering over me like I'm about to crawl off a cliff, but she sometimes recalls that I'm the Head Brute."

"Brute?" Gustave asked. Thorax hummed to himself for a moment, and shrugged,

"Our Hive is made of a couple different castes. Scouts are the ones who infiltrate outside territory first, determine its relative threat level, and decide whether it's worth the risk to send in some Hunters or not. Hunters infiltrate the area and hide amongst the populace, foraging for Love. I gotta tell ya," he said, smirking, "Hunters are some _damn_ good actors. I'll let ya in on a little secret, even," he leaned in, "the famous romance novelist in Equestria, Love Bug, is one of our Hunters," he said, sounding immensely proud, though it died when it didn't get any sort of reaction from his current company, "Aw, what?" he asked, "You lot don't know Love Bug, then?"

"Nope."

"Not at all."

"Doesn't ring a bell."

Thorax slumped,

"Dammit..."

"You sound pretty disappointed," Gustave noticed, "Does this 'Love Bug', mean something to you?' he asked, grinning. Thorax blinked, and chuckled,

"Nah, never met her," he said, "But I have read some of her books," he admitted, then laughed, "_Every_ changeling in our Hive has read her books. We take Pride in what we do, and we support our hivemates just as well," he smirked, then shrugged, "Anyways, back on topic. After Hunters, we've got Brutes, who are basically just the Hunter's bodyguards. We help forage for Love, but we mostly focus on keeping them safe, and, sometimes, scouting out new targets. And lastly there are the Drones, who tend to stay behind at the base, and make up the majority of our forces. They mainly guard the new broods when they hatch, and maintain the whole place, with the Queen directing them herself. Our Queen, like your pony princesses, is pretty much a combo of all the types put together."

"That was quite the look into changeling society," Emerald remarked blithely, causing Thorax to shrug,

"Eh, that's just _my_ Hive. I have no clue how other Hives work," he admitted, then smirked, "Besides, it's not like we're planning anything," he added with a _far_ too honest smile.

Emerald's brow raised, wondering what his younger brother was playing at.

Just as he was about to bring it up, however, Gustave surprised him.

"Welp, let's go do something," he said, standing up and heading to the door.

Emerald was left sitting there, blinking in surprised silence at the absolutely out of nowhere response,

"Huh?" was all he could reply with. Gustave shrugged,

"What?" he asked, "You got your answers, now I want us to grab Spitfire, head out, and do something fun for once in our damned lives," he demanded, "I don't get days off as often as I'd like, you know!"

"Sounds fun," Trixie agreed, popping the last grape into her mouth, before standing up with a stretch, "Where to?" she asked. Gustave turned to her, partially ignoring Emerald and Thorax heading out the door, presumably to hunt for Spitfire,

"The Shopping Center. I'm sure there's something there for the lot of us to look at."

* * *

"Hey, Shining?" Twilight asked, sparing a few glances at the shops as they passed by, though most of her attention remained on her BBBFF,

"Yeah Twily?"

"It occurred to me just now, but you never mentioned what the Sixth Ranks were," she said, "You only went up to the Fifth Rank."

She watched, idly curious as Shining grimaced once she pointed it out. She doubted her brother had intentionally left information out, he just wasn't the kind of pony who did that sort of thing.

"Right, sorry, guess I forgot," he apologized with a smile, and straightened himself, "Well... the Sixth Rank is kinda strange, really. There are only three of them, and they're sort of a combo of each one. First off is the Hunter Class, which is like a mix of the Knight and Assassin Classes. There's the Battlemaster Class, which is a mix of Knight and Sorcerer, and lastly is the Ghost Class, which is obviously Assassin and Sorcerer. The only Class higher than those three is the Champion Class, which is a mix of, well, all of them," he said, "Unlike every other Class, which there can be any number of them, there can only be _one_ Champion at a time, and the Champion is a Title meant only for the single greatest fighter in the entire kingdom," he chuckled, "Apparently, whoever it is, is supposed to be a better fighter than even the Princesses, though I'm not sure how that's possible," he admitted, smirking.

That was... wow...

The Champion.

The single greatest fighter in _all_ of Equestria...

What kind of pony would they be?

_Twilight could imagine them now. A mountain of a pony, with powerful, bulging muscles capable of crushing rocks into dust. A massive weapon befitting their intimidating physique, strong and heavy enough to cleave through metal as if it wasn't even there. Powerful spells cast left and right, each one strong enough to level entire _towns_ into rubble!_

She felt herself swallow a lump in her throat.

An individual like _that_?

_She hoped she never met this... Champion. She wasn't sure her heart could take the shock._

In fact...

"Who's the Champion?" she asked, glancing up at Shining, noticing Spike staring up at him in awe, but, much to their surprise, he shrugged,

"Nopony knows," he said, glancing at her with a half-smirk, "They've been keeping it secret ever since a new Champion was announced, which was about three years ago.

She frowned at that, feeling just the slightest twinge of unease at that.

Fortunately for her, before she could dwell on the thought any longer, a wonderfully familiar voice caught her attention,

"Twilight!" came the loud, happy shout, just before a blur of pink appeared in front of her, the life being crushed out of her shortly afterward.

"Hey, Pinkie," she squeezed out, her voice muffled by the party pony's hug, before she managed to pry herself away from her grip, "What are you doing all the way out here?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.

There was no way Pinkie would just come all the way out here by herself, so-

"Twilight!" another voice called, this one strong and accented, just as Applejack came into view, "Good ta see ya out an' about. I'd'a thought the two of ya would've stayed home with yer folks," she said, sounding both surprised, and actually a little proud. Given Applejack's pride in her own family, Twilight didn't feel too surprised. She smiled at her,

"As nice as that sounds, my Mom and Dad had to head out for groceries, so Spike, Shining, and I tagged along," she said, and perked up, "Oh! Where is everypony else?" she asked, scanning the area around them, "I can't wait to introduce all of you!"

Her excitement was met with laughter from the two earth ponies,

"Well, I ain't too sure where Rainbow's gone and gotten herself, but Fluttershy an' Rarity are lookin' 'round in one o'them boutiques they like so much," she said, and shrugged, "Somethin' 'bout a bunch'a 'fancy pants', or somethin'. It's been a while, so they're prolly on their way back by now," she glanced at Pinkie, who was walking around Shining with narrowed eyes, leaving the older stallion looking nervous and slightly amused, "I've jus' been tryin' ta keep this one from gettin' 'erself in trouble, like last night," Applejack added, sending Pinkie a slight glare, to which Pinkie replied with a sheepish grin, and an apologetic shrug.

Applejack had _not_ been happy about her cake getting ruined last night, but thankfully everything had been dealt with quickly, and the worst of their moods had all but faded by the time they'd all made it to Doughnut Joe's.

Twilight gave the two mares a slightly unsure smile, but eventually shook it off,

"What about Emerald?" she asked,

"Huh?" Applejack replied, before perking up, "Oh, uh... I dunno," she said, shrugging, "Pinkie an' Fluttershy couldn't find him earlier."

"Yeah!" Pinkie added, "And we looked everywhere too! The Gardens, the kitchens, the bathroom, the throne room, the-!" her mouth continued to move, yet no sound passed through her lips, leaving Pinkie woefully unaware of the silencing charm that Twilight had placed on her.

She waited for a moment, then released the spell,

"-en Rarity suggested that we head out for a trip around Canterlot! And of course we all thought that that was a great idea!" she cheered, "We got to see a bunch of cool stuff too! There was this one shop selling paint, and another selling food, and another selling really good cupcakes, and-!"

She was charmed once more, allowing Twilight and the other's a moment of blissful silence.

Then Rainbow Dash appeared.

"Hey girls!" she called, landing right next to them with a _very_ loud *THUD*, "Oh, hey Twilight," she added once she spotted the lavender unicorn, before frowning, "I've been all over this stupid place and I can't find the damn weather factory! Seriously, what's with this place?" she asked.

"Canterlot doesn't have a weather factory," Shining said, cutting Twilight off before she could speak, as well as drawing the group's attention to him, "The Guard takes care of the weather. It's one of our constant duties in the city," he explained.

"Aw, what?" Rainbow asked, "That's lame."

"Why were you looking for a weather factory in Canterlot?" Twilight asked, regarding her friend curiously. Rainbow shrugged,

"Eh, I don't head out of Ponyville often, and the only factory I've seen is the one in Cloudsdale, where the Ponyville Weather Team gets our clouds and stuff. Figures this place wouldn't have one though. I haven't seen a single pegasus around here, just a bunch of unicorns," she added, glancing around, a slight frown marring her face. Twilight nodded,

"Yeah, Canterlot is mostly populated by unicorns, and a lot of the schools and shops here tend to cater to unicorns more as well, so pegasi and earth ponies don't stay often," she said, frowning, "It's... kinda unfair, but with cities like Cloudsdale, which can only house pegasi, and Trottingham where the population is mostly earth ponies, I... guess it evens out."

Rainbow huffed, but shrugged,

"Eh, whatever. This place is too stuffy for me anyways."

Part of her wanted to argue with that, and tell her friend that Canterlot was a wonderful place to live, but, she didn't exactly have a lot of memories of exploring the city, seeing the sights, or anything that would really help her with that. Most of her memories involved her family, school, the princess, and the library.

"So, who's this guy anyways?" Rainbow asked, eyeing Shining curiously, with a hint of suspicion in her eyes,

"Oh!" Twilight gasped, "This is Shining Armor, my BBBFF!"

"""BBBFF?""" her friends chorused, confused,

"My Big Brother Best Friend Forever!" she explained with a wide smile,

"""Oh..."""

She ignored the unsure glances of her friends, a speck of white and yellow at the corner of her eye catching her attention,

"Rarity! Fluttershy!" she called, waving her hoof around, causing the two mares to hone in on her location, "Over here!"

"There you are, darling!" Rarity gushed as they approached, "Why, Fluttershy and I just visited the most wonderful little boutique here in Canterlot! You'll never believe who owned it either! Why, none other than-!"

"Fancy Pants?" Twilight asked, smirking as Rarity's mouth froze mid-sentence, "Applejack mentioned you went to see his boutique just a bit ago," she explained, perhaps a tad sheepishly. Rarity's mouth closed with a 'hmph!', but she still smiled,

"I see. Well, you won't believe this!" she bragged, "Fancy Pants actually recognized me!"

""""He did?!"""" she gasped, with Rainbow, Pinkie, and Applejack going the same, "That's amazing!"

"I know, I know," Rarity agreed, "It's perfect as well! He and his wife, Fleur de Lis, are two of the most well known names in the fashion industry, and with them being even _aware_ of my designs is sure to boost my sales by a wide margin! My dreams of opening shop here are one step closer!" she gushed, her voice squeaking in her excitement.

Twilight smiled as she watched, Rarity's cheer practically as infectious as Pinkie's.

"Oh! Goodness, I just remembered," Rarity said, calming down as she turned back to Twilight, "Why ever are you out here by yourself? I would've imagined you'd be spending the whole day with your family, Twilight." She giggled,

"Well, I am!" she said, then gestured to Shining Armor right beside her, "Rarity, this is my older brother, Shining Armor!"

"Ah!" Rarity breathed, facing the older stallion, "So you're this Guard Captain of a brother she's mentioned, eh?" she asked, before giving Shining a light bow, "Well, it's wonderful to meet you, Mr. Armor," she said politely. Shining chuckled, and rubbed the back of his head,

"Oh, well, there's no need to be formal about it. It's great to meet all of Twily's friends," he said, his eyes glancing over each of the five mares before him, though they lingered slightly on Fluttershy when she ducked away from him, "It's good to know that she's made _some_ friends after all," he teased, lightly jabbing Twilight in the side.

"I had friends before!" Twilight argued, her cheeks going red as she glared at her brother. He chuckled,

"Yeah? You never talked about them," he countered, "And besides, you were up in that library of yours so often, I'd be surprised if you even remembered their names!"

Twilight froze at that particular jab, before turning away with a huff,

"Whatever," she pouted, causing her friends to laugh along with him.

Almost involuntarily her eyes started scanning the crowd around them now that her attention was off of her friends, searching for that glimpse of green she was beginning to expect, but, to her disappointment, there was no sign of Emerald. Not in the immediate area, anyways.

She wondered what he was doing, right about now...

Well, whatever it was, she was sure he'd be fine. After all, it's not like he was going to get hurt here in Canterlot, right?

* * *

Emerald blinked, feeling a strange shiver travel up his spine for a moment. Not only that, but the wound on his leg, now fully wrapped in bandages, suddenly started stinging more than usual.

That... couldn't be good.

"You okay, Em?" Trixie asked, spotting his momentary pause with almost practiced ease.

The four of them had finally nabbed Spitfire, surprised her with Thorax's reveal, then promptly dragged her off for whatever Gustave had in mind for the day. As it was, they were now gathered in the shopping district, each of them idly glancing through the various windows at what was available.

"Hmm... yeah," he said after a moment of thought, "Just a... feeling, is all."

"A feeling?" Trixie asked, her brow raising, "Because _that_ makes everything clear." Emerald shrugged,

"What?" he asked, "I'm not a damn expert on 'feelings', ya know?" he shook his head, "Besides, a bunch of weird stuff has been happening since I got stationed in Ponyville, and, frankly, most of it is... strange to me," he admitted.

It was true, really. Since coming to Ponyville, he'd been feeling... better, for lack of a proper term.

He wasn't sure how to explain it past that, however. His eating problems had... disappeared. His sleeping schedule wasn't the best, but it was much better now that he had an actual schedule. And not only that, but, making... friends with those mares made him... happier than before.

Waking up each morning, regardless of how little sleep he might have gotten, was almost exciting now. Everyday seemed to be a new, miniature, adventure where those mares were concerned. He never knew what would come, and... he enjoyed it.

It was funny. To think that he'd originally come to town thinking of the whole thing as a waste of time and effort, only for it to evolve into something... more than a mere job. Oh, to be sure, his job was what was _keeping_ him in town, and he'd leave it in a heartbeat if necessary, but, he knew, it wouldn't be pleasant, or even easy, to just up and leave one day.

It was heard to even think about, too. The thought of one day leaving his... friends behind. Rainbow, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie... Sparky.

He wondered...

_Would they forgive him for leaving?_

_Or would they hate him for it?_

...

Whatever. Now wasn't the time to ponder _that_.

_That_ could wait for if-... _when_ he left.

Trixie's raised brow didn't fall in the slightest,

"Uh, huh," she said, but didn't press further, "Anything catch your eye?" she asked instead, looking around the closest stores.

Emerald spared a glance a the shop she was currently looking through. Some magic joint, he guessed. Like cards, saws, boxes, fireworks. Just plain old stage magic. In other words, Trixie's bread and butter.

But it meant little to him, in the end.

"Not particularly."

She regarded him plainly,

"Really?" she asked, brow rising once more, "Not even one?"

Emerald shook his head, even as he cast his gaze around further, his eyes on the hunt for... something, even if he didn't know what.

A nearby door, one that led to some culinary shop Emerald didn't bother glancing at, suddenly burst open, the irate form of Gustave stomping out, followed behind by a distinctly amused Thorax, who was in his 'Peppermint' disguise.

"'Stainless', she says, 'Heat conducting', she says," Gustave grumbled, "That pot couldn't conduct heat if a dragon fucking _breathed_ on it!" he growled, "And the stains! The fucking _stains_! And she had the _gall_ to lie to my face like that?!"

"Sounds like you're having fun," Emerald remarked sarcastically, earning a snort from Thorax,

"Fuck off," Gustave snapped, "Let's move on to the next block. It's bound to have shops BETTER THAN THIS PIECE OF SHIT STORE!" he said, shouting that last part back at the door he just exited, before huffing and brushing past Trixie.

Thorax smirked,

"I'm having fun," he said, more to himself than any of them, then began following after Gustave.

"Huh," Spitfire said, clicking her tongue, "Haven't seen Gus get that pissed in a while." Trixie sighed,

"Well, better follow him and make sure he doesn't kill anyone," she muttered, already trailing after the two males, with Spitfire laughing as she followed as well.

Emerald regarded his retreating family with... intrigue.

They were so... different. It was only natural, after all, it had been six years, seven now, since they were freed from the Facility.

Yet... why did it feel as though he remained the same?

He had changed since then, he knew. He was... better, less... broken than he was back then. The few friends he had made, combined with the lengths his Mother had gone to repair him, and he knew he was better than he used to be.

But at the same time, he hadn't changed much. His job was still a _very_ high priority, and he knew he'd follow that until the day he died. No matter who surrounded him, or how deeply they somehow managed to burrow into his heart, he'd end up ripping them out just to continue working as he always had.

Had he always been so stubborn?

...

Yeah, he had, hadn't he?

He _would_ leave one day, and nothing would change that.

And yet...

_He didn't want to._

...

Emerald shook his head, ridding himself of those horrid thoughts.

Why was this bothering him so much today? What was it about this day that was making him so... conflicted?

His heart hurt.

Whatever. It would all just... disappear once today was over.

With that oddly chilling thought in mind, Emerald jogged to catch up with his family before they got too far ahead of him.

Twilight smiled as she sat down, almost vibrating in her seat as everyone else sat at their seats around the table.

Her parents had finished up their grocery shopping earlier than they'd expected, and had ended up meeting up with the group, allowing Twilight the perfect opportunity to introduce her family to most of her friends.

Of course, they couldn't just do that in the middle of the street, that would be both rude to the passerby, and generally rather annoying for them as well, so they'd all decided to head to a nearby restaurant to continue the introductions.

Twilight didn't recognize this _'Bonne Cuisine'_ place, but, judging by the name, it was likely a good thing that she hadn't.

Thankfully, it had an outside section that they could all sit in, though sitting at a large table out on a balcony was, perhaps, a little nerve-wracking at first.

Still, as Twilight watched her friends and family tentatively begin speaking to each other, she couldn't help but smile happily.

"So, Twilight's told us a little about you all," Night Light began simply, "Nothing too much, just a bit about what you do and a little about your various personalities. Has she mentioned anything about us?" he asked, not quite noticing how Twilight stiffened,

"Nope!"

"Not all at."

"Nothin'."

"No, sorry..."

"Not a thing."

She shrank in her seat as her parents sent her a pair of disbelieving looks, coupled with a raised eyebrow or two.

"Uh, hehe?" she laughed nervously, "It, um... never came up?"

"Well," Rarity spoke up, "She _did_ mention a little about her brother, but I'm afraid the subject of you two, well and truly never came up," she defended. Her father smiled and sighed, though her mother actually drooped slightly,

"Our Twily never talked about us?" she asked, her lip sticking out, "But-but-I tell everypony all about my little foals!" she whined, pressing her hooves to her cheeks,

"W-well, why don't we fix that?" Rarity asked, looking rather stunned by the mare's reaction, something Twilight found a little funny.

"That sounds wonderful," Night Light said, nodding sagely, before his eyes lit up as the waiter came by, "But first, we should order our food. I don't know about you all, but I'm quite hungry!"

"Wha-dear!" Velvet said, "We just had breakfast an hour long ago!" Night Light smiled innocently at her, his eyes drifting over to Shining and Spike,

"That's right, although I didn't get much thanks to a certain pair of bottomless stomachs, now did I?" he asked, causing the two males to chuckle sheepishly.

It didn't take _too_ long for the ten of them to order their food, though Twilight did struggle a bit with the nearly-unreadable cursive on the menu, before settling for a small plate of rose-petal pasta. Though, she noticed that neither Applejack nor Rainbow Dash seemed particularly enthused about the menu either, and Pinkie had just stared at it for a minute as well, her eyes not even moving.

Aside from her parents, only Rarity seemed to have zero issues with anything on the menu, since even Fluttershy and Shining had faltered for a moment when laying eyes on it.

"Well, now that that's done, why don't we begin?" Night Light asked, "I think it's only fair we each take a turn asking a question, so that we don't start talking over each other, right?" he asked, looking around to make sure no one disagreed, "Great! Now... since you seem so excited, how about you go first?" he offered, smirking at Pinkie.

"Okay!"

Pinkie straightened up in her seat, mile wide smile in place, and began to talk.

And talk.

And talk.

And talk.

At some point, Twilight was certain that her words had ceased to be actual words, and instead became an intelligible steam of sounds that had only the vaguest resemblance to speech.

Topics she ended up speaking ranged from how amazing Sugarcube Corner was, to how she found it weird that chickens 'laid' eggs. After all, chickens didn't actually lay them down after all, because it would look silly for them to pick up the eggs before they were even there and just lay them down, especially because they didn't have hooves, or claws, or talons, or-

It was probably because of her many, _many_ little rants growing up, about books she read, assignments she'd been given, spells she'd cast, combined with the slight lisp she had when speaking through her old braces, that her parents were able to calmly listen throughout Pinkie's _entire_ tangent, even offering the occasional comment that lined in _perfectly_ with whatever topic she'd somehow landed herself on, without so much as a change in their expressions.

Would she have to deal with this kind of thing if she ever had foals?

Well, if she did, then, at least she'd have the father alongside her, just like her mom and dad had each other.

Unfortunately for her, the thought ended up conjuring a few... _questionable_ images in her head.

Mainly images involving herself and a certain thestral in some rather compromising positions. Positions that would later yield a foal or two.

She held the images for a moment, realized exactly what it was she was imagining, turned red, and promptly shoved them into the back corner of her mind, begging them to please not come back.

Not in public, at least.

Thankfully, it seemed that her parents were too busy indulging Pinkie's chattering to notice her lapse in attention, and her other friends had already stopped paying attention. Even Shining had given up.

"-and then he ended up in the hospital! Can you believe that?!"

Belatedly, Twilight realized that at some point their food had arrived whilst she'd been lost in thought.

"Well, considering how, ah, _irritable_ I was during my pregnancy, I'm not surprised Mr. Cake needed a quick checkup for his hoof."

"I think it was a little more than irritable, Velvet..." Night Light muttered,

"What was that?" Velvet asked, in a far too sweet manner, causing her husband to stiffen,

"Uh, nothing dear, nothing at all..." he said, immediately cowed.

"Hmm?" Rarity suddenly broke the minute silence that followed, looking up from her half finished plate, "Oh, did Pinkie finish speaking?" she asked, "My, I didn't realize," she said, before clearing her throat, "Well, now that she's all done, why don't we finish those little introductions, shall we?"

"That sounds lovely," Velvet said, smiling as she folded her hooves under her chin, "Why don't you go next after that _riveting_ little conversation?"

"Of course!" Rarity gushed, and cleared her throat once more, "Well, as you already know, My name is Rarity, and I work at my own boutique in Ponyville, a darling little place called The Carousel Boutique!" she said, pride evident in her voice, "I've been making dresses since I was a little filly, and I always put my heart and soul into each and every one of my designs, all of which are utterly unique, might I add!" she boasted, leaning forward slightly, "Bringing out the beauty in each of my dear customers is truly a magical feeling, and I hope to bring my designs up to Canterlot one day, where my designs can stand alongside the wonder of the likes of the best!"

"Really?!" Velvet asked, sounding surprised, "You run your own business? That's amazing! I'm sure your designs are magnificent!" she said, then frowned, "I wish I could see some of them..." she lamented sadly. Rarity blinked,

"Oh?" she breathed, "But... didn't you see the dress Twilight was wearing last night?" she asked, causing her mother to blink,

"Well, yes, but-wait-" she blinked rapidly, before almost shooting up in her seat, "_You_ made that dress?!" she blurted, eyes wide and jaw hanging low, "I was certain that was made by Hoity Toity! That dress was gorgeous! It reminded me a little of Violet's dress in The Untouched Rose!" she exclaimed dreamily. Rarity blinked, looking strangely stunned,

"T-The Untouched Rose?!" she stammered, "Y-you read Love Bug's work too?!"

Oh no.

_Oh_ no.

Oh _no._

Her mother was bad enough, adding Cadence to that list had been a nightmare, but _not Rarity too!_

Twilight watched on in horror as her mother and former best friend began conversing back and forth, sounds leaving their mouths yet holding no meaning to her by any stretch of the words.

Even her father and Shining were staring at them, looking a little put out by the new, frightening development.

"Welp," Applejack began, smacking her lips slightly, "we ain't gettin' them back any time soon, are we?" she asked.

"I'm afraid not," Night Light answered, "Velvet always gets like this whenever she meets anyone who likes the same books she does," he said, glancing at Twilight, "A trait I'm sure our daughter inherited as well," he added with a smirk.

Twilight flushed slightly,

"Daaad!" she whined, but it went ignored as he turned to Applejack,

"Well then, while those two have their little party over there, why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?" he suggested, then glanced at Velvet, "I'll fill her in on the details later."

Twilight let out a calm sigh as she embraced her mother one last time.

The brunch had been nice and pleasant, and she didn't think it could've gone any better than it had, if she was being honest.

Well, aside from Emerald being there was well, but, unfortunately, that couldn't be the case.

"You take care of yourself now, Twilight," Velvet said softly as they parted, giving her daughter a warm smile, "I'd rather not get news from the Princess about you getting hurt, alright?" Twilight nodded,

"Of course, Mom. I'll be just fine," she assured the older mare. Velvet bit her lip, and sighed,

"Oh, my little filly has grown so much," she breathed, closing her eyes for a moment, "It really does feel like just yesterday I could find you sitting around the house, reading those books of yours, your cute little glasses falling down your nose every few minutes," she lamented, her eyes flickering open, "I wish you could stay longer."

"I do too, Mom," Twilight said, "But I should be heading back to Ponyville. I'm the local librarian, after all. What would all those ponies do without me to help them check out their books?" she asked with a rueful smile, "Besides, you'll always have Shining around! He might be in the Guard, but he can visit you a lot more often than I can!" she tried cheering her up, though it didn't seem to do much.

"I love Shining," Velvet said, "Really, I do, but things just aren't the same without all of us together again."

"I know."

"Well," her mother breathed, her voice hitching in her throat, "You should be heading off now, don't want to miss the train, right?" she asked, her horn lighting up, a small, purple saddlebag floating from behind her, until it rested on Twilight's back, "Here's that dress of yours, as well as Spike's suit. Don't want to forget those, either," she said.

"Thanks, Mom," she said, smiling fondly, before she spared a glance towards the sky, gauging the sun's position, "I'll try to visit again soon," she added,

"Totally!" Spike interjected, "It gets kinda boring in Ponyville sometimes," he added, causing Twilight to laugh,

"Boring?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, "I wish!"

The two of them laughed for a moment, waving their mother goodbye as they made their way through the city.

Today was nice, but it was far from over, after all.

Reaching the train didn't take long, and seeing their five friends, and Trixie, waiting for them only served to brighten their moods.

Ponyville, here they come.

* * *

Emerald sighed, feeling the air wash over his airborne form.

Today had been... nice. But for some reason, it felt better now that he was away from them all.

He had enjoyed spending time with them, enjoyed seeing them again after so many years had passed. Enjoyed the feeling that came with the knowledge that they were okay, that they were doing even better than he'd initially expected.

_So why did he enjoy leaving them behind even more?_

The thought of seeing them made his heart light up with joy.

The thought of being back in Ponyville, with the girls, made his heart light up with _more_ joy.

_Was that wrong?_

_Was that... okay?_

It didn't make sense to him. Family should be the closest thing to his heart. The thing that brought him joy greater than anything those mares should've been able to bring him.

And yet...

And yet there was _something_ about those mares that, even now, seemed to draw him closer to them. Closer than he was with his family.

It didn't... it shouldn't be like this.

_So why did it feel so right?_

What was it about them that had him feeling so... connected?

Fluttershy was family. Pinkie was a friend. Rarity was a tentative friend. He didn't speak with Applejack, but he knew the two of them got along well enough. He might not hold any love for Rainbow Dash, but he could agree that she was a good pony.

And Sparky...

Sparky...

She'd captured him in a way that no else had managed.

She'd captured his heart.

Not only that, but he'd spent the better part of a year getting to know all of them, and while he certainly didn't know anything _too_ important, it was still of an amount that he couldn't help but feel attached to them.

...

On the other hoof, what did he know about his family?

It hurt to admit, physically hurt even, but...

_He didn't know as much as he'd like._

Hehe, yeah... yeah, that was right.

_He didn't know what the other twenty-two of them were up to. He didn't know how their lives were going._

_He certainly didn't know where they were all born. Didn't know how they all got their marks._

_Didn't know about their pasts beyond the Facility, didn't know their dreams, their hopes-_

_-didn'tknowtheirfamiliesdidn'tknowtheirhobbeswhattheylikedtoreadwhatanimalstheylikeddidn'tknowdidn'tknow_didn'tdidn'tdidn't-

HE DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING.

HE DIDN'T KNOW THEM.

HE.

KNEW.

NOTHING.

Emerald gasped, his eyes snapping open, taking in the strange sight of the clouds rising past him.

For a moment he couldn't comprehend what was happening, but soon his instincts lit up like a bonfire and told him, quite plainly, _that he was falling to his fucking death!_

His wings snapped open, catching him abruptly, and rather painfully, bringing his unplanned free-fall to a halt.

What the fuck happened?

One second he was cruising the air without issue, the next his entire world had shifted, and he'd, evidently, fallen unconscious.

...

Just like his little... _fit_ from before, minus the muscle spasms.

He needed to get examined at Ponyville General, he needed to know what was wrong with him.

Once was happenstance. Twice was a coincidence.

_He wouldn't let there be a third time._

Ponyville, here he comes.


	29. Hearth's Warming Allusions

Emerald sighed softly, resting his head on his hooves as he stared out the window.

The gently falling snow drifted through the air with the grace of a professional dancer, captivating all who held it within their sight. Carefully crafted flakes, made so lovingly by the many factory workers, fell harmlessly to the ground, adding a small, insignificant amount of snow to the already buried ground beneath it.

Sugarcube Corner had been closed today as a result of the twins catching a cold, likely a result of the recent increase in scheduled snow this time of year, which had the side effect of dropping the temperature. Unfortunately for Wisp, she'd be left unable to take advantage of such a thing, since the schoolhouse was still up and running despite the heavy increase scheduled for this morning.

The thought brought a small grin to his face, the memory of his little sister, all bundled up with a coat, hat, and scarf as she waddled out the door, grumbling to herself filling him with a, not unwelcome, warmth.

Though, not everything was so joyful.

He was alone, after all. Not even Bolero was there to keep him company.

During the week following the Gala, Trixie had started to pack up her things and prepare for a long-term trip around Equestria, stating that she'd spent much too long just sitting around, trying to find some other job when the perfect one was just waiting for her to get back up off her lazy ass.

Her words, not his.

Still, he and Wisp had been sad to see her go, but had held a small celebration, a farewell party, the day before her departure. Tears had been shed, by Wisp, threats demanding her to be safe, from Emerald, and promises had been made, by Trixie, and then she was off.

It had been several weeks since then, and they'd already received a letter, in which Trixie assured them that she was doing great already. Apparently her unplanned vacation had ended up making a backlog of ponies who wanted her show, and now she was booked for enough of them to last her well into next year. Not including travel time.

Now it was mid-December, and Hearth's Warming was well on its way, spreading a massive increase in cheer the town over, cheer that affected even him, if to a lessened degree.

More than once he'd entertained the, very few, carolers who arrived at his door for much longer than he would've a year ago, before sending them off with a polite goodbye, and a few bits for their trouble.

Yes, if he'd had any doubts before, that had erased quite a few of them.

_He was becoming soft._

And... he didn't mind. Or he didn't think so, at least.

Although, the holiday's rapid approach had revealed another problem he hadn't expected, and one he honestly wasn't sure how to deal with.

Gifts.

The closest thing to a Nocturnian equivalent to Hearth's Warming was The First Night, it didn't have any sort of gift exchange, and even then, it was closer to the New Year Carnival than Hearth's Warming. Granted he didn't remember a lot of it, but he did recall that The First Night involved every member of every Clan to head to the Gathering House, where a massive bonfire would be lit, and sing.

He couldn't, for the life of him, remember what they used to sing, but he did remember that it had been beautiful to listen to.

But the problem of gifts had not been one that had ever come up before. A combination of a lack of time, a lack of knowledge, and a lack of care had ensured that Emerald never actively participated in Hearth's Warming, aside from making sure to spend time with Wisp and treat her to something sweet for the next few days as an apology, since she _adored_ the holiday after Mother introduced her to it.

So, what was he to get for his new... friends?

Sparky. A book, most likely. Preferably something rare enough to be hard to get, but well known enough that she'd understand how special it was.

Fluttershy? Some plants? She _did_ have a rather impressive garden... but that was mostly for the animals.

Applejack. Bits. No better thing to give when you had no idea what to do. Besides, more money for the farm, right?

Rarity? No clue. He doubted she'd take bits.

In hindsight, Applejack probably wouldn't either.

Rainbow? Well, he _could_ ask Spits for a signed photo... or poster...

Pinkie? He could do the opposite of what he did for her birthday, and bring her family to Ponyville... No, they'd likely be busy on their 'rock farm'. He still didn't understand how _that_ worked.

Dammit! He wasn't meant for this kind of thing! He was a fighter for fuck's sake! Not some gift-giving aficionado! He barely knew what Hearth's Warming even _was_, let alone how to fucking participate!

He forced himself to let out a breath, calming himself down.

He couldn't work himself up like this. Ignoring how strange it was that something this... insignificant was affecting him so, the doctors at Ponyville General had given him the order to relax for the next month or so to try and avoid anymore of those blackouts.

Given his occupation, that was, perhaps, the worst piece of medical advice he could have received.

He almost wished he'd turned around and headed to The Canterlot Medical Institution instead. Unfortunately he'd already been two-thirds of the way to Ponyville when he blacked out, and there was no way in Tartarus he would've risked another on the trip back.

So, in return for reducing the risk of another blackout, and potentially killing himself on the crash landing, he'd chosen the option of slightly, but admittedly, lower quality healthcare.

Thankfully, most of the stores around town were still open, despite the bad weather. Likely trying to take advantage of the recent influx of tourists.

Emerald scoffed slightly at the thought. All those ponies, cameras waving around, taking pictures of damn near everything. Why come to some little town like Ponyville?

Aside from the Element Bearers and the Everfree Forest, there really wasn't much. And since a lot of the information regarding the identity of the Bearers was kept secret from the public, he doubted it was them those tourists were here for.

Then again, after that annoying leak revealing that Ponyville was home to the Bearers, he supposed the mere _possibility_ of meeting them, even without realizing, was tantalizing enough for some.

It was still stupid, in his opinion.

One of the bastards had even taken _his_ picture!

A sudden knocking on the front door drew him from his thoughts, and caused him to frown, sparing another glance outside.

Who was visiting him in _this_ weather?

He glared at the door for a moment, ears twitching, before striding over and wrenching it open,

"What are you doing here, Sparky?" he asked, almost before the door was even open.

Indeed, the familiar lavender unicorn stood outside the door, the same strange Winter clothes adorning her body the last time it had snowed like this, with the addition of a pair of saddlebags this time around.

She perked up now that the door was open,

"Good afternoon, Emerald!" she chirped, smiling, though she pulled her scarf closer, "I just came by with some great news! Princess Celestia invited us to Canterlot to act in _The First Hearth's Warming_ during the annual Canterlot Pageant!" she gushed, smiling from ear to ear.

_The First Hearth's Warming_? Wasn't that the play that Wisp kept asking to see every year?

"Has she?" he asked, before stepping aside, "You might as well come in, first," he offered. Sparky blinked, and seemed to jump in place,

"O-oh!" she stammered, taking a hesitant step forward.

Rather than question her strange behavior, Emerald stepped away and headed into the kitchen, where he set up a kettle of water on the stove, before returning to see Sparky looking around the living room, having set aside her clothing by the door.

"So this is what your house looks like on the inside," she said, turning to him, giggling, "I was kind of expecting something a little... more if I'm honest."

"More?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he took a seat, "What does that mean?"

"I don't know," Sparky admitted, shaking her head, "Photos, awards, colours, just... something different," she said, looking around, "The paint job outside makes it look nice, but, honestly... it almost looks like no one even lives here," she added, frowning.

Emerald's lips quirked down as well, letting his eyes roam his home.

And... she was right.

Simple white walls and ceiling, beige carpet along the floor. A single sofa, which they were currently on, of an equally bland beige, a single, unassuming table sitting in front of it, and a pair of windows next to the door.

It looked... new, despite having three separate individuals and their pet bat living in it at one point.

His room was much the same, actually.

And so was the bathroom, and the kitchen, and... well, the only room in the entire house with any sort of decoration was Wisp's room, which had several posters hanging on the walls, as well as a few drawings she'd made.

He'd... never really looked at the house before now. Never had it in mind.

Until now, he wasn't sure its appearance had even _registered_ to him. Not since the first time he looked at it, but, then, it had been covered in numerous party decorations that completely hid its... lack of existence.

Compared to the Apple Family House, the rooms above Sugarcube Corner, Fluttershy's cottage, the Golden Oaks Library, even the everyday shops around town, his house looked...

Dead.

_Like no one even lived here._

"I... suppose you're right," he said, burying the unease he felt, the realization stirring up... something within him.

"I-I'm sorry if that was... rude, I just... couldn't help but notice..." Sparky apologized, leading Emerald to shake his head,

"Its fine, Sparky," he waved it off, "You mentioned an invitation back up to Canterlot?"

"Yeah!" she chirped, latching on to the new topic, "Princess Celestia just sent me a letter asking the seven of us if we wanted to take part in _The First Hearth's Warming_! She says the six main actors all came down with something, and that she thinks we're perfect for the parts!"

"Really?" Emerald asked, raising an eyebrow, "Do you even know how to act? Do _any_ of you know how to act?"

"Well, no, but it can't be _that_ hard!" Sparky defended, then wilted, "Er... can it?" Emerald shook his head,

"Acting is basically pretending to be something you're not, Sparky. I doubt the Princess would actually have you and the others perform without having you lot go through an audition, or, at the very least, without some last minute tutoring." Sparky nodded,

"Yeah, that makes sense. But I think I'll be fine!" she exclaimed, "I've been watching _The First Hearth's Warming_ with my family since I was old enough to walk!" she giggled, "Annnnnd, I get to play as Clover the Clever!" she squealed, "Did you know he was Starswirl the Bearded's apprentice before the Unification?!" she squealed.

"Uh... no," he admitted, frowning, "But what's this play about anyhow? Obviously the first Hearth's Warming, but..." he trailed off as his eyes met Sparky's wide ones,

"You don't know?!" she exclaimed, "How can you possibly not know about the story of the first Hearth's Warming?! It's how ponies came together and united as one nation!"

"Uhh... thestral?" he said, "We have our own holidays in Nocturne, you know?" he muttered, then shook his head, "Whatever. Is that what Heath's Warming is about? The Unification?" he asked, "I would've thought it'd be something more... interesting."

"What?!" Sparky near shouted, making Emerald flinch at the unexpected volume, "What could possibly be more interesting, while still being in season, than the story of how the three tribes came together peacefully for the first time in history?!"

"I don't know," Emerald snapped without heat, "The defeat of Discord, maybe? Wasn't that around Hearth's Warming as well?" he asked.

"Well, yes," Sparky conceded, "but the story of how ponies came together as a species is more important than how the Princesses beat Discord!"

"I feel like a lot of ponies would disagree with that," Emerald snarked, "I mean, the tribes didn't even know about the Windigos. There was no confrontation with those things, no battle, no-no _anything_! Those things are still out there today, back in the Frozen North you ponies left behind," he said, then scoffed, "Why are they even called Windigos anyways? We already have Wendigos, why make that confusing?"

"Wendigos?" Sparky asked, sounding genuinely confused, "I think I've heard of those..." Emerald sighed, and shook his head, only for the sound of a pitched whistle to echo through the house, prompting Emerald to rise from his seat,

"You really need to read a book about supernatural creatures," he said, returning with a pair of steaming cups of tea, "Spells are all well and good, but if you don't know anything about the monsters outside of the Everfree, then whats the point?" he asked. Sparky choked on her breath, an indignant expression on her face, even as she took the cup,

"'Whats the point?'! Magic is an art! It's one of the most misunderstood things in the whole world! We've had magic for almost as long as we've been a species and there's still so much about it we don't know! Learning spells and discovering new methods of developing and controlling magic is a field of study that almost nopony goes into, even though it's _extremely_ important! Not only that, but spell-weaving is an incredibly delicate system of interwoven rules that we discovered, and it has the possibility to advance our entire society decades ahead of what it is now!" she gushed passionately, leaving Emerald honestly speechless.

"... Wow... you're very... passionate about magic, aren't you?" Sparky nodded resolutely,

"Of course I am! It's my special talent, after all," she stated, taking a sip,

"... Right." Sparky shook her head, fidgeting slightly,

"I'm sorry about that, I didn't mean to rant," she apologized with a sheepish smile, "So... what _are_ these... Wendigos, and how are they different from Windigos?" Emerald shook his head,

"They're not important. Wendigos are pretty rare. I doubt you'll ever encounter one, Sparky." he said, "Anyways, you said Celestia asked for the seven of us, but you mentioned that only six of the actors were sick," he pointed out, changing the topic again, with little issue,

"Oh, well, usually there's a narrator for the play, and usually Princess Celestia fills the part, but apparently there's been some big influx of crimes around Equestria, and she needs to sort through the paperwork."

That _really_ caught his attention.

Crimes? And she hadn't mentioned it to him? Hadn't sent a letter?

Well, he supposed it made sense, in a way. He _was_ currently on a job, but the Bearers knew about his position as a guard, so why...?

Unless, she was worried that these crimes were just some sort of guise for a potential foalnapping. It _had_ been a long time since the attempt from the Nightmare Cult, honestly far too long, thinking about it.

It was a paranoid assumption to make, and altogether not the best one. After all, he didn't know the nature of the crimes in question. If it was just a series of robberies and the like, then it made sense as to why he hadn't been called upon. Anything bigger than that and she'd have _definitely_ informed him.

Putting that aside, she wanted _him_ to narrate this play? From the sounds of it, it seemed like it was a big deal, if it had an entire time slot dedicated to it during one of the biggest holiday events of the year, especially one so large. He was pretty sure the New Year Carnival was the only event bigger than the Canterlot Pageant.

Did she have that much faith in him?

Or was he the last minute option?

Whatever, not like it mattered. It would be a little odd, returning to Canterlot so soon after the Gala, but it would be a novel experience, since he'd never been a part of something like it before.

Then again, there were plenty of things he'd done since coming to this town that he'd never done before. It seemed to be a trait unique to this town, or, more accurately, the mares who called this town home.

"It certainly sounds interesting," he admitted, putting a hoof to his chin, "Narrating a play about the Equestrian Unification. I've never personally been to a play before, but Wisp's always wanted to go. This _would_ give me a good excuse to let her see it..." he muttered.

"So... you want to come?" Sparky asked, causing Emerald to shrug,

"Yeah, why not?" he responded, smiling a bit as Sparky let out a little whoop,

"That's great! I've already talked to the girls about it, but I was worried that you wouldn't want to join!" she admitted, "Anyways, the Pageant is taking place the day before Hearth's Warming Eve, so we need to start practicing!" she announced, before she began to root through her saddlebags, "Thankfully, Princess Celestia sent along the scripts for us to look over together!" she said, pulling out a fairly large stack papers, before hoofing it over to him, "Since you're the narrator, you've got more lines than the rest of us," she remarked, frowning, "I hope it's not too much..."

Emerald shook his head,

"I'm sure I'll be fine. It's like a history lesson, in the end. I'd be more worried about your lines, since you're the ones playing actual characters, and not me. After all, reciting history is one thing, but pretending to be someone else is another altogether."

Sparky rolled her eyes at him,

"A little dramatic, don't you think?" she asked, and smiled, "Still, I can't believe that I'm going to be Clover the Clever, one of the foremost pioneers of magic!" she gushed, "... Behind Starswirl, of course," she added after a moment.

Emerald gave her a noncommittal grunt as he flipped through the pages of the script he was given, downing the rest of his tea. It was... smaller than he'd expected.

When she said he'd be narrating the whole thing, he had expected it to be rather involved. But if this thing was to be believed, then he mostly provided context and some background information on the events as the others acted them out.

That didn't mean it was a small script. It was still fairly long, but most of it was stage action, and what his cues were, oddly enough, which he expected to be the harder portion of memorizing this thing.

"We all agreed to meet up in the barn to start practicing!" Sparky added after a moment of silence, having chosen to nurse her tea for a minute, only to wilt slightly, "Then again... you don't really need to practice with us, since you're by yourself," she muttered, before she shook her head, "You can still watch though! And, maybe, give us some tips?" she asked. Emerald scoffed,

"I'm not an actual actor, Sparky," Emerald said, "I don't think I'd be of much help."

"You did a pretty good job pretending to be a normal pony," she pointed out, brow raised,

"Acting and lying are two different skills, Sparky."

"Oh," she said, her ears folding against her head, "well, the offer is still up to come watch us!" she chirped. Emerald nodded,

"I'll definitely keep that in mind," he said, "But... I have some things I need to do today, besides."

"Really?" she asked, tilting her head, "Like what?"

"Nothing too important. Just some errands I have to run."

"Oh, alright. Do you... need any help?" she asked, peering at him curiously. Emerald regarded her for a moment, debating, before eventually shaking his head,

"No, I'll be fine. Thanks for offering, I suppose."

"Of course! That's what friends are for, right?" she asked, her cheeks flushing slightly, the sight bringing a small warmth to his chest as well.

"Right," he agreed, and glanced out the window, "Hmm, we might both want to head out. No point in getting snowed in here," he said, picking up his own saddlebag from beside the door, sliding his new script inside in the process.

"Right!" Sparky agreed, putting her things back on as well, "Don't wanna keep the girls waiting either!"

Emerald nodded, slipped his goggles on over his head, and opened the door, allowing her to pass by first, before he slipped out as well, locked the door, and placed the key in his bag.

He and Sparky started off towards town together, but stopped when they reached the outside of Sugarcube Corner,

"Are you sure you don't want to come watch us practice?" she asked once more, leading Emerald to nod,

"Yes, Sparky, I'm sure. Like I said, I have a lot of errands I need to run," he repeated, causing her to sigh,

"Well, alright. Hopefully this snow starts clearing up soon," she said, "Then we can get back to running that course," she flushed, "I... miss running it with you," she added, only to stiffen, "Er-I mean, you know, we run it together and stuff! Not together-together, of course, but, uh, ah-gottagobye!" she blurted out, turning on her hoof and all but sprinting away, leaving a slightly red, but more than slightly amused, Emerald behind.

He shook his head, a wry grin lighting his features, before he let it fall, and turned to the bakery.

He wasn't lying about the errands he needed to run. After all, he had a lot of unplanned visits ahead of him today if he wanted to figure out what to get everyone for Hearth's Warming.

...

Huh, when did his life develop into something so... mundane?

Whatever, this was the path he walked. And walk it to the end, he shall.

First of all, and possibly the hardest, Pinkie.

* * *

"Emerald, what in the world are you doing here?" was the question that a very confused, and slightly irate, Mrs. Cake asked him upon opening the door, though it was only after Emerald had started knocking on the upstairs window, an unexpected sight that he was sure had nearly given her a heart attack.

Not that he blamed her. The sight of a fully grown stallion hanging onto the side of your house, peering through one of your windows was a sight that would unnerve any individual not fucked in the head.

"Hearth's Warming's in a few weeks and I have no clue what to get Pinkie," he said, getting straight to the point, since it didn't look like Mrs. Cake would appreciate anything else right now, "I was hoping you and your husband would have some tips." Mrs. Cake stared at him for a moment, before sighing, and opened the door,

"Come in. The twins finally got to sleep, so Carrot and I have some spare time right now."

He thanked her and stepped inside, allowing the door to close behind him. Mrs. Cake spun around sluggishly and made her way to the stairs, with Emerald right behind.

The Cakes' room wasn't much, in all honesty, and certainly nothing like Pinkie's room. In fact, aside from the obvious differences, it looked remarkably like the twins' room. Take out the bed and dresser, add a pair of cribs, and he wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two at first glance.

"Emerald?" Mr. Cake asked, rubbing the side of his face, "What are you doing here?"

"Hearth's Warming. Pinkie. No clue. Tips," he said simply, earning a nod from his male employer after a moment. Mrs. Cake climbed onto the bed with her husband, and faced away from Emerald, effectively leaving Mr. Cake to deal with the thestral by himself. He didn't seem bothered by this, though it's possible he hasn't noticed yet, given how tired he looked.

Part of Emerald wanted to feel guilty for keeping them awake, but the rest didn't.

"So... tips on getting Pinkie a gift?" Mr. Cake asked for confirmation, receiving a nod from Emerald, "Right... well, Pinkie's honestly more concerned with getting everyone _else_ a gift to really care about her own. She's happy with just about anything, as long as your smiling, really," he explained. Emerald nodded along, the description sounding almost eerily accurate,

"I'd imagine she still enjoys getting them, though," he pointed out. Mr. Cake gave him a tired nod,

"Yeah... anything party related will go over well. Toys, games, anything you'd really get a foal would put a smile on her face. Food is also a really good idea, though it would be best to stick with desserts," he yawned, his jaw creaking slightly, "Anyways... that's really all I can think of," he said, "Sorry I can't help ya further, but the wife and I are _really_ beat, so...?"

Emerald nodded distractedly, his mind already running through a hundred different possibilities,

"Thanks Mr. Cake, sorry for the interruption," he said through his distraction, body on autopilot as it led him outside.

Toys? Games? Desserts?

So simple, so obvious, and so _natural_ that Emerald doubted it would have occurred to him without help.

She was a party-planner. An individual whose base identity was steeped in having fun and making everyone around her smile. And what better way to do than that by playing games and handing out something sweet for the sole purpose of teasing a smile from everyone around her?

Doing the opposite and having _her_ on the receiving end would surely make a good gift. Now, he only needed to think of something to give her.

A dessert would be best from him, he believed. He knew less than nothing about Equestrian toys and games, and, unless she was an avid ice-skater, or secretly a weapons collector, Emerald doubted any thestrali variants would be good gifts for her.

But what kind of dessert to make?

Cakes seemed a little obvious. Ice cream was out of season, but still an option. Assuming she came to the same conclusion as him, which was possible given how long they'd known each other, Applejack probably had _every_ apple-based product snatched up. Pies?

Hmm... baking a pie would be a good idea. Shame he didn't know any recipes.

He cursed his lackluster cooking ability, not for the first time. He was a Skies, dammit! His Father had drilled the importance of being good at _everything_ he did into his head from an early age. It stung his pride to know that cooking was simply not his strong suit.

Or sewing. Or singing. Or playing _any_ instrument. Or art.

Basically anything that didn't involve fighting or survival of some sort, really.

Aside from that, most of his skills were basic, to intermediate.

Not for a lack of trying, of course. He'd lost count of the hours he'd spent, desperately trying to improve himself in something other than fighting, but no matter what he simply did not improve.

Perhaps he could've asked for help. Perhaps he could've escaped that fact, and made progress.

But no. He refused to ask for help for things so mundane, so... unimportant, when there were greater things to worry about around him. He instead decided to spend every spare moment he had practicing. Moments that either Mother had refused to send him on a mission as a result of injury, sickness, or just flat out not having enough, or times where he hadn't needed to worry about feeding or watering the other thirty-one escapees during their suicidal escape. It would kill his pride to just _let_ anyone see him struggling at anything.

...

Was that him being _too_ prideful? Was the refusal to let anyone see him struggle arrogant? Foolish?

Whatever. It didn't matter anymore. He'd done everything he could to improve his skills over the years, but he'd long since hit a block on nearly all of them. A block that always stopped him long before anything even resembling mastery was achieved. Practice was worthless now.

He shook his head, refocusing on the main issue.

He'd decided to bake Pinkie a pie for Hearth's Warming. Okay, what kind?

Well... Pinkie _did_ have a fondness for chocolate. Honestly, he'd lost track of the number of recipes Pinkie knew that involved '_extra_ extra chocolate'.

Alright, a chocolate pie for Pinkie. He didn't know any recipes, but he was sure he could snatch one from Sugarcube Corner. He'd have to remember to return it after, of course.

Onto the next subject. Rainbow Dash.

Simple enough. A quick letter to Spitfire for a signed picture/poster or two, and he'd be set.

Good, a third of the way already. Next up was Fluttershy.

Faust, who the fuck was he supposed to ask for this? One of her animals?

Emerald sighed, and let the small frustration building within him fade. There was no point in getting worked up about it.

His eyes flickered about the snow-covered town, taking in the many colourful decorations hung up, hoping for a splash of insirpation. Various strings of lights hung from many roofs, golden ribbon tied delicately around the nearby shop signs, elegant wreaths hanging from nearly every door, their deep green colour contrasting delightfully with the bright red of the holly berries. There were a multitude of large trees that were brought into town, also decorated with silver tinsel and gold ribbon, each one sporting a bright, cheerful star on top. Large poles had been erected sporadically around town, each sporting a massive purple banner with a pair of white and blue alicorns surrounding the sun and moon, the national symbol of Equestria.

It was still a bit strange to see so many decorations for just one day of the year. The First Night had no such decorations. It was only the one event during the day and the songs sung during said event, before the moon would rise and the first night of the new year began.

After that, things returned to their natural flow.

Work, work, and more work.

Harvesting. Training. Teaching. Crafting. Hunting. Entertaining. Building. Healing.

_A never-ending cycle._

Compared to ponies, the lives of the thestrals in Nocturne were... lackluster. They seemed to lack drive and ambition when placed side-to-side next to the ponies, a species that seemed to keep growing without end. Then again, thestrals _did_ have seven large mountains around them, preventing any idea of expansion from really taking root, as well as their low birth rates and high death rates preventing the _need_ to expand.

But even so, this apparent lack of drive was false. Instead of living, like ponies strove to do, thestrals sought to _survive_ in their environment, which meant constant, never-ending work to ensure their borders were well defended, their crops healthy and growing, their next generation trained and growing appropriately, and that they _excelled_ everywhere the rest _failed_, and every spot between.

Something his Father had felt applied to his foals more than anyone else, which led to the inevitable lesson of 'be good at everything and you'll survive' he drilled into him and his sibling's heads. A mindset whose negative consequences were beginning to come to light, Emerald noticed.

Still, it probably didn't help that he ended up in the Facility, a place he really _needed_ to be good at everything, or else lose the only family he'd had remaining.

He sighed, the fuzzy, but still present, memories giving him a headache. It had been hard holding on to everything he knew about Nocturne and thestrali culture. An effort that had required near daily recall, though it had proved mostly ineffective, considering he'd forgotten his native language, most of his family's features, their voices, and pretty much anything that wasn't a direct lesson or had some sort of connection to his current life. Though, he'd never forget the coughing, sniffling, shivering, and every other manner of sickness he'd managed to pick up in his young, frail body.

That fact he survived long enough to be foalnapped by the Facility was a miracle in and of itself, a miracle further stretched when they did... something and managed to bolster his immune system, before subjecting him to their twisted little tests.

He never did quite understand what the tests were for, and only figured out their end goal by sneaking into His office and swiping some of the papers there for the others to read.

He supposed it was a good thing for half-breeds like Fluttershy, though. To not have to deal with the abysmal climate and the difficulties that were present within.

...

Then again, she still didn't know a lot about Nocturne. Most of the information he'd given her was the same as what he'd told Sparky a few months ago. He hadn't covered things like holidays and the like.

Would... that be a good gift? Teaching her more about where she came from?

Or was something like that just... a thing to give? Something she deserved to have?

He sighed. Maybe he'd just give her two things. The information and a smaller gift to compensate. She'd probably like a dessert like Pinkie. Maybe a bunch of cookies?

Moving on, Applejack.

Thankfully, she had someone he could actually talk to for advice. Three someones, in fact. Only issue being that she and all the others were at the barn, where he'd have to go to talk to any of them.

Even so, it shouldn't be _too_ hard to head over there in secret and get the information he needed.

Nodding to himself, Emerald set off towards Sweet Apple Acres, shaking off the small layer of snow that had built up on him whilst he was in his thoughts.

* * *

Sweet Apple Acres during the Winter was both beautiful and almost... eerily quiet.

There were no animals or cows outside, the sound of hooves against wood was absent, and the rhythmic thudding of falling apples was nowhere to be heard. The orchard was completely and utterly _empty_.

But the sight of the falling snow, gingerly laying upon the bare branches of the many, many trees, and undisturbed layer of the white powder laying upon the ground was offsetting that empty feeling, if only slightly.

Sweet Apple Acres was beautiful to behold during the Summer, with its fields of green and red, and during the Fall, while bare of its red fruit, still provided a plethora of colourful leaves that were ever pleasant to look at. During the Winter, however, it bore little to no colour, but it still possessed a strange sort of... natural beauty. Like a calm forest clearing.

Which made it all the easier to spot the large red stallion making his way towards the main house of the farm.

His target sighted, Emerald quickly made his way towards the farmhouse, his hooves crunching silently in the fallen snow. He thought about calling out to him, but tossed the idea aside after a moment. He'd be there momentarily, so there was no point.

True to his thoughts, he stood before their door hardly even a minute later, and, after sparing a glance at the barn, gave the door a firm knock.

He heard a surprised grunt not too far away, before the door was opened by Macintosh.

Emerald blinked, and tilted his head up slightly, having forgotten that Mac was about a half head taller than himself.

He didn't look any different from the last time they'd met, and from the spark of recognition in his eyes, it seemed that Mac hadn't forgotten him either,

"Howdy," came the baritone greeting, a welcoming nod accompanying it, before he gestured his head towards the barn, "Aj's over in the barn, if yer here fer her." Emerald nodded,

"I know. I was actually here for you, and perhaps Granny Smith," he explained, "See, I have no idea what to get Applejack for Hearth's Warming," he added immediately, "Figured you two might have an idea."

Mac stared at him for a moment, and nodded, before beckoning him inside. Emerald followed along, shutting the door behind him as Mac gestured for him to wait, then disappeared up the stairs.

A moment passed, before he returned, Granny Smith hobbling along behind him.

"Who're you?" she asked almost upon sight, her aged eyes squinting as she stared at him, "Wait, I've seen ya befer... I think?" Emerald nodded,

"It's been a while, Granny Smith," he said, nodding, "Last time we met, I had been stronghoofed by your granddaughter to try your family's cider, if I recall." She stared at him for a moment, before nodding,

"Yeah, now I remember ya. Ya chasin' Aj yet?" she asked, a wrinkly smile appearing on her features. Emerald twitched,

"No," he stated flatly, "I was just hoping for some advice on a gift for Hearth's Warming, regarding Applejack."

Granny Smith nodded, though she made her way over to the old rocking chair rather than look at him,

"I get it," she said, groaning a little as she sat down, "Aj's always been a tough filly ta shop fer. S'why ya gotta make somethin'!" she exclaimed, strangely energetic for someone of her age, "Ain't no good jus' buyin' something. Got no heart, see? Now, makin' somethin', somethin' from the heart, ain't nothin' better than that," she explained sagely.

Emerald nodded at her advice, though it didn't really help much,

"Right... what should I make?" he asked,

"No clue!"

"Eh?"

"Well I can't jus' tell ya what ta make!" Granny Smith admonished him, wagging her hoof at him, "Ya gotta make somethin' from yer heart, and iffin I jus' tell ya what ta make, then it ain't from the heart, sonny!" she explained energetically.

Emerald grunted, but conceded as he turned and left, figuring he wouldn't be getting anything else from this visit. She _did_ have a point. But that still left him with no idea what to give her.

Fact was, he didn't really know these mares. Aside from Sparky and Pinkie, he didn't know a lot about them. Most of the stuff he knew was from their profiles in the Archives, and some simple stuff they'd told him.

He knew what they wanted to do in life. He knew where they were each born, and some common likes and dislikes. But those were simple things. Things that they'd be fairly willing to tell even strangers, since none of it was _too_ personal.

But he didn't know the things they kept to themselves. The things that they might not have told even each other. Those hidden little secrets were the key to figuring out what they wanted for Hearth's Warming, he believed. Problem was, he didn't have the time nor the motivation to hunt for those secrets, and he wasn't about to force the information out of them either.

Emerald let out an explosive sigh, his shoulders sagging minutely, causing some snow to slip off of him.

Well... he didn't have a lot of options when it came to making stuff. His skills in things like metal or wood working were paltry at best, and his art skills were even worse. He _could_ sew something for her, like a new hat, but he lacked experience in sewing, with Rarity's dress being one of his only successes, and the only reason he'd managed to make Rarity's dress as good as it was, was due entirely to her _extensively_ detailed drawings, and surplus of materials.

... Was it down to baking again?

Another sigh loosed itself from his throat.

While it wasn't his strong suit, he _was_ beginning to improve his cooking ability. It wasn't much, but it seemed having to cook for someone other than himself had partially removed the block preventing him from getting better at things, at least.

Okay... a dessert for Applejack, along with Pinkie and Fluttershy.

So far, it seemed that Rainbow Dash was the only one he planned to give a _real_ gift to. Funny, considering that it wasn't until recently that he'd actually begun to get along with the mare.

Which, thinking about it, was fairly odd. From the moment they'd met, Emerald had been certain he'd never got along with the mare, primarily due to the, admittedly, similar aspects of their personalities. Neither of them trusted particularly easily, and they were both stubborn in their own ways. Because of that, Emerald had believed that any sort of amiable relationship between them was next to impossible, and he'd been in zero rush to change that.

Yet it was though _something_ had ended up pulling them together, and slowly, but surely, tore down that wall between them.

In hindsight, that _something_ was probably Pinkie. She did have a way of bringing individuals together.

Emerald finally made it back into the town proper, finding ponies still milling about despite the decreasing temperature. It wasn't bad yet, but from the way the wind was beginning to pick up, the storm was likely to happen within the next hour or two, and he'd definitely need to wear his goggles all night because of it. Regardless of this fact, the townsfolk didn't seem particularly rushed to get their tasks done, moving about at casual speeds as they each wandered around between stalls and buildings.

It was just as his eyes passed by a shop that a sharp gust of wind caused the nearby flag, one of the ones sporting the Equestrian symbol, to start flapping around wildly, the movement instinctively drawing Emerald's gaze.

His eyes lingered on the banner for a moment, before a thought struck him.

_He needed to get something for both Luna and Mother as well._

A string of curses slipped past his lips, though they were drowned out by the wind before any of the nearby residents caught them.

Today just got a lot more stressful, it seemed.

* * *

Twilight smiled, eyes roaming her script with a fervency only a bookworm like her could possess.

This was going wonderfully! All six of them had gone through their lines, by themselves, receiving critique from the five standing by, and now they'd just moved on to doing the dialogue between the three leaders.

"-inside the chimney!"

Twilight blinked. Chimney? That part of the script wasn't until later! Her eyes backtracked to that particular portion of the script _just_ to be sure, and sighed,

"Pinkie!" she called, interrupting Rainbow's confused dialogue, "You haven't gotten to that part yet! You need to read the right lines, otherwise we'll never get this right!"

"But Twilight!" Pinkie whined, "This script is soooooo super boring!" she added, holding open her script to the lavender mare, which, she noticed, bore a large number of markings that it hadn't had before, all of which were made with pink crayon,

"It's not boring!" Twilight countered hotly, "It's historically accurate!"

"Sooo... it's boring?" Rainbow asked, laying on a nearby bale of hay. Twilight rounded on the blue mare, intent on giving her a stern lecture about the importance of accuracy, when Rarity spoke up,

"Now now, girls, there's no need to start bickering," she said diplomatically, carefully extracting a strand of hay from her mane with her magic, before flicking it aside with a scarcely disguised grimace, "this is a play about the Unification, after all. Was it not arguing like this that brought the Windigos in the first place?"

"Please, if those things came back to Equestria we'd be able to take 'em out no problem!" Rainbow boasted, "I mean, we finished off Nightmare Moon! What's another bedtime story monster?" she asked,

"A monster that turned out all too real," Twilight intoned darkly, "She wanted all of Equestria plunged into eternal night. Do you have any idea how bad an outcome like that would've turned out?" she asked, casting her gaze around at each of her increasingly uncomfortable friends, "Equestria would've been turned into a lifeless wasteland without the sun to keep things warm! Plants would've died, then the animals, and then us ponies! All because Princess Luna was jealous! Imagine just how... terrifying the Windigos must be, feeding on all that negativity for so long..." she trailed off.

The group of six were quiet for a moment, that rather unsettling information sinking in, before-

"Then we'll just have to keep smiling and laughing, right?" Pinkie asked, tossing aside the somber mood without issue, "If being all angry and sad brought those mean Windigos around, then we just gotta be nice and happy! Right?"

The party mare's chipper attitude worked wonders to alleviate the strangely cold air, bringing grins back to the faces of the other five.

"Yeah, that's what this play's all 'bout anyhow," Applejack reminded them, "Jus' like Rarity said. It's 'bout the Unification, the time when everypony finally came tagether an' worked ta make Equestria how it is taday!"

"Applejack's right!" Twilight said, nodding firmly to herself, "Ponies from all across Equestria are coming to Canterlot to see the play, and we _have_ to do it right!"

"... a-all across E-equestria...?"

"So let's do this girls!"

""""Right!""""

* * *

Things were not going well for Emerald.

Oh, quite the contrary, in fact.

After he'd come to the realization that he'd need to get something for both Luna and Mother, he further realized that he needed to get something for _everyone else_ as well.

It most certainly _did not_ help that he had very little idea where they all were, which required him to take off towards Canterlot to scour through the Archives in hopes of finding their current locations.

Thankfully that particular endeavor had proved successful, though it had taken around four days just to find them all. It took another two days to figure out how to send something, _anything_, to Starlight and Thorax without their locations, but, evidently, Mother had a way of doing so, though she hadn't told him how exactly it worked, leaving him with a little over a week to prepare the gifts.

Unfortunately, given the fact he hadn't so much as spoken to most of them for several years, his only option was to make each and every one of them something to eat.

Mercifully, Gustave had heard about his recent visits to the Archives and had come around to see what was going on, and had offered his assistance, claiming that he had thought of doing so as well.

In total, he had to prepare 38 different gifts, one for each of the Princesses, each of the Bearers, Wisp, Thorax, Starlight, Iron Will, Gustave, Trixie, Spitfire, Sapphire, and the twenty-three other survivors of the Facility.

The only consolation, so far, was that he and Gustave had gotten started immediately, and had those gifts sent out to everyone three days later, leaving him with only three days until the play.

On top of _that_, he still hadn't figured out what to get Rarity, Sparky, Mother, or Luna.

And so there he was, rushing through the busy streets of Canterlot, where he and the Bearers had been relocated to start formally rehearsing the play. They were currently on break, however, leaving Emerald with some time to go out like this.

"Dammit..." he growled under his breath, not-quite-slamming the door to his latest visit, a small bookstore known for having the occasional rare find. True to his luck, however, the store hadn't found anything for the past few months, leaving him on the hunt once more.

He'd been hoping that Canterlot would provide a great deal more to look at, and hopefully a great deal more to choose from. That didn't seem to be the case, since most of the better products were sold out, predictably. That didn't mean he'd found nothing, though. He'd managed to luck out and find some interesting little kits he could use to make Applejack something, as well as some animal cookbooks he had contemplated giving Fluttershy.

He had also spotted a small jewelry making instruction book, which had inspired him to make Rarity something of that sort. Now he needed to find some metal and gems, and see about using the castle's forge to make a set of earrings, or something. Assuming the forge-master would let him, which he doubted.

The quarry down near Ponyville was sure to have some hard to find gems, especially so if he went down into those caves the Mutts dug out.

And while he was at it, maybe he could forge something similar for Luna or his Mother?

No... Luna wasn't a fan of jewelry, and he'd yet to see his Mother wear any that weren't part of their normal regalia.

He groaned, and glanced at the nearest clock, before cursing and making a beeline for the castle.

This was really beginning to stress him out if he couldn't even keep track of time properly.

* * *

Emerald forcefully straightened his back and walked onto stage as the play's director called for the next scene, which was thankfully the last one for today.

Narrating this play had turned out to be a lot harder than Emerald had initially expected. Repeating the necessary lines was fairly easy, and remembering the movements he needed to make just as so, but it was highly unnerving to be the only one currently on stage, talking to both no one and everyone within the, currently non-existent, audience.

He had to fight a small case of shivers as he turned walked off to the side, saying something about the three tribes not getting along, feeling unnerved as he felt their eyes crawling across his skin.

Ugh.

He'd initially thought acting on stage was no different than acting around regular ponies, but he'd been extremely wrong on that front. Stage acting was _nowhere_ near as easy.

He couldn't even relax now that the focus was off of him either! He was still on stage, where he could be seen, and any sort of reaction of his _not_ within the script would cause this particular director, some big shot named Motion Picture, to restart the whole thing, and he was not going to be the cause of that.

It was still fairly interesting regardless, watching this play unfold. He knew the history of Equestria -because who didn't?- but he'd never really paid it too much attention, mostly because it didn't really matter to him. But seeing these mares whose personalities he knew fairly well by now, acting so differently than usual was rather amusing to see. Not only because it was so out of character, but because, even despite them acting differently, he could still see faint traces of their normal personalities in their characters.

Then again, from what he learned from Mother and his own reading, it would seem that these six had personalities that were generally pretty similar to the founders. Thinking about it, that was likely the reason Mother had asked them to perform.

He didn't know why Motion Picture was okay with_ them_ acting out of script and not him, but he didn't bother to question it. It would take too much effort he didn't need to expend.

Eventually, Motion deemed their acting satisfactory for the night, and bid them all farewell, which gave them the okay to slip off backstage.

"Woo! We're killing it out there!" Rainbow boasted, bursting into the back room, the rest of them trailing in behind her, "Man, I can't wait until the Pageant starts up, I'm gonna look so awesome in this thing!" she added, holding up the costume she was supposed to wear that day, which was a set of replica armour.

"Neither can I, darling! I'll look simply divine!" Rarity agreed, rubbing her cheek against the purple robe and crown she was too wear almost greedily.

"You do realize that Princess Celestia is going to place a glamour on us to look like the actual founders, right?"

"Glamour?"

"An illusion spell. And not just _any_ illusion spell!" Sparky gushed, grinning like a filly, "It was invented by Princess Celestia herself! Nopony else knows how to do it! It's a very complex spell, designed to mask our identities almost perfectly! Our height, weight, voices, everything changes! All we have to do is stay in character!"

Emerald rolled his eyes,

"The real thing isn't gonna be as easy as this, you know?" he reminded them, "I don't about you lot, but I wasn't exactly comfortable doing _this_. Who knows how bad it's gonna be with an actual audience?" he admitted,

"It's not gonna be _that_ bad!" Pinkie assured him, giving Emerald a happy pat on the back, "I mean, even if you make a total fool of yourself, we're gonna be right there with you!"

"Gee, thanks Pinkie."

"No problem!"

Before Emerald could make another snarky comment, there was a soft knock on the door, before it was opened, allowing Mother to poke her head into the room,

"Hello everyone," she greeted warmly, easing the door open the rest of the way,

"Princess!" Sparky gasped, rushing forward to stand before her, "Wh-what brings you here?!" Mother giggled,

"It may be quite busy around this time of year, but I can still make some time to come visit my faithful student and her friends, can't I?" she asked, smiling further when Sparky started sputtering apologies, "Don't worry Twilight, I just came by to see how everyone was doing," she said, looking around at the lot of them, her eyes lingering once or twice, "I trust everything is going well?"

"Sure is, Princess!" Applejack answered,

"Totally! Uh, Your Highness!"

"Yeah!"

"I'm glad to hear that," Mother responded, her smile widening further, "The First Hearth's Warming is such a wonderful play. The retelling of how our great nation came together by accepting each other's differences and overcoming obstacles together is something I hold close to my heart," she revealed, holding a hoof to her chest, "It's such a beautiful story, in my opinion," she added.

"Absolutely!" Sparky agreed, "It also has a lot of good messages about teamwork and the importance of accepting other ponies regardless of differences!" she turned red, "Er-th-that's what my mom always said to me when I was younger..." she admitted,

"A wise mare, that Twilight Velvet," Mother said, nodding humorously, causing Sparky to flush harder, "I... must say, I do envy you all," Mother added suddenly, causing everyone's attention to snap to her, "I've always wanted to take part in a play, ever since I was a little filly," she revealed, smiling fondly, a faint colouring of her cheeks alluding to her embarrassment,

"Y-you have?" Emerald asked, his mind slowing to a crawl, before it rapidly started whirling. Could this be the key to finding a gift for her?

"Why, yes!" Mother confirmed enthusiastically, "Though I'm afraid I simply never had the time. After Luna and I left home when we were younger, we spent a lot of time traveling around the world, and we often didn't stay more than a few months in a town before leaving once more. Then the issue with Discord came along and _that_ took up quite a lot of time. After that my sister and I were named the princesses and any free time I'd had then simply... vanished," she said. The room was silent after that admission, the seven other individuals all sharing unsure glances with each other,

"Wow..." Rainbow Dash breathed, "I-uh-... I never really thought of stuff like that... crud, how do you and Princess Luna _not_ get bored?" she asked, ignoring the way Sparky whirled to face her, with an expression that just screamed 'Shut up!'. Unlike her student, Mother didn't seem to mind the question,

"I have managed to hold onto a few hobbies to keep myself happily occupied, such as cooking, sewing, poetry, and some other things over the years. Though, I'm particularly fond of assembling models," she finished, holding a hoof to her cheek, "Luna is rather partial to more physical activities, such as sword-fighting, exercise, and I believe I even once caught her attempting stunt-flying," she said, a mischievous grin playing across her features at the memory, "I still remember how that turned out, she was pulling twigs out of her mane for a week after that!" she said, giggling to herself, before taking a deep breath to calm herself, "If I recall correctly, she has recently developed a fondness for gardening. She's even taken the maintenance of the Maze and Gardens upon herself."

"Huh, so that's what she does when there's no one in Night Court," Emerald muttered to himself.

That was _very_ useful information.

Gardening for Luna, and a model airship for Mother, or something similar.

Hehe, thank you Rainbow Dash for asking! He'd have to see if Spitfire would be willing to let him reserve some tickets to their next show for her as a way of thanking her.

Not that he'd ever admit that to either of them.

The clock on the wall suddenly chimed, starling the group,

"Oh my, that time already?" Mother asked, peering at the clock curiously, "Shame. Well, I'm afraid my little break is over and I need to return to Day Court," she said, "It was great to see you all again, and I hope to see a spectacular performance in a few days!" she encouraged, gently closing the door behind her.

"Well, that was mighty nice'o the princess," Applejack noted with a smile, "comin' ta check up on us like that."

"Indeed," Rarity agreed, "I can hardly imagine how _dreadfully_ busy holding court must be, and for her to use her break to come check on us little ponies?"

"Yeah! She's great!" Pinkie cheered,

"Well of course she is!" Sparky announced proudly, "She's been taking care of Equestria for the past thousand years! She's kind, caring, and loves everypony who calls Equestria their home!" she added, eyes sparkling with a fierce determination, "And she's counting on us to make the Pageant play spectacular! So we'll have to give it our all!"

"""""Yeah!""""" her friends cheered, her determination infecting even Fluttershy,

"Yeah..." Emerald muttered to himself.

Things settled down quickly after that, with the seven of them vacating the room not much later.

The girls were all happily chatting to each other as they made their way outside, only to split up immediately after one of them mentioned 'gift hunting'.

That left Emerald alone back at the castle, chuckling to himself as he made his way towards the castle's forge.

He had visited it only once before, when Mother had brought him down to meet the forge-master to have him take his measurements for his custom spear several years ago. Despite that, Emerald distinctly recalled the many different tools and machines that the forge-master, one Steeled Hoof, had access too. He also recalled the forge-master's shitty personality.

At least his boasting had turned out to be well-earned, considering that his spear was serving him well, even six years later.

Emerald twisted through the castle's corridors, eventually coming to a set of stairs leading down, with the entrance to the castle's barracks not too far off. Chuckling to himself, he quickly began his descent.

Predictably, the stairway quickly grew darker, illuminated only by the light of the torches. Soon he came to a large metal door at the foot of the stairs, where Emerald could hear the faint sound of metal being struck just beyond it.

Taking a moment to steel himself, he easily shoved the heavy door out of his way, ignoring the obnoxiously loud screeching the door made, and peered around the room, slipping his goggles on in the process.

Despite being located farther down than the rest of the castle, the smithy was well lit, making it extremely easy to look around. He could spot several large anvils lined against the wall, each one with a large barrel sitting right beside it, presumably filled with water or oil. Off to the side, and taking up a large portion of the room, was a massive furnace. It stood tall enough to dwarf Mother, and was coated in a dull copper coloured metal. There were plenty of large vents coating its surface, each one with a handle allowing it to be opened and removed, which revealed a large open space in the center of the furnace, where Emerald could easily spot the white hot coals, usually blinding to a thestral like him, but thankfully reduced behind his Heavybolts, as well as feel the wave of sheer heat emitting from the large metal monstrosity.

And right there, standing directly in front of one of the open vents, somehow withstanding the heat with not a drop of thestrali blood in his veins, was Steeled Hoof.

He was a much older stallion than himself, somewhere in his fifties if he recalled. Steeled bore a dull metal gray coat, with not a hair on his head to match his dark gray tail. Despite his obvious age, his copper coloured eyes still blazed with the vigor of his youth, even behind the dark face-shield he wore. While he couldn't see it behind the smock he was wearing, Emerald knew the stallion bore a cutie mark of the very same furnace he was working with, only fit with a pair of hammers as well.

Hearing the loud screeching of the door, Steeled turned around, lifting his mask in the process,

"Alright, who's got the chutzpa to interrupt me while I'm workin'?! Eh?!" he called out, squinting his eyes in Emerald's direction. Emerald rolled his eyes,

"That would be me, Steeled," he said, stepping forward where the old timer could see him better,

"Huh?" was the response he got, "Who the-wait... Yeah, I 'member you," he said, scowling, "What, ya break that spear'o yours, brat? Couldn't fix it yerself?" he asked, before cutting Emerald off before he could even think of responding, "Course ya can't! Brat like you can't mold metal like I can! So where's the damn thing?" he asked. Emerald's jaw snapped shut with an audible click,

"My spear is just fine, thank you," he said, his body tensing as he held back a more violent response, he really didn't like this stallion, "I just need some help making some jewelry for someone."

"A gift?" Steeled asked, before laughing, "Ha! Ya really think you can jus' ask me, the best damned smith this side'o Equestria, ta make ya a gift fer some other brat?" he asked, before pointing past him, "Git the fuck outta mah forge!"

Emerald rolled his eyes, and ignored the 'order',

"I don't need _you_, you old fuck. I just need some of your tools," he explained, causing Steeled to relax, though he still held a scowl,

"Oh, fine. But ya better stay outta mah way, brat. I don't need any'a yer _kind_ messin' up mah work," he snapped, before waving over to a shelf, which had been hidden behind the door when Emerald came in, "You'll find the tools fer makin' jewelry over there. Now grab what ya need and get outta mah shop the second yer done, got it?!"

Emerald nodded, fighting the urge to snap back at the old bastard, and only succeeded by the slightest margin.

Instead, Emerald spun around and did as he was told, eyes scanning the large shelves for the necessary tools. Pins, pliers, clips, and, from the looks of it, some metals as well. Shame the bastard didn't have any gems for him to use.

Glancing back at Steeled, who had turned back to his furnace, tending to something he'd just placed within it, Emerald quickly swiped the needed materials and made his way out, making sure to slam the door _extra_ hard on the way out, hearing a satisfying yelp from the other side of the door.

Feeling particularly happy with himself, Emerald didn't bother wasting time and immediately made his way back to his room, where his bags had been hastily stored away before rehearsal. Once there, he quickly got to thinking.

Canterlot was a place that catered to its unicorn residents more than any other, which meant he'd be unlikely to find a lot of gardening supplies in the area. He could potentially find some modeling kits, but he doubted he'd find any in Canterlot. He'd have better luck in places like Manehatten or Las Pegasus. Faust, he was pretty sure Cloudsdale and Ponyville would hold better chances than this place!

Well, he _knew_ there were a few places in Ponyville he could find gardening supplies of decent quality. Plus he was sure he'd be able to find a modeling kit or two in town as well.

He was sure he'd heard Trixie mention some place called Barnyard Bargains, or something of that manner.

With a plan in mind, Emerald quickly set about gathering his things, before nonchalantly jumping out the window, wings snapped wide open to propel him through the air, his sights set on the small speck in the distance he knew as Ponyville.

* * *

Emerald sighed irritably, adjusting his feather tipped hat with a grimace.

No one had ever mentioned that he'd have to wear something so fucking stupid!

A puffy, striped, purple shirt with a matching hat and feather. Coupled with a neck-piece that fanned out and choked him, he honestly felt like a moron. He didn't even get to wear his goggles under the thing.

He growled, and pulled at his collar,

"Hey!" a voice called out to him, causing him to turn, "Go tell our leads that the show is starting in five!" the pony ordered, not bothering to look away from her clipboard. Emerald rolled his eyes, but complied, slinking around towards the back half of the room. He came to a pair of red curtains, and pushed his head through.

What greeted him was... not promising.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash were yelling at each other by an open window, which was blowing a plethora of cold air and snow from the storm into the room, Rarity was standing around, desperately trying to keep the wind from blowing around her hair, Fluttershy was hiding in a box of tinsel, with Pinkie and Sparky trying to pull her out, unsuccessfully.

"Oh Faust..." he muttered, before clearing his throat, "Hey," he called, only to be ignored, "HEY!" he snapped, causing the room to freeze, and the mares to whip their heads towards him, "Quit messing around, the play starts in five minutes," he said, before disappearing, a moment passed, and he stuck his head back in, "And shut that fucking window before you bury the place in snow!"

His reprimand over with, he pulled away and went over to the stage, where a fresh set of a homely fireplace was ready and waiting for him. He took his place, going over his lines, when Motion Picture called out,

"Places everypony! The show is about to begin!"

* * *

Wisp was practically bouncing in her seat as she waited eagerly for the play to begin.

She couldn't believe that Emerald had finally let her go see a play, and the Hearth's Warming one no less!

She remembered wandering around Canterlot a few years ago, having just finished a magic lesson with Miss Light, or Twilight as she repeatedly insisted. Emerald had been busy working and that left her to just wander around town, being discretely shadowed by the guard Miss Celestia had assigned to look over her when she was by herself. She had seen all these ponies flooding outside from this big building she hadn't recognized, and had gotten curious.

She hadn't been frightened of approaching one of the ponies in the funny looking red clothes, having seen others wearing it and assumed they worked there, and asked what was going on. That pony hadn't been very nice, making some remarks on her intelligence and how stupid she'd have to be not to recognize a theatre.

After that she had decided to approach the nice guard looking after her, the mare in question proving a lot more helpful in explaining what a theatre was, and then gone on to explaining what plays were and how they were produced.

That had been very interesting, especially to her younger mind, and she had excitedly asked if she could go and watch one, to which the guard, a pretty mare named Rosemary, said she'd have to ask her brother, as he was her legal guardian despite his age.

Emerald had said no, seeing no reason as to how something like that could be interesting.

Wisp didn't blame her brother for not understanding. She might've been young, well young_er_, but she knew her brother wasn't in the best health at the time, at least not in the head. That hadn't stopped her from asking him if she could watch the Hearth's Warming play every year, though.

And now it was finally happening!

Ooh, she couldn't wait! Rosemary had told her all about how nice plays were, and now she'd finally get to experience it for herself, in the front row as well! And if that wasn't enough, the first play she'd ever get to see had her big brother playing a part in it!

The lights suddenly dimmed, causing the entire theatre to fall silent.

_A spotlight flashed, illuminating a scarlet curtain, before it was pulled aside._

_"Once upon a time," a voice spoke as a figure was revealed, standing before a grand fireplace, "before the peaceful rule of the two sisters-" the figure turned to face the audience, revealing piercing blue eyes that scanned the crowd before him, "before ponies discovered the land that wouldst be known as Equestria-" he stepped forward, until he stood just before the crowd, "-ponies did not know Harmony."_

_The curtains closed behind him, leaving him standing before them all, his voice echoing loudly against the silent air,_

_"'Twas a dark time, a time in which ponies were torn apart," he spoke, his hooves producing no sound as he stalked across the stage, his eyes never once leaving the speechless crowd, even as the curtains silently opened behind him, "by a_ hatred_ pure and foul."_

Wisp gasped along with the audience, though the Crusaders beside her were a little louder than the rest.

_"Each of those three tribes- the pegasi-" a light flashed, illuminating a group of winged ponies toiling amongst the clouds, "-the unicorns-" a group of horned ponies standing proudly a top a treacherous cliff, "-and the earthen ponies-" a group of tired looking ponies staring hatefully up at those who stood above them, "-these three cared not for what befell the others, and only for their own welfare." he spoke, moving off to the side, while curtains closed once more, hiding those three tribes from sight._

_"During those troubled times the pegasi tended to the weather, much as they do in our time," he began once more, the curtain flying open once more, revealing a clear blue sky slowly being covered by darkened clouds as the pegasi worked, "however, in exchange for such, they demanded food from the earthen ponies," the sky changed, becoming a grand field as the pegasi from before smugly took food from the tired and begrudging earth ponies, "the unicorns demanded the same, only in return for the presence of both day and night." Once more, a small group of horned ponies approached the earth ponies, demanding food. Upon receiving this small bounty, the sun, once standing proud amongst the blue sky, was replace by a waning moon and blackened and starlit sky. He returned to the center of the stage,_

_"As such, a tentative, but lasting, trust was forged between these three tribes. However, their hate for each other continued to fester, until one fateful eve, it came to a boil." An almost dark smirk took over his features, highlighted by a fierce fire in his eyes,_

_"And what caused this fateful clash between them?" he asked, his eyes scanning the crowd, searching, but never expecting an answer, "'Twas a mysterious blizzard that came in through the night, taking all by surprise, and toppling that false peace."_

_As he spoke, the scene of the three tribes was slowly taken over by the white flakes that began to fall, momentarily ceasing their bickering. It lasted only for an instant, before the hated glares returned as they all fled the area._

_"The normally industrious earthen ponies were rendered unable to farm their land-" a scene of earth ponies vainly struggling to pull anything from amongst a land of snow appeared, only for their hopes to be dashed away by the never ending storm, "-and they began to freeze. The home of the pegasi did not fare any better, as they began to starve," a group of pegasi appeared on the scene, each one thin and haggard looking, with bones peering through their skin, "And the unicorns fared worse of all, as they froze and starved." An imperious castle came into view, as groups of unicorns dug through their stores of food, hoping, praying for even a scrap. Suddenly, a nearby door bulged inward, causing the unicorns to rush over, and begin pushing against it, only to fail as the door burst open, allowing a hail of snow and ice to bury them beneath its frozen wrath._

_The curtains closed._

_"Their magic proved powerless against this cursed storm. And of course, each of the three blamed the other for their suffering," his voice drolled out, "and the angrier they grew, the worse the blizzard became. Thus a decision was reached, and a grand summit would be held."_

_The curtains opened once again, revealing a large hall with two stories to be seen. Divided by sections, each of the three tribes stood along the lower and upper areas, all peering towards the lone, empty table placed directly in the center of the room._

_"They sent along their leaders for this task. The daughter of the unicorn king, Princess Platinum-" a door was slammed open as trumpets flared loudly, a beautiful white unicorn with a flowing purple robe and light pink mane of equal radiance, "-the ruler of the pegasi, Commander Hurricane-" another door burst open, though it lacked fanfare this time around, admitting a bulky stallion into the room, wearing dark gray armour over his ragged midnight blue coat, "-and lastly, the leader of the earthen ponies, Chancellor Puddinghead." There were more trumpets this time around, though they sounded a bit off, before a pinkish purple stallion with a chocolate brown mane and tail hopped into the room, wearing a large hat resembling a dollop of pudding, and a plain set of brown robes._

_"..." he shook his head, "Perhaps now the tribes can reach a conclusion, and make it through these darkened times," he spoke, before moving off to the side._

Wisp was pretty sure she heard him mutter something about 'damn directors and their stupid favouritism'.

She wondered what that was about.

_Things were silent for all but an instant, as the three leaders immediately started bombarding each other with varied cries, all of which claimed the others responsible for the strange blizzard tormenting them all._

_"All I want to know is why those stupid earth ponies are hogging all of the food!" Commander Hurricane demanded, pounding his hoof against the table,_

_"We're not hogging all the food, you are!" Puddinghead returned, then he paused, "Oh, wait, you're right! But it's only 'cause you mean old pegasusususes are making it snow like crazy!"_

_"We're not doing anything! It has to be those unicorns and their freaky magic!" Commander Hurricane protested, sending a poisonous glare towards the princess,_

_"How dare you!" Princess Platinum snapped, "Unlike you pegasi ruffians, we unicorns would never stoop to such under-hoofed methods! What would we have to gain from such a thing?!"_

_"It totally has to be one of you guys! You non-earths and your weirdo powers are responsible! Otherwise I'm just plum out of ideas!" Chancellor Puddinghead said, frowning petulantly,_

_"Surprise surprise, an earth pony with no ideas," Commander Hurricane sneered,_

_"Commander Hurricane!" Princess Platinum gasped, "You must cease with such baseless insults!"_

_"You're not the boss of me your royal snootiness!" the pegasus commander replied fiercely,_

_"How dare you!" the unicorn replied, placing her crown back on her head, "I am a princess! I shall not lower myself by humoring the company of such barbaric beings!" she declared, turning violently and exiting the room,_

_"Well who needs ya?!" Commander Hurricane shouted, making way towards his own door,_

_"Yeah! I'm leaving too!" came the chancellor's response._

_The hall was silent as the three leaders each stormed out, no closer to reaching a solution than they had been before._

_The curtains closed._

_"And so, through their ceaseless anger and denial of events, the three tribes parted from each other, and the blizzard raged on. The summit ended in failure, and the leaders returned home to lick their festering wounds."_

_A world of clouds filled the stage, as an angry Commander Hurricane returned,_

_"Attention!" he called, startling a light cream pegasus nearby, who ended up falling through the cloud she was resting on, "Private Pansy, aren't you going to ask how the summit went?" he asked, staring down at the mare, who was brushing away the cloud caught in her two-tone red and cream mane,_

_"O-oh! Um, Commander Hurricane, sir, how did everything go?" she asked, saluting the commander timidly,_

_"Horrible!" he snapped, "Those other tribe leaders are so disrespectful! Don't they realize that we are a tribe of mighty warriors and should not be crossed?!" he shouted, causing Private Pansy to flinch, "We must break rank with those weak foals," Commander Hurricane added firmly, staring out towards the distant castle, before everything went dark._

_Another spotlight shined onto the stage, revealing the interior of a worn down castle, with gray-ish green walls, bearing obvious signs of wear and age behind their large gem-laden tapestries, and a single red carpet leading towards an empty throne, lined with benches off to the side. The door to this particular hall burst open, revealing a shivering Princess Platinum, who unsteadily made her way inside,_

_"Clover the Clever, I need you!" she called, leaning against the door dramatically,_

_"Ah, Princess," a male voice called as a blanket flew to cover her, before a light brown unicorn stallion, with a darker brown mane and tail, though it was mostly covered by the tattered brown robe he wore, appeared beside her, "did the other tribes see reason as I predicted?" he asked kindly. The princess stood up roughly, and made her way towards the throne,_

_"Those other tribes are impossible!" she whined, instead laying down on the nearest bench, a pillow coated in the stallion's magic levitating a pillow beneath her, just as a washtub filled with warm water laid itself beneath her, "I for one can no longer bear to be anywhere near those lowly creatures," she added imperiously, "Unicorns are noble and majestic creatures! We shall no longer consort with the likes of them!"_

_"I am... not sure that is wise, my Princess," Clover began hesitantly, "co-existence is key for our survival. We know not how to grow food as well as the earthen tribe, nor can we maintain the weather as the pegasi do," he cautioned. Princess Platinum would not have it, however, as she violently kicked aside the washtub, scattering water everywhere, before trotting off, leaving her aide to clean the mess, just as the light faded away._

_Moments passed, before a third spotlight appeared, illuminating a lone cabin interior, where a mare stood, patiently waiting beside the door. She wore simple clothing, a brown vest with orange sleeves and a white collar, and bore a brown conical hat with a singular orange stripe upon it. Her reddish-brown mane hung in loose curls, complimenting her deep yellow coat._

_There was a sudden rustling from the chimney, before the familiar figure of Chancellor Puddinghead flopped out and landing roughly on his rear,_

_"Uh, wouldn't it have been easier ta use the door, Chancellor?" the mare asked, raising a brow at the stallion's strange actions,_

_"Maybe for _you_ Smart Cookie, but I am a Chancellor! I was elected because I can think outside the box!" he proudly announced, before taking a step backwards into the chimney, "Which means I can also think inside the chimney!" he added, "Can _you_ think inside the chimney?!"_

_"W-well, uh...?" Smart Cookie tried to say, but found herself unable to come up with anything,_

_"I didn't think so!" the Chancellor said, smugly walking past her, before he let out a loud gasp, "Hold on to your hooves, I am just about to be brilliant!" he exclaimed._

_"That'd be a first," Smart Cookie muttered to herself, "Uh, what is it, Chancellor?"_

_"I have decided that the earth ponies are gonna go it alone!" Smart Cookie seemed surprised as his declaration,_

_"Oh? I was hopin' that things turned out okay. I thought we'd be able ta get though to 'em if we-"_

_"Don't worry about them!" Chancellor Puddinghead interrupted her, "We're the ones with all the food, right?"_

_"Uh, not really."_

_"Oh," the Chancellor replied, then shrugged, "Then we'll just have to find someplace else to grow more food! And with me as our fearless leader, what could go wrong?" he asked, throwing open the door, only for a mountainous pile of snow to come crashing atop him._

_"Yeah... what could go wrong?" Smart Cookie repeated sarcastically. Chancellor Puddinghead popped back out of the snow,_

_"Well, the point is-"_

_The other two spotlights shined once more, and the three leaders on stage puffed up their chests and announced-_

_"""We need to find a new land!"""_

_The curtains closed, and all but one spotlight disappeared, illuminating the lone stallion, who had returned to the center of the stage._

_"And so began the search. Each of the three leaders and their aides set out on a perilous expedition to search for a land they could call home, a land far away from this cursed snow, and their troublesome neighbors. "'Twould not be easy, however, for they knew not how long such a search could take, nor if they could find any land that met their needs or desires."_

_He took his place off to the side once more, just as the curtains opened, the upper half of the stage was lit, revealing Commander Hurricane and Private Pansy soaring through the skies as a heavy wind pushed against them._

_"Private Pansy! Hurry it up!" he yelled at the timid mare, before lightning flashed, startling the mare, "Get a hold of yourself Private!" Commander Hurricane yelled once more, "We cannot allow anything to distract us from our mission: To find, and if necessary conquer, a new land! Now move it!" he snapped furiously pushing the smaller mare against the heavy wind._

_"C-conquer, Sir?" Private Pansy asked, looking rather worried,_

_"Yes, conquer," he repeated, "You never know where enemies may be lurking, after all."_

_"B-but I don't see any enemies, Commander," she added, "Just... snow," she said, casting her gaze around._

_The stage dimmed, before a forest was lit, just in time for Princess Platinum and her aide, Clover the Clever to emerge from the foliage,_

_"Ugh," the princess moaned, "this is taking foreverrrr!" she shined, "My hooves are killing me! How long have we been walking?" she asked, looking haggardly towards her court mage. Clover merely raised a brow at his princess,_

_"About five minutes total, Your Highness," he replied simply. Princess Platinum blinked, before turning back around,_

_"I never imagined that finding a new land would be so hard!" she whined once again, "But even so, I imagine it will be quite worth it, don't you think?" she asked as they continued their trek,_

_"Actually Your Highness, I believe the three tribes could've tried a lot harder to make peace," Clover responded, only to be halted by his princess screaming at the top of her lungs,_

_"STOOOOOP!"_

_"What's wrong?!" he asked, bounding forward to look for whatever sign of danger his princess had surely spotted, only to be disappointed as she pointed at the lone stream ahead of them,_

_"Look! That is what's wrong!"_

_"Your Highness," he began kindly, already crossing the miniature body of water, ignoring the small bit of water that drenched the hem of his cloak, "it's only a stream, we can cross it easily."_

_"I don't want to get my gown wet," the princess retorted, acting much like a foal, "I refuse to arrive in my new land looking like a bedraggled earth pony, or worse, like one of those rough and tumble pegasi. I have no intention of stooping down to their level!" she declared, before turning to him with a knowing grin, "On the other hoof, I have no complaint about watching _you_ stoop down."_

_Clover stared at the princess for a moment, before sighing. With a sarcastic air about him, he returned to his princess' side, and stooped down, withholding a grunt as she climbed onto his back,_

_"Do watch the gown, Clover. It's worth more than all the books in your library."_

_And so, Clover carried his charge across the stream, disappearing through the foliage ahead of him, just as the lights dimmed once more._

_Another light shone on a small path along a mountain, laden with many gems, and revealed both Chancellor Puddinghead and Smart Cookie, seemingly... walking in circles?_

_Upon further inspection, it was revealed that the Chancellor in question was... wearing the map like a mask, having two holes cut into the paper for him to see through, and a third for him to speak through._

_"Yes, yes," the Chancellor suddenly muttered, "this is definitely the right direction!"_

_"Are ya sure?" Smart Cookie asked, raising a brow at her superior, "it feels like we're walkin' in circles."_

_"Are you suggesting that I'm reading the map wrong?" he asked, turning on her,_

_"Absolutely not, your Chancellorship," Smart replied flatly, "it's just... there are holes in the map," she pointed out,_

_"Well duh! How else could I see where I was going?" he asked, walking dangerously close to the edge of the cliff, "Or talk? I mean, imagine if I couldn't talk, how would we survive if I just suddenly shut up?"_

_"Heaven forbid," was Smart's sarcastic reply, "but the map is also upside down."_

_"Lemme tell you something, Smart Cookie. The planet is round," Chancellor Puddinghead replied, as if she were a mere foal, "there is no up or down."_

_Smart Cookie just stared at the Chancellor for a moment, before smirking,_

_"Why, you're right! My, it's such a _relief_ ta have someone like you in charge'a that map," she said, her smirk broadening as the Chancellor suddenly zipped back over to her,_

_"Relief? Relief?! If anypony here needs relief it's me! I'm a chancellor, a big shot! You're just my, uh... my...?"_

_"Secretary."_

_"Whatever!" he snapped, before taking the map and throwing it right into his secretary's face, "Here! You take the map, while I enjoy some relief!" he declared smugly, already walking off._

_Smart Cookies visibly rolled her eyes,_

_"Yes, your Chancellorship," she remarked, scanning the map._

_Once more, the curtains closed._

_"Despite the... obstacles barring their path, each of the tribes continued their journey is search of a new land," the stallion spoke up, "and soon, their diligence was rewarded, as they each stumbled across what they could only describe as Paradise."_

_"Look at this new land!" Commander Hurricane's voice cut through the momentary silence, just as a spotlight flashed onto him and Private Pansy, just in time to witness him bouncing between clouds,_

_"Oh my, it's beautiful here," Private Pansy said, _"Oh! I can even see my future house from here..."

_"This land is perfect!" Commander Hurricane stated, producing a flag from... somewhere, "I hereby declare this land: Pegasopolis!"_

_At the same time, however..._

_"My my! I've never seen so many jewels before!" Princess Platinum announced, gazing around the gem-dotted cliff they had arrived on, "They're dazzling! This whole _land_ is dazzling!" she nodded to herself, "In the name of the unicorns, I dub this land: Unicornia!" she shouted, planting a flag into the dirt as Clover watched on._

_And not only that, but..._

_"The air!" Chancellor Puddinghead shouted, spinning around, "These trees! This dirt!" he yelled, pounding his hooves against the ground, "This is the dirtiest dirt in the whole dirt world!"_

_"And fertile too!" Smart Cookie added, "Perfect fer growin' plenty'a food!"_

_"In the name of the earth ponies, I think I'm gonna call this place... uh... Dirtville!"_

_"How 'bout 'Earth'?" Smart suggested,_

_"Earth!" he agreed, "Congrats to me for thinking of it!"_

_"""We found our new home!""" the three leaders cheered, before suddenly becoming aware of the other's presence._

_"Wha- I planted my flag first!" Commander Hurricane immediately yelled,_

_"No, I did!" Princess Platinum argued,_

_"I planted mine earlier than first!" Chancellor Puddinghead called happily, only to go mostly ignored,_

_"You riff-raff are trespassing on Unicornia!" the horned monarch shouted,_

_"The name is Pegasopolis!"_

_"Earth!"_

_"Pegaspolois!"_

_"Unicornia!"_

_"Oh yeah? I say we fight for it!" Commander Hurricane suggested, smirking, "Last one standing wins!" Princess Platinum scoffed,_

_"That's barbaric," she said, using her magic to drag her court mage in front of her, "Clover the Clever, throw that brute into the dungeon!"_

_"Uh, what dungeon?" he asked, before shaking his head, "Look, perhaps we should all just calm down before things get too escalated?" he suggested,_

_"I agree!" Smart Cookie said, "Calmin' down sounds like a good idea."_

_"I vote for calm," Private Pansy added, only to flinch away as her commander turned on her,_

_"I'll have you court marshaled for insubordination!" he snapped, unaware of the snow that began to whirl around him, "We'll decide this on the battlefield!" Commander Hurricane quickly became aware of the snow rapidly piling around him, as Chancellor Puddinghead struck him with well aimed snowball, causing the princess to laugh as well, before she to was struck down._

_"Wh-who dares strike royalty with a snowball?!" she demanded, only for the Chancellor, who had quickly done away with his weapon of choice, to take notice of the unfortunately familiar substance,_

_"Hold on, where'd all this snow come from?"_

_"What?" Commander Hurricane asked, rapidly spinning around, his fears becoming realized as he took notice of the blizzard, "Oh no, not again!"_

_And so, the six tribes members quickly began to panic, but no more could be seen as the curtains closed once again._

_"And so," the stallion spoke suddenly, "that paradise was lost to all, buried beneath a blanket of familiar snow, as the blizzard they knew all too well threatened them once more," he strode across the stage, the spotlight never once leaving him as the audience followed his every move, "They were forced, for perhaps the first time, to work together to find appropriate shelter from this oncoming storm. They searched high, they searched low, but the only shelter for miles was a cold, desolate cave, and of course, they were forced to share it," he said, smirking as the curtain behind him opened once more, "They were not happy about it." he added, before disappearing off to the side once again._

_All six members of the tribes were now huddled inside of a small, dark cave, whose dank and dreary walls provided to illusion of comfort or safety, as the storm visibly raged on outside._

_"Please, Commander Hothead-" the resident princess began, only for said hothead to cut her off,_

_"It's Commander 'Hurricane'," he snapped through gritted teeth. The princess smiled sweetly, and spoke in a tone reserved for inept foals,_

_"Then please, Commander, would you back up a bit and give me my royal space?"_

_"Oh?" the commander asked, taking a large step forward, until he was uncomfortably close to the princess, "Like _this_?"_

_"Most certainly _not_!" she snapped, pushing him away, "Do you see this invisible line?" she asked, pointing at the ground, "That is my space, and you are not to cross it!"_

_"'Your' space, eh?" Commander Hurricane asked, before turning to Private Pansy, "Private! outline our territory!" he demanded, spurring the timid mare into action._

_Slowly, she set about digging a line into the dirt with her hoof, only for her impatient commander to grab her, and drag her along with him, and she ended up digging a line that split the small cave into near perfect halves._

_"Do _you_ see this real, _not invisible_ line?" he asked, "That is our territory, and none of you unicorns or earth ponies are allowed behind it!" he snapped, "This is the sovereign territory of Pegasopolis!"_

_This was not met well by the other leaders._

_"Clover the Clever!"_

_"Smart Cookie!"_

_Soon all three of the annoyed aides were drawing lines in the dirt like bored foals, occasionally running into each other, and discreetly backing away to avoid having their superiors yelling at them. Or at least they did, until-_

_"What are you doing?!" Commander Hurricane snapped at the Private, who had ended up running into a rock, and having decided to go around it, "Don't go around it?! Go over it! I'm not giving up an inch of territory to them!" he snapped, but was much too late as Princess Platinum took advantage,_

_"Ah, ah! That rock is clearly on Unicornia territory! It belongs to us!" she shouted, before turning around, and whispering to her annoyed court mage, "Who knows, there might be jewels inside!"_

_The sound of hoof against rock, however, caused her to turn around, only to find Commander Hurricane kicking that same rock onto his side of the line._

_"I hereby declare this rock property of Pegasopolis!"_

_"How dare you! Unhoof that rock this instant you scoundrel!"_

_"Oh!" the sudden exclamation from the Chancellor caught both leaders off guard, as he appeared and snatched up the rock they were arguing over, "You found my rock! I was looking for it everywhere!" he claimed, and darted back over to his side of the line._

_"Wha- you invaded our territory!" Commander Hurricane accused, pointing at the earthen leader,_

_"Finders keeps losers weepers!" was the response he got._

_Growling, both the commander and princess approached the lone chancellor, neither caring about the lines and 'territories' they'd had drawn,_

_"Give me my rock!" one of them shouted, before lunging at the chancellor, who immediately jumped out of the way._

_Soon, the three leaders had devolved into a group of foals chasing after one another, screaming at each other for various reasons. That left the only remaining ponies to shake their heads at the juvenile scene playing out before them, none of them even bothering to try and stop it at this point._

_However, unbeknownst to the bickering three, the wind had suddenly changed, now making its way into the cold cave and dropping the temperature even further than before. Not only that, but the entrance to the cave was rapidly freezing over, something that Clover the Clever immediately made known._

_"Look everyone, the entrance!" he announced, pointing, horrified, at the scene before him, and slowly backing away. It was only now that the three stopped arguing, but it would not last._

_"Great, now we're stuck in here!" Commander Hurricane snapped, stomping off towards his false territory, somehow not acknowledging the wind whipping against the, despite the lack of access point for it to enter._

_"You two deserve this horrible fate!" Princess Platinum said, "All the two of you ever do is argue and fight with each other!"_

_"You've been fighting too, Your Highness!" Commander Hurricane snapped, using her titles sarcastically,_

_"Yeah, and worse!" Chancellor Puddinghead added, not noticing the ice slowly creeping up his legs, nor the horrified look on Smart Cookie's face as she back away, "I haven't been fighting nearly as much as you two!"_

_"That's ridiculous!" Princess Platinum argued, unaware that she was suffering the same fate as the chancellor, nor aware of Clover's reaction, "A unicorn never stoops to fighting!"_

_"That's only because you wimpy unicorns know you're going to lose!" Commander Hurricane snapped, even as Pansy whimpered at the sight of the encroaching ice._

_The ice continued its work, rapidly coating each of the three, but just before it could cover them entirely, each one had one final sentence to say._

_"Earth ponies are numbskulls!"_

_"Pegasi are brutes!"_

_"Unicorns are snobs!"_

_And thus, all three had been rendered completely and utterly frozen, with scowls forever in place._

_This unwittingly left the three survivors in the center of a large circle of non-frozen ground, though it was slowly beginning to shrink. Suddenly, there was a loud, deep roar coming from seemingly everywhere at once, prompting the three to look up from their huddled position._

_There, surrounded by a nebula of twisting and toiling clouds were three ethereal creatures, reminiscent of ponies, but having long since lost what made them alive. Vast churning manes of never-ceasing winds, and hooves of eternal ice, these creatures slowly began to descend, their frozen icy bodies betrayed by the fiery hate in their eyes._

_"Wh-what are those things?" Private Pansy asked, shaking against the other two,_

_"They... they must be Windigos!" Clover announced, his eyes widening in panic,_

_""Windigos?!"" the two mares asked as they backed away, looking around with fear in their eyes._

_"My mentor, Starswirl the Bearded, told me about them," he began, "They're Winter Spirits. They feed off of hatred and conflict! The more hate they feel, the colder everything becomes!"_

_"Wait!" Smart Cookie said, "Wouldn't that mean that we brought this thing?!" she asked, "The tribes, all our fightin' and arguin' caused these things ta come ta us, bringin' that blizzard and freezin' everything'?!" she said, then looked up, "Now it's destroyin' this land too!"_

_Clover nodded, and swallowed,_

_"And now our bodies are going to became as cold as our hearts," Clover said, closing in on the the others to avoid the ice, "All because we were foolish enough to hate."_

_As the three of them began to huddle closer, in some vain bid to prevent the inevitable just a bit longer, Private Pansy spoke,_

_"... Well, I don't hate you," she said, startling the others for a moment, "To be honest, I hate Commander Hurricane a lot more than I hate you two," she admitted with a faint smile. Clover and Cookie were both taken aback, but laughed after a moment._

_Unseen by them, the Windigos began to panic, speeding up their freezing process._

_"Well, I don't really hate him, I just... really really really really dislike him," she corrected herself, not bothered by the ice that already reached her wings, causing them to laugh harder._

_"Well, I don't hate ya'll either," Smart Cookie said,_

_"And neither do I," Clover added with a smile._

_"Yeah, I mean, we're all ponies, ain't we?" she asked, smiling softly, even as the ice finally completed its mission, and encompassed the three remaining ponies._

_All that remained was a small portion of Clover's horn, but that too, would soon be-_

The ice stopped.

_In a blinding flash of light, the ice encasing them was shattered as Clover was overtaken by a surge of magic, casting great purple flames that threatening to burn away the Windigos. Their pained screams echoed throughout the world, before they disappeared, and the magic Clover had channeled suddenly stopped, only to form into a glowing, crystal-like heart._

_"W-woah!" Smart Cookie gasped, "I didn't know unicorns could do that!" she said, looking at Clover, amazed,_

_"Well, I... I didn't either!" he admitted, "Nothing like that has ever happened before!" he added, before suddenly smiling, "But there was no way that that was only me! I never could've done something like that without you two! The three of us joined together in friendship!"_

_The three laughed and put their hooves together, as a sign of their newfound friendship._

_All of a sudden, the light refocused, until it landed on the stallion once more, leaving the three aides and their frozen superiors in the background._

_"Throughout the night these three kept that fire of friendship alive, by telling stories to each other, and singing the songs that would become the Winter carols that are still sung to this day. Eventually, that warmth, from both the fire and the new friends, reached the leaders, thawing their frozen bodies and warming their cold hearts. They agreed to share that land with each other," he said, smiling as those six ponies suddenly walked out from behind, until they all stood beside their dear narrator, and their appearances flickered, revealing six brand new ponies, all of whom were mares, "And they named that new land of theirs-"_

All at once, everyone with the crowd spoke, erupting the once quite hall into a cacophony of sound-

"EQUESTRIA!"

All at once the seven of them bowed to the audience, all smiling as the hall erupted into applause, confetti and streamers being launched into the air by hidden devices, before they all began to sing.

_~The fire of friendship lives in our hearts!~_

_~As long as it burns we cannot drift apart!~_

_~Though quarrels arise, their numbers are few!~_

_~Laughter and singing will see us through! See us through!~_

_~We are a circle of pony friends!~_

_~A Circle of Friends we'll be to the very end!~_

* * *

Emerald let out a rather uncomfortable sigh, peering dejectedly at the five boxes laying in front of him.

Each one was wrapped in green paper, with a fine silver ribbon tying them shut. The only real difference between the lot was the coloured card attached to each, baring the name of the pony it was meant for.

He'd managed to find/make nearly every gift he'd wanted to, but, unfortunately, he was one short.

He had a new hoof-made necklace for Rarity.

Some new cookbooks for Fluttershy, each filled with animal treats.

A carefully wrapped _extra_ chocolate pie in a box for Pinkie.

A large, autographed poster of the Wonderbolts for Rainbow.

And set of hoof-made work boots for Applejack.

He'd been unable to figure out what to give Sparky, and had been tempted to just bake her something like he had for Pinkie, but decided not too, the thought having felt... hollow.

He felt guilty for being unable to find something for her, not just because it was an Equestrian tradition to hoof out gifts to close friends and family, but because she'd done a lot for him ever since he'd arrived in town.

To be unable to repay that, even by the smallest margin, was a blow to his pride.

He huffed, glancing upwards at the clock, and frowned.

Time for the party.

* * *

"Happy Hearth's Warming!" was the highly excited cheer that Pinkie had greeted him with upon entering the Golden Oaks Library.

After the play's conclusion, the seven of them had grouped together back stage, and, predictably, started planning the next day.

To no one's surprise, Pinkie was the one to suggest a party, but, to everyone's surprise, she had suggested a small party for the seven of them alone. Her reasoning had been that _everyone_ was going to celebrate with their families that day, so why take that away from them and plan some super big party, when she could make her own little one?

Thus it had been decided. They would all gather at the library, since it would be closed to the public, and Pinkie and Sparky would set up their own little soiree.

"Happy Hearth's Warming, Pinkie," he replied, just as Pinkie snatched up the boxes and gently slid them under a large decorated tree sitting snugly in the corner, all the while keeping her distance from him, for some odd reason.

The library certainly had quite the overhaul. With bright, colourful tinsel lined along the hundreds of shelves, large bulbous ornaments hanging off of each one by the dozens. There was a large, lush wreath hanging on the door as well. To top it all off, the star on the tree nearby was bright enough that he doubted they'd need to light any candles as the day went on. Though he did notice a strange green plant hanging just above the door, with a small red ribbon tying it together, matching the few berries on it.

"This place looks nice Pinkie," he complimented, "You did pretty good."

"Thanks!" the party pony chirped, "But most of it was Twilight," she admitted, tilting her head, "I was gonna hang a bunch of lights outside, but Twilight said that it would blind anypony who looked at it," she said.

"Must've been a lot of lights."

"Not much. Just a thousand or two!"

"Right," Emerald said, choosing to ignore that, "so where is everyone?" he asked, glancing around. It was just him and Pinkie in the room, and he couldn't hear Sparky or the hatchling upstairs, "Am I that early?"

Pinkie hummed to herself, already hopping towards the kitchen,

"Kinda! Twilight and Spike just went out to grab some stuff, and they left me in charge of the food!" she gushed, whirling around, "This party's gonna be amazing! I'll make cupcakes and cookies and cake and pudding and pies and-!"

"I get it," he snapped, but proceeded to follow after her, "How about I help you?"

"Thanks!"

Almost an hour had passed, during which he and Pinkie had managed to successfully produce every one of the goods she had mentioned, as well as plenty of extras which they had then lined on a nearby table, though where she had gotten it Emerald hadn't seen, before setting it out in the main room.

Admittedly, Emerald had felt a little out of depth while he watched Pinkie zip around the kitchen like she did, and more than a tad inadequate when he recalled how long it had taken him to get that damned pie done correctly.

Regardless, within that time the other mares had arrived, leaving Sparky and the hatchling as the only ones not currently there.

"Happy Hearth's Warming everypony!" Pinkie cheered, bouncing back into the room, with Emerald behind her moments later,

"Happy Hearth's Warming, Pinkie," was Rarity's response, as she levitated a few boxes off of her back, "Where shall I put these?" she asked, though she was beaten by Pinkie nabbing them and placing them where she'd put his earlier, "Ah, thank you."

While Pinkie was busy talking to the other three, Rarity made her way over to Emerald,

"Happy Hearth's Warming, Emerald!" she greeted,

"Happy Hearth's Warming to you too, Rarity," he replied, nodding at her, "Need something?" he asked. Rarity shook her had,

"Oh not at all," she began, smiling daintily, "I'm merely a tad excited. Hearth's Warming is such a beautiful time of the year, don't you think?" she asked. Emerald blinked, but nodded,

"Yes... it does possess a lovely sort of... aesthetic," he agreed hesitantly, "Though the colour white can only be seen so many times before it gets annoying." Rarity tittered,

"Oh my, I certainly hope _I'm_ not the one getting annoying," she jested, holding a hoof to her cheek as she swayed dramatically,

"Hmm... we'll see."

Their banter was cut off as one of the girls by the door yelped, Rainbow Dash specifically, and she practically dived away,

"Jeez, Pinkie! You gotta warn a pony about that!" she snapped, glancing up at the ceiling above the door, before groaning, "Great, now I'm gonna be stuck looking up this whole time!" she grumbled.

Rarity started giggling beside him, but Emerald was much more concerned with something else.

What was she talking about?

His eyes raked the ceiling, but all he could find was the one plant above the door. There was nothing else on the ceiling aside from that, but... he recognized the plant in question as being harmless. It produced no odor, no toxin, no defense mechanism, nothing. One could eat the berries on it with no troubles whatsoever. So what was it that had caused such an extreme reaction from her?

Judging by everyone else's reaction, it seemed that he was the only who didn't know.

_Great._

Things got moving after that, as the last of the mares set their gifts down by the tree. The six of them hadn't really begun the festivities yet, as they were still missing one of their number, but that didn't stop Rainbow and Pinkie from stuffing themselves, of course.

It was, perhaps, another ten minutes before Sparky appeared, walking through the door with an utterly bemused expression on her face.

"Oh my gosh! Everyone's here!" Pinkie squealed, "Now we can PAARRRTAYY!" she shouted, bolting over to the record player, causing an unfamiliar, but clearly festive, song to play.

Sparky shook her head at Pinkie's antics, even as Pinkie and Fluttershy began dancing. She took the time to place her own gifts by the tree, and made her way over to the snack table, where Emerald decided to meet her.

"So, anything interesting happen before you got here?" he asked, having noticed the lack of a certain dragon accompanying the bookish mare. Sparky giggled,

"Well, I don't know about interesting, but it was kinda funny," she said, earning a raised brow from the thestral,

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"The Crusaders," she began, causing Emerald to understand immediately, "The three of them ended up coming by and started talking about a small celebration that Cheerilee is holding for the foals at the schoolhouse," she said, "Since Spike is around their age, they thought he should come along."

"Hmm, that explains why Wisp asked to make cookies," Emerald said, "And here I thought she was just taking advantage of the season to sate her sweet tooth, the little demon."

Sparky giggled,

"Well, I wouldn't call her a demon, but she _does_ have a bit of a manipulative streak in her," she noted, smirking faintly, "I've caught her tricking Spike and even Owloysius into helping her clean up after our lessons more than once," she admitted, causing Emerald to chuckle,

"Hehe, I'm not surprised. She always did look up to Trixie, and she's a magician. Manipulation is part of the trade." Sparky hummed, taking a bite from one of the cupcakes lined on the table,

"I hope it doesn't become a habit. She's such a nice filly. I wouldn't want her to end up as anything bad," she said, frowning.

"Speaking of," Emerald said, "How are the lessons going? She doesn't often talk about them, and I rarely ask,"

"Wisp is a very smart filly for her age," Sparky admitted, smiling, "I'm really happy that she wanted me to keep teaching her," she said, but frowned, "Though, she seems to be leaning towards more... violent magic," Emerald nodded,

"Makes sense," he said, much to Sparky's surprise,

"Ow! What?!" she asked, her head snapping to face him, her neck cracking in the process, "How in the world does that make sense?!" she asked, giving him a disapproving look, though it only caused Emerald to chuckle, "Why are you laughing? She's just a little filly, she shouldn't be interested in that kind of magic!" Emerald shook his head,

"Little filly or not, she was foalnapped and held hostage for around four years. Even if she doesn't remember a majority of it, that doesn't change the fact that she was traumatized at a young age," he said, his words calming Sparky down, though they also caused a small pit of guilt in the mare's stomach for not remembering, "She's done very well to grow past it, even better than I have," he admitted, with no small amount of pride in his voice, "but that doesn't change things. The Facility was not a peaceful place, and it was even worse during our escape. I'm honestly not surprised that Wisp is trying to learn more dangerous spells. She might look up to Trixie, but _I'm_ her role model, her guardian, and I've never tried to hide how cruel and dangerous the world can be to her," he said, and chuckled, "I've trained and had others train her in basic defense, both physical and magical, but, like you said, she's only a filly. I'm not sure she ever took it seriously," he admitted.

"Well, she's taking it seriously now," Sparky said, frowning, "I've tried to avoid the subject and lean more towards utility based magic and the basics, but she's stubborn..."

Emerald chuckled,

"Yeah, she can be," he said, smirking, "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure where she got that from..."

"Really?" Sparky asked, raising a brow at him, "You have no idea?" He shook his head,

"None whatsoever."

Sparky sighed,

"Well, what should I do?" she asked, surprising him, "I mean... I don't know much about battle magic. I only know one spell that be classified as battle magic, and even then it's not much. Just a Bolt spell. I don't want to disappoint her, though..." she said, frowning, "I _could_ ask Shiny for help..." she muttered, and shook her head, "But it's your decision, in the end, of whether she's allowed to learn that kind of thing." Emerald regarded the mare for a moment,

"You're... okay with that?" he asked, honestly a tad surprised. He'd've thought a regular pony like her, Element of Harmony or not, would've been heavily against teaching someone potentially dangerous magic. From what she was saying, it almost sounded like she was willing, but there was no way-

"Well, yeah," Sparky admitted, unwittingly stumping the stallion she was talking to, "I mean... it's not _wrong_ to learn battle magic, and like I said, I do know a spell designed for that. I don't mind teaching her about it, I'm just worried I can't teach her _enough_," she admitted. Emerald stared for a moment, before chuckling,

"Well... you're certainly full of surprises," he said, smiling, then nodded, "As both a member of the Guard, and as her older brother, I would very much appreciate it if you could teach Wisp battle magic," he said, holding a hoof to his heart, "I won't be around to protect her forever, at the very least I might just be able to pass on if I know she can keep herself safe."

Sparky shook her head,

"I don't think any of us are going to have worry about you d-dying any time soon, Emerald," she said, though her voice had hitched slightly. Emerald shrugged,

"It's not a plan, but you know what they say: Plans never survive first contact with the enemy." Sparky regarded him with worried eyes, but a certain pink party mare prevented them from speaking further.

"Okay!" she shouted over the music, though it wasn't that loud to begin with, "Since we're all here, it's time for us to have some real fun! C'mon everybody!" she shouted, producing a small box, labeled 'Party Games' in pink marker, "Let's PARRTAY!"

And thus, Pinkie dragged the lot of them into some of her games, not that could have stopped her of course.

And so, for the next few hours, the six of them were subjected to increasingly vibrant games, ranging from simple board games like Monopony and Candied Land, to more elaborate team based games, like Charades and Pictionary, where he demonstrated his inability to draw for shit.

Strangely enough, he and Sparky were partnered up for every game they played that required partners. It was strange, since neither of them had attempted to cause such a thing, and, in Emerald's case, had even tried avoiding it a few times, only to somehow end up as the_ only two_ who lacked a partner, despite the fact that there were _seven of them._

It didn't help that Rarity was _constantly_ staring at the two of them, her eyes darting up towards that strange plant in the ceiling and back to them nearly every other minute. Rainbow's earlier reaction and Rarity's current one were really beginning to paint that stupid plant in a terrifying light.

Just what weird pony tradition was that thing related to?!

Eventually, the moon finally arrived in its favoured position in the sky, leaving Emerald with only another hour or so until his patrol was due to begin. Holiday or not, he was working as he always had.

Thankfully, it seemed Pinkie was fully aware of this, and ended the games not too long after the realization had come along.

That didn't mean the party was over, oh no, after all, they still had to open-

"Time for presents!" Pinkie announced loudly, "C'mon everyone! Gather around the tree!" she yelled. Her excited attitude was normal, but there was something about it that just seemed to shine brighter than normal, and it seemed he wasn't the only to notice, as all six of them had quickly migrated over to the prettily decorated evergreen, and sat in a half circle before it.

"Okay!" Pinkie announced, and deflated, "How are we gonna do this?" she asked innocently, staring at the six of them.

"Tch. Figures you'd plan out everything but this, Pinkie," Emerald snarked, though the smile on his face didn't drop,

"How about we just hoof out someone's gifts ta everyone?" Applejack suggested,

"Or maybe have one pony open every one of their gifts, before moving on to the next?" came Rarity's suggestion,

"How 'bout we just open all of 'em?" Rainbow asked impatiently. She was ignored.

"I like Applejack's idea," Sparky said, "That way we all see how everyone reacts to what we got them at once,"

"O-oh! I'd like that!" Fluttershy stammered excitedly, "I-I get so worried during the wait..."

"Eh, why not?" was Emerald's response,

"Okay! Let's do that!" Pinkie cheered, already standing next to the plethora of coloured boxes, "Who's gifts first?" she asked, looking at them, "Oooh! Me! Mine first!" she added immediately, producing six bright pink coloured gifts, and leaving no room for argument, as she quickly distributed them to her flabbergasted friends.

Immediately, Emerald could smell whatever it was that Pinkie had put in the box she all but shoved into his hooves, hinting at its baked origin.

"Woah!" came Rainbow's stunned voice, producing a pair of blue goggles similar to his own from her already torn open box, "These are _awesome_!" she announced, fitting them on her head, "I've been looking for a new pair of goggles for _weeks_! Thanks Pinks!" she said, smiling brightly,

"No problem, Dashie!"

"Guess I'm up," Applejack said, carefully ripping open the box, when her eyes widened slightly at what was inside, "Oh my goodness, Pinkie, how'd you...?" she asked, staring up at the party mare in surprise. Pinkie only smiled, and mimed locking her lips shut and tossing the key, before ushering her on to show the rest of them.

Hooves shaking slightly, Applejack lifted a... picture frame? From the box.

It was gold in colour, and had a series of apple and vine themed designs along the border.

Despite the simplicity, it seemed that it was enough to drive the normally tough farm mare to tears.

"Pinkie, how did ya do this?" she asked once more, hiccuping slightly as she stared at her pink friend. Unlike the previous reaction, Pinkie smiled softly,

"You know that cranky old pony who runs the blacksmith in town?" she asked.

There was a blacksmith in Ponyville?

Damn, wish he'd known that...

"Well, I helped him throw a party for his niece, and I asked if he could fix that up for you!" she chirped.

Fix? Emerald's eyes darted back over to the simple picture frame. Yes... he could see it. Some of the metal used in it's making seemed a tad older than the rest of the metal, showing faint signs of aging, and even rust in one or two spots.

Couple that with it's design, and Emerald had a feeling that it was an old Apple Family treasure that had seen better days, and to think that Pinkie had had it fixed?

No wonder Applejack was tearing up. Family meant the world to that mare.

"Oh my, it's beautiful!" Rarity gushed, leaning a bit closer to look at it, "Such detail! My my, whoever made that must be quite the artisan!" Applejack swallowed, and nodded at Rarity's words,

"Yeah, mah Ma made it," she whispered, staring down at the frame in her hooves, ignoring the gasps of the others around her, "She gave it ta me befer she an' Pa passed away. A-always been good with 'er hooves, she wanted ta make sure I always had somethin' ta 'member her by in case I ever left home."

Pinkie smiled brightly, but ushered for the next one of them to open the gift.

"Oh my..." Fluttershy breathed, looking into her own carefully unwrapped box, before taking out a small stuffed bunny, "It's so cute!" she gushed, giving the small thing big hug, "It's just like Angel," she cooed.

Rarity was up next, giving a small, lady-like laugh as she revealed a new sewing kit from within the pink present,

"My, how thoughtful!" she said, nodding thankfully at Pinkie, "I must say, I've been meaning to stock up on new thimbles and needles for awhile now."

Sparky came right after, showing them a large book, titled 'Party Planning for the Party Impaired'.

The flat look on her face as she revealed the book to them roused a loud chorus of laughter from the group, one that she joined in moments later.

That left Emerald with his gift, which he opened to reveal-

"A... chocolate pie?" he asked incredulously, staring at Pinkie, "But-! How did you-?" His attempts at speaking ended in nothing but inane gibberish as he tried, and failed, to understand _how the fuck did she know he got her a chocolate pie?!_

There was just _no way_ it was coincidence that they got each other the same fucking thing!

Pinkie only smiled and shrugged at him,

"Alright, my turn!" Rainbow said, zipping up to Pinkie, gesturing for her to take her previous place, before passing out her gifts, all wrapped in blue paper.

Unlike Pinkie, none of her gifts sent any of them into tears, but that didn't mean she didn't get any reactions.

"What the hay is this?" Applejack asked, holding a small slip of paper, turning it over to peer at the back, "'Good for One Rain Free Day'? Dash, is this a dang coupon?" she asked, looking at the pegasus incredulously. Rainbow shrugged,

"Yeah, I mean, you always complain about the weather schedule and how it totally messes with your chores and stuff. I'm the captain of the team, and I talked with my boss about it and he's fine, so..." she trailed off. Applejack stared at it for a moment longer, and chuckled,

"I'll hold ya to it," she warned with a smirk, before they were distracted by Pinkie's shout,

"Ooh! New pranking supplies?!" she cried, staring excitedly at a small box, "Whoopie cushions, markers, paint-ooh! It even has confetti! I love confetti! Thanks Dashie!" she gushed, jumping forward to wrap her hooves around Rainbow's neck, nearly sending them both crashing to the ground,

"Gah! Pinkie, you're heavy!"

Tittering at the display in front of her, Rarity set about daintily opening her gift as well. Her eyes widened slightly, before narrowing in confusion,

"Rainbow Dash, is this one of your little pranks?" she asked, staring at the pinned pegasus with distrustful eyes, "I'll have you know that Opal is _still_ coughing up smoke from your last prank," she added. Rainbow looked at her, pausing in her struggle to remove Pinkie, confused,

"What?" she asked, glancing at the box, before her eyes lit up, "Oh, nah. It's some weird type of cloud the Weather Station is trying out. It's supposed to be used as fabric or something for the station's uniforms, I dunno. Apparently even non-pegasi can use the stuff, too, but I have _no_ idea how they managed that," she said, then paused, before continuing, "There's should be this jar with this white stuff in it too, and some bottled rainbow. The guy who sold it to me said that you have to coat the needles and thread you wanna use in the stuff or else they won't like work or anything. He said he put some instructions in there too, so..." she trailed off.

Still staring at her, Rarity reached into the box and _pulled out a cloud_.

Evidently she hadn't believed the rainbow-maned mare either, judging by the way her eyes widened at the sight of the honest to Faust cloud resting in her hooves. It was puffy and airy like most clouds, but since it didn't seem to like floating, and was also a slightly off-white colour, it was clear she wasn't kidding about it being a different type of cloud.

"Oh my goodness..." Rarity breathed, "It's... surprisingly warm..." she muttered, as her eyes began to sparkle madly, "Oh my! The things I can do with this kind of material! Jackets, coats, scarves, mittens! Oooh! It's the perfect material for cold weather!" she squealed.

The rest of the gifts weren't as extravagant, with Fluttershy receiving a new Winter hat, as her old one had apparently been shredded by some ornery cats, Sparky got a set of training weights, as well as a jab from Rainbow about needing to do it at home as well, and he'd received another set of goggles, with Rainbow explaining it simply as 'Everyone needs a back-up pair'.

He had agreed.

Fluttershy's gifts were well received as well, with every one of them receiving a small bag of treats for their respective pets, all hoof-made by Fluttershy herself, with Rainbow receiving a bar of soap meant for cleaning feathers, as she lacked a pet of her own.

Emerald had taken note of the grimace on Rainbow's face when her lack of a pet had been brought up, but thought little of it.

Applejack had given them all some form of apple-based product she'd made. Rainbow had received a bottle of cider, much to her delight. Fluttershy was given some fritters. Rarity had gotten a bottle of apple-based champagne, much to Emerald's surprise and slight disgust. Pinkie had gotten a set of cupcakes, which she had nearly begun to scarf down if it wasn't for the spread of food off to the side. Sparky received some apple jam that Applebloom had helped make, and Emerald, much to his amusement, had gotten yet another pie, only it was apple this time around.

Rarity's gifts had been about as extravagant as to be expected from a personality like hers. Each of them had received a brand new article of clothing. Fluttershy's had been the same white and blue outfit she had originally modeled for Photo Finish, with a few alterations to better compliment her. Rainbow had received a set of shoes, since the mare evidently didn't like her hooves being touched by others, while Applejack had gotten a new hat, though Rarity had stressed it was for formal occasions, so she didn't get her normal hat all messed up like the Gala. Pinkie's gift had been a bright blue cape with pink lining. According to Rarity, her inspiration for it had come from seeing her play around with the twins, and she'd made this for just that.

She had been crushed by one of Pinkie's hugs after that.

Funnily enough, both had and Sparky had received new scarves, though he had been a little embarrassed when he realized that his was a deep lavender the same shade as the stripe in her mane, while hers had been the same shade of green as his coat.

Sparky distributed her gifts out to them next, and, to no one's surprise, they all turned out to be books of varying subjects.

Rarity's had been about old Zebrican fabric weavers and their methods of turning even tough, unyeilding fabrics into soft clothing. Rainbow's had been about the history of the Wonderbolts, while Applejack's was about various farming techniques. She'd been a tad offended at first, but after some explanation from Sparky about turning a more profitable harvest, she'd been appeased. Pinkie's was a new cookbook filled with magical desserts. The look on Pinkie's face had... unnerved Emerald, causing him to vow to himself to be _very far away_ when she tried making anything in it. Fluttershy had received a book on rare supernatural creatures. Fluttershy had opened it right away, to a page that had been suspiciously dog-eared, and yelped at the sight of the, extraordinarily well drawn, image of a Wendigo.

Her gift to him had been rather surprising.

101 Ways to Relax: The De-Stressing.

He... couldn't tell if there was a joke in there somewhere or not.

Now, it was time for Emerald to distribute his own gifts. He could only hope they turned out well.

"Woowee!" Applejack cheered, holding out her new pair of work boots, carefully eyeing their simple, earthy design, "I've been savin' up fer some'a these for months now!" she announced, smiling at him, "How'd ya know?" she asked, already slipping them on. Emerald just shrugged,

"I didn't."

Chuckling at his response, Pinkie eagerly tore open her own gift, gasping happily as she revealed the chocolate confection,

"Pie!" she cried, before giving it a strong sniff, "Ooh! Chocolate!"

"_Extra_ chocolate," Emerald corrected her, amused.

"So that's why you seemed so confused earlier," Sparky noted, smiling softly, "You two ended up getting each other the same thing."

"Great minds think alike?" was Pinkie's response. None of them could tell if she was being serious.

"Oh my!" Fluttershy breathed, carefully taking out the cookbook he'd gotten her, opening it up immediately, "Goodness! There's so many recipes!" she gushed excitedly, her eyes darting around the pages as she eagerly flipped through them, "So many treats! There's one for otters, and monkeys, and toucans, and kitties, and flamingos, and-!"

Emerald chuckled softly at his dear cousin's enthusiasm, but stopped paying attention as she continued to list animal after animal, until it got to the point where he stopped recognizing the species she was naming.

"Aw yeah!"

It seemed that Rainbow's gift went over well too.

"How'd you get this?!" she asked, staring at him with wide eyes, "These things've been sold out for months!" Emerald only shrugged,

"I'm the brother of the Captain of the Wonderbolts. I have to abuse that position at least once in my life, don't I?" he asked, smirking wickedly, earning a laugh from the rainbow mare.

A very soft gasp caught his attention, causing him to turn in Rarity's direction, finding her staring, open-mouthed, at the simple, silver necklace, inlaid with a single diamond, he'd crafted for her.

"Oh my..." she breathed, staring at it with sparkling eyes, "It's... beautiful..." she muttered, turning to stare at him.

It was? That was... a relief, actually. It meant that the kit he'd bought had _very_ good instructions. Better than he'd hoped, even.

He shrugged once more in response,

"Eh, it's nothing," he said, "I didn't go to much trouble to make it."

"_Make it_?!" Rarity shrieked, staring at him in surprise, "You _made this_?!" she asked. Emerald blinked, and nodded, albeit a tad hesitantly,

"Yes? Just I like made Applejack's boots and Pinkie's chocolate pie," he said, pointing at the two mares in question, "Is that... bad?" he asked, a lump appearing in his throat.

Had... had he committed some sort of faux pas? Was giving jewelry considered something different to these ponies than it was in Nocturne?

H-he just thought it was a gift! Was it actually some sort of important tradition in Equestria?!

Oh sweet Faust, _what did he do?!_

"No!" was Rarity's rapid response, inadvertently calming the panicking thestral, "I was just... surprised. It... it looks wonderful," she repeated, "I-I just couldn't believe you made something like this..." she muttered, before her eyes widened, "Oh goodness, it must've cost a fortune!" she gasped, "Oh nononono! This is too much!" she said, suddenly leaping at him, and tried to force the necklace into his hooves, "You shouldn't spend so much just for a little gift you know!" she tried scolding him, though her voice was a bit stuffy, and he could see the faintest trace of tears in her eyes, "Even if it's a wonderful thing, it's just too much! I couldn't, in good conscience, accept something that cost you so much!"

"Wha-" he tried to argue, pushing her away, gently of course, "What are you talking about?" he asked, carefully taking a step back from the mare, "It's just a necklace!"

"It's a _diamond_ necklace!" Rarity argued, "Diamonds are extraordinarily rare in Equestria!"

"You made a dress of diamonds! Which you sold to Sapphire, remember?!" Emerald retorted,

"I had to use my _entire supply of diamonds_ for that _one dress!_" Rarity said, almost desperately, "The only reason I had as many as I did was because some of my wealthier clients decided to pay with _one_!" she added, "Diamonds are extraordinarily expensive! Just one is enough to buy my _entire stock_ of dresses! The amount of money on the check that Sapphire Shores gave me nearly gave me a heart attack! It was enough to completely restock _everything_ in my store ten times over!"

Emerald's anger, which had been steadily building, immediately fell at that argument.

"Oh. You literally meant the cost of the diamond," he said, and chuckled, "I went gem hunting in the mines those Mutts left behind. It took some time, but I managed to find one diamond in that mess, out of thousands of other gems," he explained, and sighed, "I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of it anyways. It's a _gift_. Do you know how rude it is to just return a gift like that?" he teased, relaxing back onto the floor, "Besides, you've given away quite a few outfits to me and the others for free. You don't get to complain about giving someone something that costs a lot of money, Rarity. Just accept it, and move on," he added, his voice turning a tad threatening towards the end.

She looked like she wanted to argue, even looking at the others for assistance, only to find the other five nodding along with his words, a few even looking a bit smug.

"Wha-but-I... fine!" she said, trying to look miffed, but the smile that refused to leave her face kept any sort of malice from slipping through, "But don't think for a second that I'm letting this go, Emerald!" she warned, "I'll repay you, no matter what it takes!" she said, before an almost dark smirk overtook her features, "_And I just might have an idea as to how_..." she muttered, turning away from him.

"Well, that's everything!" Pinkie announced, bouncing into place before them, "So-!"

"Wait, what about Twilight?" Fluttershy asked, looking startled, "She didn't get to open Emerald's gift yet..." she pointed out,

"Oh yeah," Rainbow agreed, looking around, "Where is it?" she asked, prompting the other four to begin searching as well,

"Uh... th-there isn't one..." Emerald muttered, looking away from them, hoping the flushing of his face wasn't noticeable.

"What?!" Pinkie cried,

"Yeah, what the hay?" Rainbow asked, sounding offended, "What, is she not good enough for a gift or somethin'?" she asked,

"Of course she's good enough you moron!" Emerald snapped, before looking towards Sparky, then averting his gaze, "I just... didn't know what to get... I ran out of time before I could find something," he admitted.

Sparky sighed, and shook her head,

"That's fine. Hearth's Warming isn't about giving everypony gifts," she said, smiling as she looked around, "It's about getting together with friends and family. Honestly, just spending time with all of you? That's the best gift I could have ever received, and I did!" she announced, using her magic to draw the lot of them into a group hug.

"""""Aww..."""""

"Be that as it may," Emerald said, breaking away from the hug, "I _do_ feel pretty guilty about it," he admitted, "so... name something, anything really. I'll make it up to you," he promised,

"Wh-what?" she asked, shaking her head rapidly, "Nonono! It's fine, really. You don't need to do anything special for me..."

"Nonsense," Emerald argued, waving aside her argument without issue, "Just tell me to do something, and I'll do it. There's no way I can just let something like this pass. You're... you lot are some of my first friends. _Real_ friends, and it just doesn't feel right not to repay that in some way... so just... name something. Anything, and I'll do it to the best of my ability."

Sparky blinked, looking at him with a slack jaw,

"R-really?" she asked, sounding unsure, "A-anything?" she asked once more, her face turning an interesting shade of red.

He could've sworn he even saw steam pour out her ears as well!

"Anything," he reaffirmed, and glanced at the clock, "Why don't you tell me tomorrow? I have to head out on patrol," he said, slipping on his old goggles and new scarf, whilst also taking everything else he'd been gifted and slipping them gently into his saddlebag, "Deal?"

"D-deal..." Sparky stammered, seemingly distracted.

He nodded and made his way over to the door, only for Rarity to call out to him,

"Hold on a moment, darling!" he turned around, only to come face to face with a startled looking Sparky, "Oh, goodness, I'm sorry Twilight dear, I must've slipped!~" she sang, sounding strangely pleased with herself, despite just bodily shoving her friend into someone else.

"What the..." Emerald shook his head, and turned to Sparky, "You alright there, Sparky?" he asked, only to raise a brow at the mare's strange new behavior.

She was locked in place, stiff as a board. Were it not for her heartbeat, she just might have been mistaken for a well-crafted statue. Not only that, but her face had lit up like a bonfire, and she was steadfastly _staring straight above them_.

Confused, Emerald followed her gaze, finding that the two of them were standing directly beneath the strange green plant above the door, its red berries gleaming in the soft light of the library.

He directed his gaze over to the other mares, and was... further confused.

Pinkie and Rarity were staring at the two of them like fillies in a candy store, Fluttershy had promptly turned red and hid behind her mane, though he could spot a single teal eye peeking out and staring at them. Applejack's jaw had gone slack, and she was alternating her incredulous gaze between them and Rarity, while Rainbow had started cackling, laying on the floor and pounding her hooves against the wood like a mare possessed.

He was tempted to ask them what was happening, but figured it would be a lot smarter, and potentially safer, to ask the mare that seemed to be a victim of whatever plan Rarity had just let unfold explain it.

"So..." he began, trailing off when Sparky's blush deepened, "... what's this supposed to mean?" he asked.

And just like that, everyone in the room, a part from himself, froze.

Aside from the howling winds outside, the inside of the library was totally silent. If he didn't know any better, he'd've thought their hearts had stopped beating as well!

"Wh-what?"croaked Sparky, her voice coming out as a strange combination of relief and... disappointment, "Y-you don't know what standing under a mistletoe means?" she asked. Emerald blinked, and shook his head, further stunned the six mares,

"Not a clue. Is it... important?" he asked, raising a brow.

""YES!"" Rarity and Pinkie suddenly screeched in unison, ""IT MEANS YOU TWO HAVE TO-MMPH?!""

"Hug!" Sparky squeaked, her horn glowing brightly as she held the mouths of the other two mares shut, "It means we have to hug!" she explained, sounding strangely out of breath.

"Hug?" Emerald asked, his brow raising further, "Standing under a specific plant... means we have to hug?"

"Y-yes!" Sparky explained, "it's considered, uh, bad form not to, sooo..." she trailed off, her blush beginning to die down, though it hadn't quite disappeared.

A hug?

That's what that meant?

But... that didn't explain why Rainbow had been so against it earlier. Then again, she _had_ been under it with Pinkie, and that mare could really squish someone, so...

He supposed it was possible...?

Then again, what were Pinkie and Rarity about to shout before Sparky cut them off?

A sudden shiver ran down his spine.

_He didn't want to know._

"Riiiight," he said, not believing her in the slightest, but figuring it was the lesser of two evils, "If you say so."

He quickly reached forward with a hoof, and brought the flustered mare into a simple hug, giving her a small squeeze, before letting go, ignoring the heat swarming into his face.

"R-right, well, I have to head out now. You lot enjoy the rest of the party," he said, immediately slipping out the door, letting loose a sigh as the cool winter air caressed his skin, causing his blush to recede.

He shook his head, ridding it of some lingering thoughts, and set off into the night, already pulling out the familiar tools necessary for his patrol.

He steadfastly ignored the shouting coming from back inside the library.

_Especially the part about mistletoe and kissing._

* * *

Within a darkened room, a single mare sat upon her throne. It was a dark thing, made completely of blackened stone and decorated by an equally dark finish. It was a twisted thing, with hidden effigies of the Eternal Darkness in a World Without the Sun etched onto its surface. It was a majestic thing, for only one blessed by the True Mistress of the Night could hold the privilege of sitting upon it, thus marking them as the Voice of the Nightmare, an Apostle of the Night Mother...

The Prophet of Nightmare Moon.

There she sat, draped in a skintight suit of blackest night. Her deep purple coat a sign of her exalted status, her dark rose mane a sign of her unending beauty, and her cold, ruthless opal eyes a sign of unquestionable authority.

The room she resided in was just as dark, with deep brown walls covered by tapestries of the Night's True Mistress, no windows around to allow in the wretched sunlight. Light was only provided by the ten lit candles, sitting harmlessly atop their pedestals, surrounding the deep crimson carpet that led to her.

The sound of hurried hoofsteps caused her ears to perk, and her head rose, just as the door was opened, admitting three of her dear disciples.

"You have returned."

Her voice was deep, but clearly feminine. The soft, almost seductive tones washed over her disciples, bringing them into a deep, respectful kneel.

"Prophet," spoke the center one, the only female of the group, "It is done."

"You have the pictures, then?" she asked. As expected, the mare hastily brought forth a small stack from beneath her dark robes, the metal symbol of their Dark Patron glinting softly in the candlelight.

A putrid green glow suffused the Prophet's horn, and the pictures darted forth.

"I see," she spoke calmly, her voice never betraying her inward thoughts, even as her eyes scanned each of the seven images, though they lingered heavily on the lone stallion of the seven, "... you have done well, my dear," she said, ignoring the pleasurable squirm the mare gave off as she turned her attention to the rightmost stallion, "and... your task?"

The stallion stood, though his eyes remained locked on the floor, for one such as he was not worthy to gaze upon their wondrous Prophet,

"The spells holding the draconequus proved stronger than anticipated, Milady. They were tricky to search through without alerting the heathens, but I discovered its method of recharging itself with the ambient magic in the air. I have successfully managed to damage that portion of the spell. It is only a matter of time before they are weak enough, and the foolish creature will be unleashed upon the heathens."

The Prophet nodded,

"Good," she spoke, and turned to the last remaining stallion, "and you?"

The third and final pony that knelt before her stood, though this one dared to look her in the eye,

"Milady, though it has taken time, I have successfully identified many of the spells lacing the door into Tartarus. The spells are far too powerful for even our most skilled spellbreaker to dismantle, however. I estimate it would take an entire team just to break one of the many spells on the door."

"I see," she said, and fixed him with a cool gaze, "... there is more you wish to say."

"Y-yes Milady," he agreed, clearly beginning to fidget, "I... I do not wish to question the words of our Prophet but... how is any of this going to help us revive Lady Nightmare Moon?" he asked, ignoring, with some evident difficulty, the wide-eyed and slack-jawed gazes of his fellow disciples.

The Prophet regarded him for a moment, before standing from her throne, causing the two silent disciples to hastily kneel back down, while the third began to backpedal,

"I-I apologize! Milady I do not mean to overstep my boundaries!" he stammered, his back hitting the door, long before their Prophet had even taken a step forward, "P-please, Milady! Have mercy!"

She ignored his desperate pleas, and merely began to stalk forward.

"It is only natural that you question our goals," she spoke, her voice, though scarcely more than a whisper, silenced all sounds coming from the panicking stallion, "Indeed, such is an inevitability," she continued, her slow steps echoing near silently along the carpet.

"You see, my dears, though our intentions of reviving our Dark Lady have most assuredly gained us her Favour, it matters not for we lack the strength and spells to bring her back," she said, "That wretched Princess of the Sun has done away with the rituals and dark magic necessary to bring her to us, thus, we must turn to the only place such spells remain... Tartarus. I know of an individual whose goals align with ours, that shall be more than willing to give us the strength and magic to summon her back to our realm, but that matters little if we are unable to enter, or are chased away by the ever-present guardian," she nodded as the stallion's eyes widened,

"Y-you mean...?!"

"Yes, that it why we must endeavor to make our way into Tartarus. Yet the Wretched Sun has placed numerous wards on the door, as she should have," the Prophet admitted, "that is why we require an adequate distraction. Such as... the return of a great evil. A tyrannical King of Chaos. His mere presence in the world will be enough to sufficiently weaken a majority of those spells, and our most skilled spellbreakers will be more than able to do away with the weakened remains, which will allow myself to enter and retrieve our ally."

Her words ended there, just as she finally stopped in front of her disciple, who stared at her with awe in his eyes,

"Of course, Milady. I sincerely apologize for doubting you, even for a moment. It shall not happen again, I assure you," he said, kneeling down.

The Prophet stared down at him, before a soft smile graced her otherwise stoic features.

"No, it shall not."

The room was filled with the scent of ozone for all but an instant, before the Prophet's horn lit up with a putrid green light, and a jagged beam of green electricity jumped form her horn into the unruly disciple.

_"AGHHHHHH!"_

His body flew back against the door, spasming violently. His screams of agony echoed through the building, growing in intensity, though the Prophet's expression remained the same.

"_AGGHHHH-!_*SPURT*

Finally his screams were silenced with the sound of exploding flesh, his head finally unable to take the magic being poured into it. Blood, gray matter, and bone splattered against the walls and floor, painting them a deep crimson flecked with white, and the carpet a deeper crimson. Smoke wafted into the air from the stallion's now empty neck, his spinal cord sticking out now that it was no longer hidden beneath tissue and skin.

A soft, shimmering wall of green faded from existence, causing the splattered fluid to splash wetly against the ground, and revealed the Prophet standing there, as clean as ever before.

"I shall not have my word being questioned," she spoke softly, her voice holding no scorn or contempt as she turned to the remaining disciples, "do take the body with you on your way out, and be sure to inform someone about the mess. I shall not allow the scent of blood to forever stain my quarters."

"O-of course!" the mare stammered, darting out of the room, lest she be next, leaving the remaining stallion to carry his old friend's corpse away, shuddering as he did so.

Now left alone, the Prophet turned back to her throne, and slowly made her way back into it, sinking deep into her thoughts.

She was so close now. Only a few more months at most, and then, _finally_, they would be reunited.

Her, and her beloved Master.

Oh, it had taken so many years, so many failed attempts, but now... now she was closer than ever before!

And to think, all she'd had to was trick some backwater town into believing in Nightmare Moon to get them to follow her word. It had taken a lot of planning to build up the necessary funds to get as far as they had, but her Master had taught her oh so very well.

Indeed, her Master was so generous to have taught her as he had, to have taken her on as his apprentice, to have _accepted her_ when _no one else would!_

_All because of that one day, that horrible, wretched day-!_

But... that was behind her now... her Master had seen talent in her, potential, even. She had been scared at first, the prospect of his offer having been far beyond her tiny mind back then, but she had agreed, because he had promised her something, something that she wanted more than anything in the world.

_A new horn!_

Oh yes, and he had delivered spectacularly! It had taken several years, and many failed test subjects, but they had found an ideal match for her in the form of their only changeling test subject.

She shuddered, remembering the pure _ecstasy_ of that moment, when her Master had grafted her new horn onto her, the pained screaming of the one who had _kept it from her_ filling the background.

Her face twisted into a sudden sneer, her stolen horn lighting up once more, causing the once dropped pile of pictures to explode upwards, as one particular image was placed just before her eyes.

_Him!_

_It was because of _Him_ that she and her Master had been separated!_

If only they had never taken that fool in, if only they had killed him off earlier on!

But... but no! No... no... he had been a valuable test subject. He had been the perfect candidate for their injections. He had reacted to them suitably well, his poor immune system having been bolstered, his weak and failing body having been rejuvenated to the point where he could survive more strenuous testing.

Oh that had been glorious! The excitement on her Master's face when their revitalizing serums had proved effective had been wonderful! It was a day of celebration the whole Facility over!

So many failed recipes, so many failed attempts, but that lone thestral's physiology had provided the answer _and_ the perfect test subject!

They had been able to move on to further testing, regarding his physical and mental capabilities and so much more beyond that, but, fortunately for the loathsome brat, he had proven to be inferior when compared to the results of their other subject's individual field.

Oh he had been quite the specimen. His strength and vitality and been extraordinary for one his age and size, but others more suited for their purposes had been selected. His organs had been examined in detail as well, but others had proven more beneficial in the long run.

While a fantastic subject, in the end he simply lacked any individual qualities that made him suited for her Master's desires. It was as if his very species had been designed to excel while still being well rounded in nearly every area. It had been frustrating, but he'd been tossed aside for better.

_Then that day happened._

She still didn't know what had caused that explosion, though she was certain her Master did. But whatever it had been, it had been strong enough to disable a vast majority of their security measures, and most of their test subjects had escaped in the frenzy.

It had been bad, yes, but it was salvageable. After all, their subjects were less than one hundred, while their staff ranged well above that paltry number. It would've been all too easy to deal with the escapees and cage them back up.

_If it wasn't for Him!_

Somehow the brat had managed to rally a number of their more exceptional subjects and killed off a vast number of their staff in the process, releasing more and more of their captured in the process. It didn't help that the fools had sabotaged a lot of their operations and caused further mess!

She didn't know when they managed to escape, but at some point they managed to find the only exit, seal it off, and make their way to who knows where. Her Master knew it was only a matter of time before the princess discovered them and had them all executed or shipped off to Tartarus, so he had come up with a plan.

And now, seven years in the future, it was _finally_ about to come to fruition!

Her horn glowed once more, the picture in her grasp ignited, and she flicked it aside.

They _would_ have their revenge! Nothing could possibly stop them! Only a few more months now! Only a few!

"Mhmhmhmhm..."

The Prophet started to laugh. A deep, loud, manic laughter that reverberated throughout the halls of their hidden base,

"Hmhmhhehehehhaha_haHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA_!"

Her laughter grew only louder, soon drowning out the sound of crackling flames, as the picture she'd tossed aside continued to burn, and the image of the green stallion in disguise turned to ash.


	30. Wrapping Up Winter

The night was calm. The moon and stars hung in the air, twinkling softly against the inky blackness of empty space. Hearth's Warming had come and gone, and with it went the myriad decorations that had infested the town, leaving Ponyville as pristine as it ever was.

It wasn't a surprise to find that on such a calm, quiet night that the residents of this little town were all sleeping peacefully in their homes, with not a care in the world as they swam through the realm of their dreams. Even so, there was _one_ individual who was still awake at this time, as a soft hum echoed through the air, followed by an angry growl as that same individual nimbly ducked beneath the timberwolf's strike.

Despite the imminent danger to his life, Emerald could honestly say he was feeling surprisingly relaxed. Then again, he _was_ in the middle of an exercise that 101 Ways to Relax: The De-Stressing had outlined, so perhaps that wasn't too surprising?

As annoying as it was to admit, the book that Sparky had gotten him for Hearth's Warming three months ago had proved particularly effective, and he had decided to take the occasional opportunity to make use of the simple exercises.

Like right now, whilst he was in the middle of avoiding the timberwolf that was trying to turn him into minced meat, which was already somewhat relaxing to him.

...

That was not a good thing, he understood. Finding a life or death fight relaxing, in any way, shape, or form, was not exactly something that any sane individual should be able to do.

Then again, thestrals weren't exactly the perfect picture of mental health, and the Skies Clan even less so. Plug in the Facility and he was surprised he hadn't been admitted to a mental facility.

Though, there _was_ that one psychologist that Mother had brought to him just after he first woke up in the Medical Wing...

His spear spun in place, before coming to a halt just in time to stop the timberwolf's paw dead in its tracks. He gave it a sort of half glance, before shoving its paw aside and lashing out, severing its head from its shoulders in a single motion.

He simply stood there and continued humming after that, not bothering to watch as the cursed wolf fell apart. It was a slow process, but his humming eventually came to an end, leaving a soundless void all around him.

A soft wind washed over him suddenly, its soft caress completely lacking the, by now familiar, sting of snowfall. Though, it was to be expected, after all...

Spring was tomorrow, and with it came Winter Wrap Up.

Winter Wrap Up was basically its namesake. The ponies of Equestria would all band together to get rid of the lingering touch of Winter and bring about Spring through the manipulation of the weather and the surroundings.

He'd... never actually participated in Winter Wrap Up before, and it wasn't because he was out working or outside Equestria.

He... simply couldn't manipulate the weather. He wasn't a pegasus, after all. Plus he was mostly stationed in Canterlot whenever Winter Wrap Up came along, and there wasn't much to Wrap Up aside from the weather there. Unlike Ponyville, which had weather, animals, as well as several farms in the area.

He could only wonder how much more they had to do.

Perhaps... he'd be able to help out this time? He might not be able to do shit about the weather, but he was certain that he could do _something_.

But... what?

Emerald frowned as he pondered this, but turned around and made his way back into town.

It was a dilemma, and not one he'd be able to solve right now. He didn't know what tasks Ponyville required done, or what options were available to him. Then again, there hadn't been any sort of town meeting or anything to distribute work to the townsfolk, so... perhaps he'd be assigned something tomorrow?

... Unless, of course, they didn't _need_ to have a meeting? Maybe it was open-ended and one could just... join in? Or maybe the roles had been assigned a long time ago and just never changed? It sounded horribly inefficient, but this was a fairly small town, so either was possible...

He was, admittedly, startled from his thoughts by a nearby door bursting open, flooding the empty street with light, followed immediately by someone shouting-

"-Bright and early!"

Confused sapphire eyes met a pair of eager amethysts, though the air between them remained silent. Slowly, Sparky's eyes glanced upward, taking in the sight of the yet-to-set moon hanging in the sky,

"O-oh..." she breathed, her face turning red enough that she probably didn't need her current Winter gear anymore, "Maybe a little _too_ early..." she muttered, though it reached his ears clearly. Emerald was silent for a moment longer, before he started chuckling

"Excited for Winter Wrap Up tomorrow?" he asked sarcastically,

"Well... yes," Sparky admitted, pouting, "It's a big tradition in Ponyville that everypony in town pitch in to help bring about Spring!" she gushed, "I used to love watching the Guards back in Canterlot work to clear away Winter when I was a filly, but I never once thought about participating," she said with a smile, bouncing a little place, "But now I can't wait to help everypony out! Not only does Ponyville do it differently than Canterlot, which is interesting all on its own, but I'll be working with everypony else in town at once!" Emerald chuckled a little more at her excited demeanor, but nodded along with her words,

"I understand," he said, "I never helped out when it came time to clear up for Spring, so I'm... interested in helping out this time around." Sparky blinked, and looked at him, confused,

"You never helped out?" she asked, "But I thought members of the Guard were required to?" she added with a raised brow, "Shining always had to head out early and he wouldn't be back until late at night, even when he was still in training!" she said.

"That's true," he said, then gestured to his currently undisguised form, "But remember, I'm neither a unicorn nor a pegasus. I have no Equestrian magic in my body. I can't manipulate the weather or use spells, and there aren't any animals or plants to help out with in Canterlot, so I couldn't do much," he said, then frowned and glanced around at the still lingering snow, "To be honest, it was a tad annoying, seeing work to do and not being able to do it," he admitted, before smirking, "So I guess we'll both be working our first Winter Wrap Up together."

Sparky stared at him for a moment, then beamed at him,

"I'm looking forward to it! I guess I'll see you bright and early tomorrow!" she said, and he nodded,

"That's right," he said, "Provided you get back to bed first. Bright and early implies that it's _bright_ and early, after all," he teased, pointedly glancing up at the moon.

The red-faced glare she sent back at him before slamming her door shut had him laughing well into the rest of the night.

* * *

The next day came by a tad too quick for Emerald's liking, but, in hindsight, he should've expected the town to get up a lot earlier than usual for Winter Wrap Up.

Thankfully the Mayor was one of the first to wake up, and she had clued him in to the town meeting scheduled in a half hour to distribute duties, leadership roles, and 'team vests'. That had caught his attention, and he'd promptly demanded an explanation, which, after he told her of his plans to help, she'd been suspiciously happy to give.

There were going to be three teams, each one denoted by a coloured vest with the team leader's being distinguishable by a large embroidered star and white trim.

Green vests were for the Plant Team, whose duties entailed tending to the fields, planting seeds, and clearing away the snow using plows.

The blue vests were for the Weather Team, who were tasked with clearing the sky and snow around town, as well as carving and melting the nearby lakes and ponds. Although, it was rather stupid to call them the Weather Team since the town had an _actual_ weather team. Blue Team it is.

Lastly, the tan vests were the Animal Team. They were the ones in charge of waking up the hibernating animals, constructing bird's nests, and helping the animals forage for food while they were busy bringing Spring in. They were also responsible for welcoming back the Southern birds.

That... had actually made choosing where to help a tad harder for him.

While there wasn't much he could do about the weather, clearing away the snow was easy enough, and carving the ice wouldn't be difficult, depending on what tools they had to use. Same went for planting seeds and pulling along those plows. He wasn't the best with animals, but hunting for food in the forest was simple and easy as well.

So... where did he go?

He'd have to speak with one of the Team Leaders to get his tasks, them being either Rainbow Dash for weather, Applejack for plants, or a mare named Amethyst Star for the animals.

...

_Shit._

"Half hour my ass..." Emerald growled under his breath, sitting patiently in front of Town Hall. An hour had passed since Mayor Mare's explanation, and the meeting had yet to even start, bringing a sense of irritated confusion to the local thestral.

"Faust, if this meeting is anything to go by, then it's no wonder this town hasn't been on time for the past two decades," he grumbled.

It had been a fact he'd only just remembered after Mayor Mare's explanation, specifically right after her strangely happy demeanor had set off alarm bells in his head. It had taken some deep thought, but, eventually, he recalled a crucial piece of information regarding Ponyville.

Spring had been late in this town for nearly twenty years.

He wasn't even sure how that was possible! Clearing up Winter took a meticulous schedule in order to ensure that every single piece of work went smoothly without interfering with the work of other sectors. Clouds needed to be cleared in such a manner that the ground was warmed evenly to prevent the snow from melting in one spot too fast or else risk a small flood, snow needed to be plowed to _this_ location to ensure a proper channel of flow was established so that it didn't cause damage to the nearby housing, and the weather needed to remain at a good temperature to make sure that the wind didn't pick up too much and send snow, paperwork, badges, and other such things flying.

If they had all of that, then how could _any_ town be consistently late every year?

Eventually, a few other ponies started showing up around him around twenty minutes later. There was a slight problem with that, however.

They already had on vests.

What the fuck was wrong with this town? Ponies shouldn't already be aware of their stations. Such a thing should've been handled during the town meeting where the leaders would be assigned and volunteers would approach the leader and receive their vest. Not to mention that a formal letter detailing the time and setting of the meeting should've been sent out _days_ ago to make sure that everyone arrived on time, and to give them as much time as possible to hoof out assignments and get started on their work.

Honestly.

Regardless of his increasingly irritated mood, ponies continued to arrive, one by one, until nearly _another_ hour had passed, before the entire town was _finally_ present, leaving Emerald as the only one not wearing a vest. A fact that had a few nearby ponies staring in confusion.

As if _he_ was the one being strange.

Faust.

"Thank you everypony for being here bright and early!" Mayor Mare suddenly began, catching the crowd's attention, "We'll be needing everypony's help to wrap up Winter this year and bring in Spring," she said, smiling, "Now, you all have your vests, and you all know what your duties are, so let's go everypony! Let's make this the quickest Winter Wrap Up ever!" she called, causing the crowd of ponies to erupt into cheer.

Moments after, however, they scattered across town, leaving Emerald, and unsurprisingly, Sparky and Spike behind.

"Wha-that's it?" Sparky asked, looking around, confused, "B-but what about hoofing out the schedule? Or explaining what each team is supposed to do? Or-or giving everypony a pre-made list of their assigned duties?! Or-?!"

"Relax, Twilight," the hatchling yawned, "Just ask around, or somethin'..." he mumbled tiredly,

"But Spike, this is important! I don't want to go around bothering ponies just because I don't know something! Winter Wrap Up is a very intensive task! I don't want them to start running behind because of me..." she muttered. Emerald snickered, which caught her attention,

"Emerald?" she asked, looking confused, "What are you laughing about? This is serious!" she insisted, but it only got him to laugh a little harder,

"R-relax, Sparky," he said, chuckling, "Ponyville hasn't been on time for Spring in _years_. Trust me, you won't make much of a difference, timing-wise," he revealed, "Blue vests are for weather and snow cleaning duty, green vests are for planting seeds and tilling the fields, and tan vests are for handling the animals and their food," he explained.

Sparky blinked, and smiled at him, though he could tell she was wondering about what he'd said about Ponyville's chronic lateness.

"Thanks Emerald," she said, and frowned, "but... that doesn't really help me. I _still_ don't know where I'd fit in best, _especially_ since I can't use my magic..." she trailed off, then perked up, "Oh! Where are you working? M-maybe we can work together?" she asked, perhaps a little too eagerly, if the sudden flushing of her face was any indication. Emerald shook his head,

"I'm as clueless as you are, Sparky," he admitted with a shrug. She seemed surprised,

"Really?" Sparky asked, her eyes widening slightly, "I would've thought you'd have an idea already, " she said, and glanced away, "You always seem so... sure about things. I'm honestly a bit surprised you don't know what to do," she added. Emerald scoffed,

"Believe me, Sparky, there's _plenty_ of things I'm clueless about. Equestrian traditions, for example," he said, but paused when her face suddenly turned bright red, then smirked, "but you already knew that."

"I suppose we'll just have to look around then!" she announced loudly, spinning around to face away from him, and began stiffly walking away, "M-maybe we should talk to the girls! I'm sure they can help us!"

Emerald smirked, and shook his head, before following after her.

It didn't take them long to spot Rainbow Dash, who was currently hovering in mid-air, shouting orders at a group of pegasi, each of whom was holding onto a small cloud.

"-ay from the farm! We don't want any of this snow hanging around longer than we need it to! Got it?!" the pegasi responded with a chorus of affirmatives, "Good! Now get going!" she shouted, and scarcely seconds later they had disappeared, flying over town. Rainbow nodded, smirking almost smugly, and turned to fly away, only to pause as Sparky called out to her,

"Rainbow Dash!" she yelled into the sky,

"Huh?" was the eloquent response, before Dash decided to glance down, "Oh, hey Twilight!" she called, lazily floating down, "You too Spike, Emerald," she added off-hoofedly, before her attention returned to the lavender unicorn, "Whatcha doin' Twi? Shouldn't you be..." she trailed off, and narrowed her eyes, "Uh... who're you assigned to?" she asked. Sparky shook her head,

"Well, that's the problem, Rainbow. Emerald and I aren't assigned anywhere," she explained, and smiled, "So I thought we'd go around and ask if there's anything we can do for you all!" she added enthusiastically. Rainbow chuckled,

"Gee, thanks Twi, but we've got plenty of hooves already. Besides, you can't really help with the weather, since, you're a unicorn," she said, and gestured at Emerald, "He's out too, since he's... you know," she added, sparing a glance around for eavesdroppers, "not a pegasus." Sparky wilted, and hung her head,

"Oh... are you sure?" she asked, glancing hopefully up at the other mare. Rainbow grimaced, and started rubbing the back of her head,

"W-well... I guess... oh! You can go talk to Pinkie," she suggested, brightening suddenly, "Yeah, Pinks is our ice carver. She works at the ponds and lakes and cuts 'em up with her skates. We don't got a lot of those, so she'll _probably_ need all the help she can get."

Carver? As in... one?

"Really? Thanks for letting us know, Rainbow!" Sparky gushed, and spun around, "Alright you two! Let's go find Pinkie!"

He and Sparky bid Rainbow Dash goodbye, and set off in search of the elusive pink mare.

"It's a shame that we can't help them with the weather," Sparky said, breaking the short silence they had shared, "hopefully we can help Pinkie!" she added. Emerald nodded,

"It shouldn't be too hard," he agreed, "Dash mentioned that Pinkie used her skates to carve the ice, and luckily for me my birth mother enjoyed taking me ice-skating whenever I was healthy enough," he revealed, then frowned, "I... haven't done it in... over a decade, actually." Sparky seemed surprised,

"Really?" she asked, then gasped slightly, "Right, you said thestrals are from the Frozen North. It makes sense that Winter themed sports like ice-skating would be a common past-time," she said, "Do you play other sports like that? Like curling or even hockey?" Emerald chuckled at her enthusiasm, but shook his head,

"No. Well, not when I was there. Nocturne is more vertically spaced than horizontally, so there isn't a lot of space for games like those. I... believe I do recall a few games, but I never played them. For multiple reasons," he said vaguely, "besides, only very young thestrals actually have the time to play things like that. From what I can remember, and from what lessons my Father practically beat into my skull, once thestrals are recognized as adults, either by age seven or getting our marks-" he glanced at the spark of magic on Sparky's flank, "-then we're placed into the Clan's working caste, unless we display sufficient skills in another area that would warrant a transfer into another Clan."

"Transfer?" Sparky asked, tilting her head, "But didn't you say that anyone could be anything? Like a Skies could be a teacher, or a... Royal? A Royal could be a hunter?" Emerald nodded,

"I did," he said, smirking, "I'm... surprised you remember that," he admitted, "But yeah, that's true. What I didn't tell you is that a Royal that becomes a hunter doesn't _stay_ a Royal."

"What?!" Sparky practically shrieked, "B-but that's not right!" she said, spinning to face his directly so hard that Spike was sent flying off of her back into a nearby pile of snow, "They can't just throw someone out of the family just because they're better at something else! That's wrong! Family should stick together, no matter what!" she insisted. Emerald smiled, and even chuckled a little, earning a, not undeserved, furious glare from her, "_Wh are you laughing?!_"

"Sorry, sorry," he apologized, grinning slightly as he waved his hooves, "it's just, hehe, you seem to think it's something that's forced."

_That_ got her to calm down.

"It's... not?" He shook his head,

"No, of course not. It's a choice. By choosing to be something other than what your Clan Name dictates, you are choosing to become a part of a different Clan, hence a Name Change to reflect that," he said, then straightened his back and held his head high, mimicking the pose his Father had held when he'd explained it to him, so many years ago, "'Our Founders chose to split the responsibility of our home onto ten different Clans. This has remained the way things have been done since the beginning of Nocturne, and it shall remain the way things are done until Nocturne has withered into dust. Our Names dictate the paths our lives shall take, from birth until death. The Ten Clans act as pillars for our home. Solid, and without give.'," Emerald smirked, and relaxed, "I told you, Sparky, that The Ten Clans made up the various workers that are in Nocturne. I _should've_ told you that the workers made up the Clans. Instead of saying that every _Skies and Tides_ is a warrior, I should've have said that _every warrior_ is a Skies or Tides. That was my mistake," he admitted, somewhat sheepishly, "so... sorry for the confusion?" he added hesitantly.

Sparky stared at him for a moment, then sighed,

"No, it's... it's fine. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. I... forget that your culture is drastically different than mine at times" she admitted, looking him in the eye with a sheepish smile, "You just act so much like a pony that it doesn't really... register that you're a completely different species than me, and that your culture would obviously be different and shouldn't be held to the same standards as Equestria's." Emerald smirked,

"I'm not acting as much as you think I am," he said, shrugging listlessly as Spike finally reemerged from his snowy prison, "I was born and raised in Nocturne, but at this point I might as well be a pony. I'm just lacking some well known cultural information," he paused, "... okay, a good chunk of it, but still." Sparky smiled, her expression brightening,

"I guess you're right. But you've obviously hung on to some old things from back home," she pointed out, though her brow furrowed, "Although... that sounded a lot like something to do with politics," she pointed out, "Discussing the reason as to why your culture functioned like that and how tradition is supposed to be maintained. Why would your father teach you that? I thought Skies were a warrior clan?" Emerald blinked, and regarded her with confusion,

"What do you mean?" she fidgeted slightly,

"Well... maybe I'm assuming things again, but... wouldn't a warrior based clan be more focused on things pertaining to being a warrior? Like... um... fighting or weapons?" she asked, and winced at her own words, "I'm sorry if I'm being offensive, but Shining says that a lot of the ponies he's met with Guard family history tend to act like that," she apologized. Emerald stared for a moment, but laughed it off, which caused her to relax,

"It's fine, Sparky, and, honestly, you're pretty much right," he admitted, then gestured to himself, "I'm pretty dedicated to training and working myself, and even Shy is pretty dedicated to her work too, and she's only _half_-Skies," he joked around, hoping that it would ease her further, "So... I suppose it _would _be pretty odd for the average Skies member to learn about Clan-based politics, but my Father was Clan Head, so it was pretty much guaranteed that I'd be expected to learn about it as well."

Emerald nodded to himself once he'd finished speaking. His Father had been fairly thorough whenever it was time for his lessons. Sickness or not, a potential Clan Head absolutely _had_ to learn about the ins and outs of running the family.

Despite the Skies being a Warrior Clan, there was _a lot_ of paperwork that went into it. Things like allocating funds to certain districts, maintaining a well rounded military, actively maintaining a positive relation with their sibling-clan, directing training schedules and patrols around the mountains, as well as making sure that the weapons and gear were all in good condition were just par for the course. And he learned all of that despite being a sickly third child! He was sure his brother, as the eldest, had a more in-depth tutoring than himself, and even his sister likely did.

Then again, his Father wasn't one to do things half-way. If he wanted to do something, then it was all or nothing with him.

He supposed he had inherited _that _from him, at least.

...

Sparky had gone quiet.

He focused back on her, having lost himself to this thoughts for a moment, and found her just... standing there, staring at him with a slack jaw and wide eyes.

"Uh...?" he tried to say, before catching his tongue, "Something the matter, Sparky?"

"Y-your father was the head of the clan?" she asked, "B-b-but th-th-that would mean that you're basically foreign royalty!" she sputtered, causing Emerald to blink,

"Th... that's not-no, just no," he said, shaking his head. Sparky regarded him, surprised,

"B-b-but you just said-!"

"I _said_ that my Father was Clan Head. I didn't say I was the Clan Heir," he corrected her, brow raised, "I'm the third child of three. I told you that before, Sparky," he said, frowning, "My older brother is the Clan Heir, and the only way that _I'll_ be the Heir is if both my brother and sister kick the bucket, and I go back," he added, and shook his head, "And even if I _was_ the Heir, I wouldn't be 'royalty'. Clan Heirs are just like any other member of the Clan. The only real difference is that they're expected to learn a lot more about Nocturne's politics in conjunction with the Clan's normal duties," he said, "... and have to adhere to some of the more... questionable traditions, but that's really it," he added.

"Really?" Sparky asked, only for her eyes to widen, "Speaking of traditions, we need to find Pinkie!" she gasped, and started jogging off, "C'mon! Winter's not going to stick around and wait for us to help!" she called.

Emerald shook his head, but followed regardless.

He caught up easily enough,

"So, if Pinkie's the ice carver, it stands to reason that she's already started," Emerald began, "so the only question is 'where is she right now?'."

"Right," Sparky agreed, staring determinedly forward, "Well, if I remember, there's a few ponds near Fluttershy's house, one big one near Whitetail Woods, and then there's the large water reservoir a bit out of Ponyville, and the one the Weather Station uses for it's rainbows," she listed, before frowning, "I... have no idea which one she'd be at right now. Logically she should start with the ones closer to town so they're ready for the Weather Team to melt, but-"

"It's Pinkie," Emerald finished for her with a nod, "so logic isn't entirely in the question."

"Right! So we'll have to ask- Rarity!" Sparky shouted, and jogged off once more,

"Rarity?" Emerald asked, "Why do we need to ask- oh..." he trailed off, spotting the white unicorn moments later.

They had ended up walking near the Carousel Boutique during their momentary conversation, where they found the unicorn standing beside an absolutely _massive_ pile of twigs he could spot off to the side. It was accompanied by large rolls of variously coloured ribbon, as well as more than a few bales of hay. If that hadn't been surprising enough, the fact that the mare in question was wearing a tan vest had nearly thrown him for a loop.

Rarity, a mare who _hated_ getting dirty, was on the team dedicated to working with a mass number of animals?

It simply didn't make sense!

Then again, the alternatives were working in the field all day, not something he could even _picture_ her doing, or working with the weather. And considering the last time he knew of Rarity working with nature had resulted in her and Applejack nearly toppling a tree into the library, he definitely didn't want to see a repeat.

Rarity's head snapped back suddenly, pulling a long red ribbon in her teeth taut, before letting it go and allowing it to settle into a nice little ribbon hanging off the... bird's nest?

His eyes traced back over to the pile of materials, and back over to the hoofmade bird's nest sitting prettily on the table in front of her, and suddenly her being on the Animal Team made a lot more sense.

Although, the sight of the expertly woven bird's nest, which more resembled a basket in his opinion, was a little off putting to him.

Damn ponies and their need to control everything around them. Birds were perfectly capable of making their own nests, dammit!

Whatever.

"Oh! Why hello there Twilight!" Rarity called upon looking up, "Oh, and you too Spike, and you as well Emerald!"

"Rarity," he greeted, still a tad distracted by the hoof-woven nest in front of him.

"Well, what brings you three here?" she asked politely, her eyes darting, perhaps too eagerly, between him and Sparky,

"Well, we're looking for Pinkie," Sparky explained, her eyes scanning Rarity's current workspace, "See, since we're still pretty new in town, Emerald and I haven't been assigned anywhere, and-"

"Oh? Maybe you two could help me, then?" Rarity suggested, and gestured to her materials, "You see, I'm in charge of making all of the bird's nests for when the Weather Team bring back the southern birds, so that they all have places to lay their eggs ready. Unfortunately, I'm the only one who makes them, so I'd really appreciate the help," she explained, smiling at them.

"Oh! I'd love to help!" Sparky latched on to the offer immediately, while a purple glow surrounded Emerald's leg, "We'd both love to, in fact!" she corrected with a smile.

Emerald didn't bother resisting.

"Alright then," Rarity began without issue, smiling too widely at them as she levitated a pair of baskets in front of them, each filled to the brim with straw, ribbons, and twigs, which Sparky all too eagerly accepted, "so, all you have to is-" she continued to explain the fine art of nest weaving to the two of them, all the while remaining semi-oblivious to the way Sparky started carefully organizing the contents of both their baskets by size, colour, and material, as well as the way she painstakingly set it all out onto the table before each of them.

"-you understand?" Rarity finally wrapped up her explanation, curiously glancing at him and the widely smiling Sparky, sparing a quick, surprised, glance down at their neatly organized materials.

"All set!" Sparky chirped,

"Ready whenever," Emerald responded right after,

"A-alright. Let's begin then."

And so they did.

Quickly getting to work, Emerald grabbed a few pieces of straw and some twigs and began to wrap them together, making sure to utilize some of the ribbon in the process. It didn't look pretty, but he was sure it was coming along.

He had absolutely zero idea how to weave a basket, much less a nest. Oh sure, he knew that you had to wrap the straw over this piece in just such a way, and that you had to, somehow, do that with hundreds of other little pieces, but how exactly was one supposed to even do that?

He glanced back over at Rarity's finished product, and concluded that the mare's years of needle-working were playing a large part in her success.

He tugged futilely at the knot he'd somehow placed in the bird's nest-assuming that the strange ball of knotted straw, ribbon, and twigs could even be considered such a thing.

He glared at the ball he'd somehow crafted, willing it to light itself on fire, only to find that particular endeavor almost as easy as making the nest. He glanced at Sparky's nest, and almost did a double take.

Hers... actually looked like a nest. Oh it wasn't pretty like Rarity's, but, unlike his, hers actually possessed a bowl-like shape that the birds could lay their eggs in, and actually possessed a sizable ring on the outside that would keep them from rolling out.

Even without magic, the lavender mare had ended up making a better nest than himself.

He looked back over to his ball, and idly wondered if Opal would like to keep it.

"Oh... my," Rarity broke the silence, having looked back up from her fifteenth, _perfectly made_, basket,

"Whaddya think?" Sparky asked eagerly, eyes raking over her little creation, "I mean, it's not beautiful like yours, Rarity, but-" she glanced at Emerald's for a moment, before looking away, "I think it came out just fine!"

Cheeky little-

"Of... course," Rarity said hesitantly, staring at their products like one would a rabid animal, "They're both quite... um...?"

"Awful?" Spike suggested from his bush, opening one eye to stare blandly at them,

"Spike!" Rarity admonished, glancing at him for an instant before turning back to them, "They're not _awful_! I'm sure the birds will love them! They can use them as, er..."

"Outhouses?" Spike interjected once more, causing Rarity to hiss at him a second time.

Emerald's brow twitched, and he found himself turning on the little brat,

"You know, Spike?" he asked pleasantly, holding a smile so sweet it would be impossible to recognize it as something wholesome, "You, Sparky, and I all haven't done anything to help out during Winter Wrap Up, yet here we are trying to do just that this year. But wouldn't you know; Sparky and I are being _oh so_ selfish, we're not even including _you_!" he said, stalking forward, before grabbing the irritating hatchling, and depositing him on the table, "It just _wouldn't be fair_ if we had _all the fun_, and _left you out of it_, right?" he asked politely.

Spike, who had turned a _very_ unhealthy shade of white at this point, nodded rapidly,

"U-uh, yeah! Of course! I'd love to help!" he swallowed the lump in his throat, and mechanically turned to the materials laid out before him, "I-I'll just get started right away!" he stammered, his claws working overtime to correctly weave the straw and ribbon together.

"Oh, that was nice of you, Emerald!" Sparky beamed at him, before frowning, "I was so caught up with my own desires, I can't believe I didn't realize what a great opportunity I was depriving Spike!" she whined.

Emerald blinked, and regarded her with a tilted head.

Was she... was she playing along or was she oblivious what he'd just done?

Bah, not like it mattered. Evidently the little drake had proved somewhat decent at the task, if the way Rarity had suddenly started praising him was anything to-

What.

Immediately, Emerald's attention focused on the completed project resting in Spike's talons. It was, by no means, as nice as the ones Rarity had made, but it was _leagues_ beyond the nest Sparky made. The less said about his the better.

"This is wonderful, Spike!" Rarity gushed, "Oh, I knew you were a wonderful helper, but I didn't realize you were so good at weaving!"

"Uhh... yeah! I'm pretty awesome!" Spike said, soaking in the praise like a dry sponge. Emerald's eye twitched, and he had to work to suppress a growl.

So much for _that_.

As he was busy contemplating his failure, Twilight was looking dejectedly between the small pile of finished nests by Rarity's side and her own nest, finding her previously good mood falling with every changing glance.

This... she didn't want to help like _this_. She wanted to provide a meaningful contribution to Ponyville's Winter Wrap Up! Her nest weaving was poor at best, unlike Spike's.

She supposed that was one good thing about her failure. Seeing Spike succeed at something she failed at had provided a bittersweet warmth to her otherwise chilly body, but a warmth nonetheless.

"Well, Emerald and I should get going and see if we can catch Pinkie before the day's done," Sparky said, catching everyone's attention, "Why... why don't you stay here and help Rarity, Spike?" she asked, smiling at the dumbstruck look on her little brother's face, "I mean, this _is_ your home too, so it's only fair that you get to help in your own way, right?" she asked him.

Emerald was a tad surprised at that, though Rarity seemed completely dumbfounded, as well as a bit reluctant.

... Right, she'd never actually talked with the love-struck drake about his feelings, had she?

He regarded Sparky with a more critical eye. Was this her plan? TO get them alone long enough that Rarity practically _had_ to talk to him? Judging from the slightly sad smile on her face, he honestly doubted it.

"Hmm, Sparky's right," he eventually decided to say, giving Rarity a firm look, his eyes dancing between her and the hatchling for a moment, "we should head off while there's still plenty of time for us to help."

Rarity gave the two of them an alarmed look,

"A-are you sure?" she asked, sending a half-glance over at Spike, who seemed lost in his own little world for the moment, "I-I'm sure with a little more practice you two won't have any trouble assisting me!" she implored, "Surely there's no reason to go looking around and leave me with poor little Spikey, yes?" she asked, only to swallow as Sparky shook her head.

"As nice as it is for you to offer that, Rarity, I couldn't live with myself if I started taking up your time anymore than I already have," she admitted, holding a hoof to her chest, before giving her friend a smile, "Lets get going Emerald, who knows how far Pinkie has gotten by now," she said to him as she turned and began walking off.

Emerald spared Rarity a final glance, before following her.

They walked in silence for a minute, the absence of the hatchling slowly bringing to mind the fact that they were now alone together to each of them. After that long minute passed, however, Sparky managed to bring herself to speak.

"So... umm... who should we ask next?"

After a moment of debate, they decided to head over to Fluttershy's. This was primarily because they could both check the nearby ponds to see if Pinkie had been there yet, as well as check in to see what Fluttershy was doing for Winter Wrap Up and see if she knew where Pinkie would be.

It didn't take long after that for them to arrive, though considering the sheer amount of snow that still covered the area, enough to completely blot out the green of the forest around it, he doubted that _anyone_ was around here, much less Pinkie and Fluttershy.

"Wow..." Sparky breathed, taking slow steps forward, her head moving on a swivel, "I... guess nopony has gotten to this part of town, yet," she said,

"I wouldn't say that," Emerald muttered, glancing up to find a few pegasi flying around with clouds in their hooves, "Though, I don't hear Flutter-" he cut himself off at the soft sound of a ringing bell, coming from somewhere off to the far left, "nevermind," he added, brushing through the snow-covered foliage, with Sparky trotting behind him after a moment.

The sounds of the bell didn't last long, but the sound of crunching snow proved more than enough for him to track, until they soon came upon a large hilly field, littered with burrows, and a lone, butter-yellow pegasus wearing a tan vest, whose head was currently stuck inside one of the barrows.

"Come on out little ones, it's time to wake up..." he could barely hear her whisper, before slowly drawing her head from the burrow. There was some reluctant movement from inside the burrow, before a small group of porcupines started waddling out, stretching in the morning sun.

"Aww," Sparky cooed, starling Fluttershy, "how cute!"

"Oh!" the pegasus gasped, "Um, good morning Twilight, Emerald," Fluttershy greeted politely, before tilting her head softly, "D-did you need something?"

"Oh, morning Fluttershy!" Sparky greeted in return, and nodded slightly, "Sorry to bother you, but Emerald and I are actually looking for Pinkie," she said, giving the shy pegasus a smile, "Have you seen her?" Fluttershy blinked,

"Umm... no, I don't think so. Sorry," she said, frowning and turning her head downwards,

"Oh no, it's fine!" Sparky quickly said, waving her hooves slightly, "I was just wondering, since Emerald and I are new in town and we aren't part of a team," she explained. Fluttershy perked up at this,

"Oh my, really?" she asked, "I'm so sorry about that!" she said, sounding genuinely apologetic despite having nothing to do with their current predicament, "Umm... maybe... maybe you could help me with the animals?" she suggested.

"Help, how?" Emerald asked, eyeing the numerous number of burrows around them,

"Well, you see, I'm supposed to go around and wake up all my little animals friends!" Fluttershy explained, a bright and excited tone overtaking her usually timid one, "It's so wonderful to see all of them again after their hibernation! Oh! But I have to make sure to be very gentle and not spook them, so that makes it take a lot longer when I'm by myself," she admitted, looking out over the other burrows sadly, pawing at the ground with a hoof, "I'm worried I might not be able to wake them all up in time for Spring."

"You... do this by yourself?" Emerald asked, brow raised. Fluttershy turned back to him, and nodded demurely,

"Mmhm."

He frowned. That was... highly inefficient. Not to mention downright stupid. He could understand why they would entrust the animals to Fluttershy, absolutely, but for her to be the _only one_? That was preposterous. Fluttershy wasn't the only pony in town with animals related skills. He knew for a fact that the Ponyville Vet had more than capable workers, not to mention the multitude of ponies in town who must have a pet, and, therefore, _some_ animal related knowledge.

It was like this with Rarity and Pinkie as well, considering Dash's earlier implication. Like Fluttershy, they might be the one of the few or only experienced individuals, but surely there were others who were able to help, or at least take orders?

He... supposed this just might be one of the reasons that Ponyville was so often late for Spring. They seem to place the majority of their work force into the larger tasks to speed up the process, while placing the minimal number of workers in the smaller, but just as important, tasks. It sounded like a good idea on paper, but given the nature of the tasks, it caused a large error in regards to time management. More workers to speed up a larger task, but too _little_ workers to keep the smaller tasks going at the same overall pace caused a backlog of things that needed to be done, which ended up dragging out the entire process.

But... such a thing could be easily solved by the over-all manager...

The one that... didn't exist. Of course.

He sighed to himself, even as Sparky eagerly accepted the bell Fluttershy had passed her and set herself to work.

Ponyville completely and utterly lacked any sort of management system in regards to it's Winter Wrap Up. Sure they had basic leaders who were in charge of their tasks, but who was in charge of _them_? Who was in charge of making sure that their resources were properly allocated, that their workers weren't _over_working or under-performing? Who was in charge of making sure this stupid thing actually ran _on time for once?_

The Mayor certainly didn't seem to do anything. He hadn't seen her put on one of the vests and get to work. So just what in the name of Tartarus was she doing?

He was torn from his thoughts by the incessant, and irritating, sound of a bell ringing in front of his face, causing him to come eye to eye with Sparky,

"What?" he asked, annoyed at the grating sound. Sparky just stared at him, holding the bell's handle in her mouth, a sight that nearly made him chuckle as it caused the mare to look like an eager foal, before she set it down,

"You were just standing there, staring off into space," she said, and turned her head towards the many burrows waiting, "Fluttershy needs our help!" she stated firmly, turning back to him with a fire in her eyes, "We have to get going right away!" she added. Emerald smirked at her enthusiasm, but shook his head,

"As much... fun as that sounds, I actually have something I need to do right about now," he said, frowning slightly at the suspicious look on her face, "Oh don't give me that, Sparky," he snapped lightly, a smirk returning to his features, "I need to talk to Mayor Mare about this whole Winter Wrap Up thing," he explained. She perked up at that,

"Oh! That's a good idea! We can ask her if there's anything that we can help with and-!" Emerald cut her off with a hoof, and shook his head,

"That's not what I was talking about, Sparky," he said, hastily removing his hoof when she narrowed her eyes at him, "Ponyville has been late bringing in Spring for about two decades now, and I think I'm beginning to understand why," he gave the lavender mare a smug smirk, "so, I intend to bring up this little _issue_ with the Mayor, and see if I can't fix this stupid thing in my own way," his smirk softened, and he gave the mare a gentle poke in the center of her chest, "You, on the other hoof, should keep looking for something to help out with. I'm not sure if the Mayor will actually listen to me, and I'd rather not waste your time with something as trivial as this. Besides, once I'm done with the Mayor, I already know what I'm doing to help. I just need to find Pinkie before then."

He gave Sparky one last smirk, before bidding her, and the nearby Fluttershy, a quick 'See you later', and trotted off towards Town Hall.

Scarcely a minute later he could've sworn he heard Sparky start screaming something about snakes, but he was already far enough away that he doubted he'd make much of a difference of he were to run back. Besides, Fluttershy was there. Sparky would be perfectly fine.

Hopefully.

Making his way to Town Hall didn't take long. Even with all the ponies running about, he was hardly obstructed on his path to the Mayor. It was fairly strange, actually. It was almost as if the residents were actively avoiding going near Town Hall while they were working on clearing Winter.

This, of course, only made the need for him to speak with the Mayor increase in importance, and also served to increase his pace further.

Once he finally made it to the building, he wasted no time in striding in, scarcely glancing at the semi-familiar form of the Mayor's secretary, before demanding to the speak with the Mayor. The secretary told him that that Mayor wasn't going to be seeing anyone for the time being, or at least she tried to, until he outright ignored her and strode into the Mayor's office regardless.

"Mayor Mare," he intoned firmly, letting the door close heavily behind him, which caused the bespectacled mare to jerk her head up from a small pile of paperwork, "we need to talk."

"O-oh!" Mayor Mare gasped, hurriedly adjusting her glasses, "Well, he-hello again Sir," she stammered, swallowing nervously, "Wh-what brings you here? I-I'm afraid I'm rather busy and-"

"This is concerning Ponyville's chronic lateness regarding its Winter Wrap Up," he stated clearly, cutting her off without issue, "I've noticed quite a few issues with how Ponyville, and by extension, _you_, handle this. Issues that I seek to have fixed. _Immediately_."

"O-oh..." Mayor Mare stammered, surprised, "Well, I understand that Ponyville has been late for quite some time now. The problem seems to come from-"

"You," Emerald interjected sternly,

"M-me?" she asked. Emerald nodded,

"Yes, you. As Mayor of Ponyville you should be taking a distinctly active role in managing this town's progress," Emerald said beginning to pace across the room, "You should be out there, managing _your_ townsfolk's work and making sure that this Winter Wrap Up is on time, every time. You should _not_ be sitting in here, doing paperwork." Mayor Mare blinked at him, then started to shake her head,

"But these are important documents! I have to make sure that the town has proper funding going into the new season, and-!"

"You are the Mayor. As the Mayor you should be ensuring that this town arrives on time for Spring every single year. As the Mayor, you have a duty to lead this town, not whole yourself up in this room, only to go out there every year and berate the townsfolk for being late when the fault lies entirely with _you_," he snapped, stalking towards her, "There are so many things wrong with the way you 'lead' this town, and I mean lead in a very loose manner. Your paperwork can wait for Spring. Your town's farms, businesses, and weather department can _not_. Not when Ponyville is several weeks late, _every. Single. Year._"

Mayor Mare swallowed a nervous lump in her throat, even as she leaned back a tad to increase the distance between herself and the irate Royal Guard before her.

He was right, though. She knew this, without a doubt. The members of this town had re-elected her time and time again, had given her the position of Mayor so that she could lead them properly as she'd done for nearly thirty years now. But with all the time she'd spent here, she'd gotten used to trusting the other townsfolk, because that's what Ponyville was. A small town where everybody knew everybody. She had gladly put her trust in her fellow townies, and they'd done just fine for a full decade! Then the newer generations started coming in and, while they were a lot like the older Ponyvillians, they held brighter personalities, livelier occupations, and were just more... out there. Things started falling apart, slowly, but surely.

She... wasn't used to the idea of forcibly taking the reigns like that. She had always been a guiding hoof that was guided in turn by the town. She always did what she thought was honestly best for the town, and her gut had yet to steer her wrong.

But... this Guard was right. She _needed_ to change that. Not all at once, no, and, maybe, not even completely. She just needed to be a bit more hooves on. She didn't need total control, that would be foolish, but she needed to be more involved with her beloved town.

"Alright," Mayor Mare said, after having been silent for nearly five minutes, "what do you think I should do?"

* * *

That had gone significantly better than he had anticipated. Better than he'd hoped, even.

Perhaps he'd been wrong about Mayor Mare. He'd, at least partly, envisioned her as someone who was too comfortable with her power, who had grown content. But now? After seeing how reasonable the mare turned out to be, and how willing she was to get going once someone had pointed out her flaws, he could certainly see why the residents of Ponyville saw fit to keep her in office as long as they had.

Following their meeting, Mayor Mare had a nearby team of pegasi round up the townsfolk for another meeting at Town Hall, and, taking a suggestion from Emerald, had _expressly_ told everyone to come immediately.

Hardly even five minutes after word was sent out, and the area in front of Town Hall was filled with the townsfolk, all of whom were a bit disgruntled that they'd been taken from their work, but all fairly curious.

Emerald could spot a confused Sparky standing with her friends in the crowd from his position inside Town Hall, but was soon distracted by Mayor Mare.

"Now, are you certain these are good ideas?" she asked him, carefully looking over a small list filled with slightly shaky hoofwriting, "I understand the logic and reasoning behind all of this, but it's another thing to actually try to implement everything," she said, "especially in a town as traditional as Ponyville." Emerald chuckled,

"Oh please. The only traditional thing about Ponyville's Winter Wrap Up is that it must be done without unicorn magic to honor the earth ponies who founded and maintained it, and the pegasi who helped them," he said, and frowned, "Frankly, everything on that list should've already been implemented years ago. My only guess as to why it wasn't was due to the fact that the Apple Family founded this town, and their teamwork is good enough to not need supervision," he guessed.

"That's very true," Mayor Mare agreed, but still gave him a skeptical look, "But... are you absolutely certain that the townsfolk will listen?" Emerald scoffed,

"They may not be the brightest folk-oh you know I'm right!-but they're not stupid. Everyone here loves this little town, and I honestly doubt any of them wouldn't take the chance to help it out," he reasoned. Mayor Mare sighed, running a hoof through her currently ragged mane,

"I know you're right, truly I do, but I can't help but worry." Emerald shrugged,

"Such is the price to pay for holding a leadership position. You can't really afford _not_ to worry. _Ever._"

"I'm beginning to find that I don't like it when you're right."

"What in the hay's takin' so darn long?!" Applejack snapped angrily, staring up at the currently empty stage, "We still gotta bunch'a things ta do 'round here, an' we ain't gettin' 'em done like this!"

"Calm down, Applejack," Twilight tried to soothe the mare, but she wasn't sure it was working, "I'm sure the Mayor has a very good reason for this!"

"She'd better," Rainbow snarled, crossing her hooves petulantly, "We _finally_ got Ditzy going the right way to get the birds this year, but then we get to call her back! Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that mare to remember directions?!"

"I really need to hurry up and wake the other animals," Fluttershy added meekly, "If they stay too long, their burrows might start flooding..."

"Spike and I are beginning to fall behind in our nests as well," Rarity bemoaned as well, crossing a hoof over her forehead dramatically, though Spike remained... oddly silent, "At this rate, we won't have enough nests for all those little birds!"

"Yeah! And I've been stuck carving the lake outside of Ponyville! I was almost done with it too!" Pinkie added, though Twilight felt like she just wanted to add to the conversation more than she wanted to complain about something.

Twilight sighed at her friend's moods, sans Pinkie, but she could understand them.

She had yet to find anything to help out with, though she _had_ managed to find Pinkie, only for this meeting to interrupt them before she could give ice-skating/carving a try.

Oh, she _really_ hoped this was important! Spring would be here by the end of the day! They were running out of time!

Finally, as if answering her and her friends' prayers, the doors to Town Hall opened, and Mayor Mare strode out confidently, her familiar smile plastered over her face as she looked out over the crowd. That held Twilight's attention for all of a second, before Emerald came trotting out of the building as well, holding a decidedly smug smirk in place.

Right, she hadn't seen Emerald for nearly an hour, not since he mentioned going to talk to the Mayor.

Given their current set up, she had a feeling that this town meeting had something to do with him.

"Citizens of Ponyville!" Mayor Mare called, quieting the crowd after a moment, "I'm glad to see that all of you made it here on time! Now, I'm sure you're all wondering just what's going on here," Mayor Mare paused for a moment, as a murmur of confirmation passed through the crowd, "Now, the reason I have called all of you here at this time is due to a few errors that I am sad to say have been pointed out to me, far later than I feel they should have been," she admitted, the now surprised murmuring rising in volume, "Of course, the fault lays with no one but myself, for I understand now that I haven't been the leader, the mayor, that this town rightfully deserves- no no!" Mayor Mare held a hoof as some of the crowd began to angrily shout their denials, "It's true! And while I greatly appreciate your faith in me, it does not change the facts. I have been the faithful mayor of this town for some thirty years now, and during those thirty years, Ponyville has done wonderfully, and it continues to do so! However, one problem in particular has become too grand to ignore. Winter Wrap Up." Mayor Mare paused once more, to allow that information to sink in.

"What in the hay is she talkin' 'bout?" Applejack muttered,

"Perhaps it has to due with our recent lateness?" Rarity offered,

"Well what the hay is wrong? We've been tryin' to do this for years!" Rainbow snapped quietly.

"You see, our great town was founded by the Apple Family," Mayor Mare suddenly continued, shutting town the crowd's quiet conversations, "The Apple Family has always displayed a powerful work ethic, as well as the sticktoit-ivness to keep this town going off of their own hard work. They have always worked grandly with each other, and still do, and for many years our town of Ponyville remained populated by the Apple Family," she said, then trailed off for a moment, "But in recent decades the number of Apple Family members have declined, moving on to other towns with their pieces of the family, or on to... better places, where they may now rest in peace," Mayor Mare gently placed a hoof against her heart, "As a result-" she continued, "-our town has grown more diverse. With more ponies from more and more backgrounds, ideals, talents, and races, our town began to flourish as it opened up to the rest of the world. But because of our increased differences, we lack the same admirable teamwork that the Apple Family has always displayed. It is for this reason that our Winter Wrap Up has been late for so long. I have always placed faith in the Apple Family whenever this time of the year came around, and have always stepped back to allow them the freedom that let them work together so well. But now that we are as we are, that can no longer happen. As your Mayor-nay-" she stamped her hoof, "-as a fellow Ponyville resident, I will do what I can to repair our wonderful town's reputation, starting now," Mayor Mare's back straightened itself out suddenly, giving Twilight the sudden impression of her being taller, "We will be changing the way we handle Winter Wrap Up from here on out. Emerald!" she called, turning to the green stallion off to the side, "As you were the one to propose these changes, I leave it to you to explain," she said, then carefully stepped down.

By now the crowd had erupted into noise, nearly every member of the town leaning over to speak the the ones in the nearest vicinity. Not that Twilight could blame them. She hadn't been in town long and even _she_ knew that Ponyville was very heavily geared towards tradition! Not so much as to hinder advancement or integration, but enough that a sudden change like this might not be viewed in the best light right away.

"Right," Emerald began, somewhat un-enthusiastically, likely not prepared to make a speech if the way he glared at Mayor Mare was any indication, "anyhow, I don't need to tell you all how annoying it is that this town has been consistently late in bringing Spring around for the last twenty years, since I'm sure you all figured that out year one," he said plainly, "So we're gonna fix that. I've that this town has a very unusual organizational method. Namely, the fact that it doesn't exist. And while the Apples were all fine and dandy with not needing one, we most certainly do now. From what I've gathered, from one day alone mind you, is that ice-carving, nest-making, and animal-waking are all done by one individual, correct?" the crowd murmured a collective affirmative, "Great. And... what else is the Animal Team doing?" he asked, raising a brow, his eyes scanning the crowd, "The Blue Team is the one grabbing the birds, while the majority is focused on doing... what? Clearing away clouds and snow? This town has an actual Weather Team who get paid to do that, so why in the name of Tartarus is the entire Blue Team helping them?" he asked, shaking his head and waving his hoof to brush it aside, "The Plant Team is completely confined to the few farms in the area. According to Mayor Mare, you have nearly _half the town_ working on clearing away the snow all at once, before moving on to plowing, then planting. So, the Plant Team takes up the majority of the town, while the rest is funneled into the Blue Team with, maybe, ten ponies working on Animal Team. The sheer numbers difference make it near impossible to get anything done on time. The Blue Team gets done first and has to wait on the Plant Team to finish up before they melt their snow, but they can't because if they do, then the Animal Team's animals are gonna flood and drown. Plant Team finishes first? Then there's too much snow in one spot and everything floods anyways. The Animal Team? Ha! They _can't_ finish first." he stared out over the crowd, and sneered, "That. Is. Stupid," he snapped.

"So here's what were gonna do. The pegasi on the _actual_ Weather Team will take care of the clouds and snow once the Animal Team finish waking the animals, while everyone _else_ on the Blue Team will help carve the ice," he said, his tone brokering no room for argument, "The Plant Team is going to split in half. One half, I don't care which, will help the Animal Team with waking the animals, getting their food, and finishing the nests. If you don't have any skills in either of those things, then _ask for help_. We have Rarity and Fluttershy, two pretty decent ponies who actually know what they're doing, to help. On that note, we'll need more bells," he muttered, "The other half will focus on their original task. Except you'll be doing it _my way_," he added, smirking when he heard a few ponies call out angrily, "You all clear, plow, then plant. You do three three different things that you could frankly do all at once and finish in a third of the time. Three ponies, one in front to clear, the second to plow, the third to haul the seeds and plant. I doubt you'll need as many ponies as you have, so anyone who isn't helping _that_, help the rest of the Animal Team," he finished.

Despite the initial misgivings, a lot of the town seemed to have started nodding along with his words, and even Twilight was giving an enthusiastic nod as well! His ideas were actually pretty great!

Thinking about it, Twilight had noticed a lot of the things he'd described, and could more than see the logic behind those solutions. He nodded firmly to herself, even as the crowd around her started getting more excited.

This would work!

"We're running late as it is," he suddenly added, smirking, "I don't know about you lot, but, frankly, I hate being late for my work. We'll _all_ have to bust our backs to get this done, so, let's get to it and Wrap Up Winter on time for once!"

"""""""""""""""""YEAH!"""""""""""""""""

* * *

It might not be perfect, but Emerald was happy to say that everything was going pretty well.

Oh sure, there were a few mishaps here and there, but he wasn't training new recruits or anything, so things like that were honestly expected.

"Alright, Animal Team, how goes the waking?" he called, looking out over the multitude of tan-vested ponies,

"Oh, it's going wonderfully!" Fluttershy answered him from not too far off, popping her head out of another burrow, "Everyone is being so gentle when waking them! None of the animals have gotten scared at all!" she gushed, smiling softly.

"That's good, any idea how many of the animals are awake?" he asked,

"Oh, not very many," Fluttershy said, holding a hoof to her chin in thought, "Maybe... half?" she estimated. Emerald nodded, though he still frowned,

"Alright. 'Half' isn't a bad number after just a few hours," he said, scratching something down on the clipboard the mayor had given him, "It's the fields that'll take up the rest of today, and maybe a bit of tomorrow," he muttered, and nodded, "Alright! Great work Fluttershy! Keep it up, and make sure to let the Weather Team know when you're all done!" he reminded.

"Got it!" Fluttershy said, a determined look overtaking her features.

Emerald didn't have the heart to tell her that the way her cheeks puffed up like that made it near impossible to take her seriously.

He left them behind immediately after, making his way towards the fields.

Ponyville was coming along nicely. Sure there was still a shit ton of snow left, but once the Weather Team swooped in that would be a thing of the past. The only really worry right now was that they'd already cleared a good portion of the sky over Ponyville. Not enough to make a real difference, but enough that if it got too hot then everything would start melting early, and that wasn't a good thing.

Still, it wasn't something he needed to fuss over immediately. It really wasn't something he'd expected to fuss over at all, actually. Mayor Mare had delegated the task of Overseer to him for the time being, apparently taking the term 'hooves on' a bit too literal, and joining in the task of clearing away the snow.

He... wasn't entirely sure who was doing more work between the two of them.

Whatever. _That_ was an issue he'd bring up with her later. Probably. Maybe.

Eh.

He arrived at Sweet Apple Acres and was immediately pleased with what he saw.

He'd initially been worried that Applejack, who was still head of the Plant Team, would take his suggestion of doing everything at once poorly, and stubbornly refuse to do so. It wouldn't have been _too_ surprising, considering her reputation, but no. It seemed that Applejack had been quite happy with the suggested, if the line of three ponies walking across the fields in unison meant anything.

He had to admit though, the way they were all moving in sync like that reminded him of his old training days back in the Guard, before he'd been promoted. Though they'd lasted only a month at most, he still remembered them somewhat fondly, if only because he'd thought learning to swirl a spear around like that to be fun.

He shook his head to rid himself of the thought. They were doing great, he could tell that much just by looking. It was funny, despite being placed as Overseer, he really hadn't had to do much. Even checking in on everyone seemed pointless, given just how well the rest of the townsfolk were doing. At this rate, he might actually get to _help_ with clearing Winter.

Reforming their method of operation and checking in on them didn't count, in his opinion. It was more for his sake than theirs, since he couldn't stand by just... _watching_ them screw up like that.

Smirking to himself, as well as checking a few things off the list, he spun right around, intending on one final check before he tossed the thing aside and got to work.

It took him longer than he'd expected, and longer than he had liked, but he eventually found exactly who he was looking for.

"C'mon Twilight! Skating's not _that_ hard!" Pinkie cheered, happily spinning through the air, landing perfectly on her skates, "Ya just gotta keep your balance!"

"I-i-it's not that easy, Pinkie!" Sparky retorted, shakily trying to plant her hooves back on the ice from where she'd just slipped.

It was actually rather amusing, watching as Sparky finally managed to stand, only to lose her hoofing and start scrambling just to remain standing.

"Woah, w-woah, woah, WOA-oof!"

Even so...

"Hey Pinkie, why don't you take a break?" Emerald suggested suddenly, "I can take your place for awhile," he added, setting down his clipboard. Pinkie skated over to him, and came to a sudden halt, scattering ice flakes onto a sullen looking Sparky by mistake,

"You sure?" she asked, tilting her head, "I don't mind! Ice-skating's real fun!" Emerald nodded,

"I'm sure Pinkie," he said, "You've been working at it longer than anyone else. You deserve. Just leave behind your skates for me, yeah?" he asked. Pinkie narrowed her eyes at him, and began to lean forward,

"Hmm...?!" she perked up suddenly, "Okay!" she chirped, and hopped right out of her skates to start scampering off, "Have fun!"

Emerald watched Pinkie walk off for a moment, feeling just a tad suspicious at how readily she agreed to leave the two of them alone.

Bah, it was probably nothing. Or at least not something to worry about.

He turned back to Sparky,

"So, how's the skating going?"

Alright, not the best conversation starter he'd ever used, but...

Sparky glared at him,

"Not w-well!" she said, only to stumble once more during her attempt to stand, dislodging the flakes of ice from her form, "I don't understand how Pinkie makes this look so _easy_!" she snapped. Emerald shook his head, quickly slipped the skates on, hardly even surprised that they fit him, and smoothly skated over to her.

"It just takes practice, Sparky," he said, carefully leaning down to help her stand, "Besides, it's Pinkie." Sparky sighed, but remained standing despite her still wobbling hooves, courtesy of Emerald's hoof on her shoulder,

"I know," she said sullenly, frowning down at the ice. Emerald mimicked her expression, but took a quick glance around.

The lake they were currently on had scarcely any markings in it. That meant that they hadn't really gotten around to carving this one yet, though Emerald didn't blame them. The Animal Team still had a ways to go, and it's not like waiting to carve the ice would actually cause an issue. It would just mean this particular body of water would melt slower than the others. Not like this one was the reservoir or anything similarly important, so it was fine.

He glanced back at Sparky, whose gaze still remained on her hooves and the ice, before he nodded.

"Show me," he said, causing her head to snap up to him, her expression twisting into confusion,

"What?" she asked, raising her brow at him, "Show you... what?"

"Your skating." Sparky made a strangled noise, not unlike a squashed chicken,

"_What skating?!_" she asked, staring at him like he was crazy, "I can barely even _stand_ let alone _skate_!" Emerald sighed and rolled his eyes,

"Show me anyways," he insisted. Sparky kept staring at him, but, after evidently concluding that he wasn't kidding, nodded. She took a few deep breaths, which had the fortunate side effect of calming the shaking in her legs, before she _took a step forward and immediately slipped._

"Ack!"

Emerald sighed, but couldn't stop the slight grin that wormed it's way onto his face.

"Alright, Sparky," he began, hoisting her back onto her hooves, "I think I might know what you're problem is."

"Really?!" she asked, staring at him with a wide smile and sparkling eyes, "What is it?!" A little off put by her sudden behavior, he answered,

"You're trying to skate the same way you would walk," he said, then, when he noticed the confused look on her face, broke away from her for a moment, "Alright, watch me," he ordered, and started to skate along the edge of the lake.

"See, Sparky, instead of leading your hooves like you'd do when walking-" he said, skidding across the ice with unfettered ease, twisting and twirling around the stupefied mare, "You have to follow through with the entire side of your body that you're moving on, while keeping your other hooves beneath you so you don't affect your center of gravity," he explained, slowing down as he passed in front of her, allowing her to see the way he swung both his front and hind legs to propel himself, "Pinkie wasn't kidding when she said you only need to keep your balance," he added, more for his amusement than anything else.

Evidently, that hadn't gone over Sparky's head, if the way she pouted at him was any indication. She relented, eventually,

"Alright," she muttered loudly to herself, "I just... have to keep my balance... just propel with two hooves, skate on the others... center of gravity..." She continued to repeat those same lines another three, possibly four, times, before nodding to herself.

"Ready?" Emerald asked, highly amused by her behavior. It would seem that _this_ was lost, as Sparky only gave him a firm nod, and pushed off from her position.

She made it all of a foot before abruptly kissing the ice, a pained yelp not even having time to escape her lips. Emerald shook his head and sighed, before helping her stand once more.

"Okay then, let's try something else," he muttered. Not bothering to wait for her to give him an answer, Emerald wrapped his right wing around her and pushed forward, dragging her with him.

"W-woah!" she stammered, her legs shaking already, though Emerald would not have it,

"Copy me," he ordered, bringing his movements to a stop, "I've got you, so just copy me."

Sparky gave him a shaky nod and forcefully straightened her legs, though it didn't get rid of her shaking. It still took her a few tries to figure out how to move her legs like he was, but, eventually, she managed a sloppy push, which propelled both of them forward a little bit.

"I... I did it..." she muttered, and pushed forward once more,

"Hehe, yeah you did," Emerald said, smirking as he joined back in, "Not so hard, now was it?" he asked. Sparky didn't seem to register his voice, smiling too broadly and laughing much too loudly to hear him.

"Haha! I'm doing it!" she cheered again.

Emerald didn't particularly mind letting her lead the two of them around the little lake. It was rather nice, being so close to her like this. He could feel her heartbeat, he could hear her ragged, but thrilled, breathing, he felt how their coats brushed together, and bask in her very scent.

Eventually, however, he decided that she probably didn't need his help anymore, and let go.

It was pretty funny, watching as Sparky continued skating around the lake, only to freeze when she ended up turning around and found him just standing there. Though, her movements might've stopped, her forward motion certainly didn't, and watching as the frozen mare ended up careening into a snow bank had him laughing his guts out.

It would seem that Winter Wrap Up was more fun than he'd thought it would be.

* * *

"I can't believe you tricked me like that!" Sparky continued to pout, even while Mayor Mare was congratulating the town on a job well done. Emerald shrugged,

"All I did was let go, Sparky," he countered with a smirk, "I didn't _make_ you fall into the snow. That was your fault for not stopping. I taught you how to ice-skate!"

"You didn't teach me how to stop!" she retorted hotly, her face turning red,

"I...!" he tried to say, but found that whatever argument he'd had in mind was falling a part, "... suppose that's fair," he finally muttered.

"-ow that when we truly put our minds hearts together, we can overcome whatever difficulties that we, as a town, face!" Mayor Mare continued loudly, a very proud smile on her face, "I truly want to thank you all for committing yourselves to such hard work! Each and every one of us made a difference here today, because for the first time in twenty years, Spring is on time!"

The erupted into sound, cheers and whistling echoed through the air as ponies started stomping the ground wildly,

"Of course!" Mayor Mare added suddenly, causing the cacophony of sound to die down, for now, "We can't forget the contribution that our newest resident, Emerald Skies, made for us. Without his help, we might have been doomed to another year of being late, so please, a round of applause for him everypony!" she said, and started to gently stomp her hooves against the stage.

Just like before, the crowd exploded into cheers, though this time they were all aimed towards the lone thestral, who found himself turning away, deliberately ignoring the way his face and ears began to burn.

_What a stupid, stupid town..._

He really did love this place.


	31. The Return of Harmony: Prelude to Chaos

Emerald tapped his hooves against the counter to the tune of a song he couldn't remember, idly wondering how Wisp was doing.

Just yesterday, Wisp had come home with a permission slip for him to sign, stating that the schoolhouse would be going on a trip to Canterlot and required both the permission of the student's guardian as well as money for the student's ticket, otherwise they wouldn't be going and instead receive homework to make up for it.

At least she didn't volunteer him to chaperone. There was no way he would be riding another fucking train. He wasn't sure if Wisp knew about his motion sickness or not, since he never rode trains anyways, but he didn't mind giving her permission.

So, with Wisp gone, and him down fifty bits, both for the ticket and for her to buy some food up there, he had even less to do than usual.

Business wasn't booming, but they were getting more customers than normal, so he wasn't left with _nothing_, thankfully. Well, that, and the _absurdly irritating_ bell above the door. Honestly, he'd thought of it as a tad annoying before, but hearing it so often was really beginning to get on his nerves.

It got to the point where he actively _glared_ at the thing whenever someone opened the door, though it never lasted long as it usually meant he also had a customer to attend to.

Apart from that, nothing interesting, or even of note, had happened for almost two months now. Sparky was busy working on a new spell of her own, some 'Fail-safe' spell she'd come up with the last time one of her transfiguration spells ended up blowing apart one of her tables. The others were...

Well, he didn't really know, to be honest. Aside from Pinkie, whom he interacted with daily, and Fluttershy, whom he checked in on every two days, he'd not bothered to seek out the other three.

Maybe he should remedy that?

Not only because it was his job, but because they _were_ friends.

... Still such a strange thought.

Well, strange or not, it was still something he should do one of these days. None of them, even Dash for some odd reason, seemed to dislike him, and, though he was partial towards the other three, he didn't dislike them either.

Maybe he could-

_The World **Whined.**_

* * *

His eyes snapped open and his body burst upward, inadvertently tossing aside a set of pink blankets. His chest was heaving, his breathing came fast-_fasterfasterfaster_-causing his heart to pound painfully in his chest.

_He could feel it._

_The **Fear**, the **Terror**._

_It kept building. **Higher** and **higher**, until his heart was fit to burst._

_It-_

"Emerald!"

Suddenly, his heartbeat returned to normal, his breathing slowed, and the **Terror** faded away. All at once, it was replaced by a strange _Warmth_.

It felt... it felt similar, but, more than that, it felt _Familiar..._

"Pinkie?" he asked, his voice hoarse, "Wh-what happened?" he asked, taking a look around.

He was in Pinkie's room, though the pink blanket probably should've given that away. The mare in question was standing by the door, her baby blue eyes staring at him and-was she tearing up?

He didn't get an answer, and instead got a face full of pink fur as Pinkie fucking _jumped_ on him, latching her front hooves around him,

"You're okay!" she cried, "Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Cake and I were sososo worried!" she said, happily rubbing her cheek against his, though that still didn't alleviate his confusion,

"Pinkie," he said firmly, she pulled away, looking at him, "What happened?" Pinkie shook her head,

"I dunno!" she said, hopping back onto the floor, away from him, "You just passed out all of a sudden two hours ago!"

"I... passed out?" he asked, rubbing his head. Pinkie nodded,

"Yeah! It was pretty scary, you know?" she asked in return, and frowned, "What happened?" Emerald blinked, and looked at her, confused,

"Didn't you... didn't you feel it?" he asked, only for Pinkie to frown and tilt her head,

"Feel what?"

"Earlier, b-before I passed out," he said, but she still seemed confused, "There was-there was... this-this feeling. I-it was-" he swallowed, his breathing beginning to pick up once again, "I-I can't-I don't-" He was cut off as a pink hoof suddenly appeared over his lips, preventing him from speaking,

"You should relax!" Pinkie said, smiling, "I dunno what you're talking about, but I'm sure everything'll be just fine!" she said, then held out a cupcake from... somewhere, "Cupcake?"

Emerald just stared for a moment, then scoffed and gently bat her hoof away.

"Thanks Pinkie, but I'm fine," he said, rolling off the bed, catching himself before hitting the ground, "I'll just... maybe I'll pop over to the hospital, see if I can-"

_The World **Cried**._

_It happened once more. The weight crashed over him, threatening to bury him beneath a tsunami of overwhelming **Power**._

_It roared and it growled. It wept and it cried._

_It sang and it sang and it sang ever more._

A heavy breath escaped from his lips, his sentence cut off long before he could finish. It had been only an instant, but that same _**Feeling**_ appeared once more. It was not as overwhelming as it had been the first time, but it still carried a weight to it.

"Woah! What's goin' on outside?" Pinkie suddenly asked, zipping over to the window. Curious, and more than a tad afraid, Emerald shakily made his way over to her side, and peered out the window.

Pink clouds, numbering somewhere in the dozens, were soaring across the sky of their own volition, moving in erratic patterns that continued to puzzle the dozen or so pegasi chasing them.

"What the...?" he muttered to himself, though Pinkie's reaction was a bit different.

"Are those..." she gasped, a bright, mile wide smile stretching over her lips, "_cotton candy clouds?!_"

That was all the warning he had before Pinkie pushed him aside, opened the window, and _jumped out_.

"Wha-Pinkie!"

_That mare..._

He grumbled a little, and darted out the door, headed downstairs, though he paused to tell the Cakes that something was happening, and made his way outside.

It was... chaos.

Candy clouds had taken over the skies, converting the pristine white clouds into pink ones with a mere touch, and zooming around without any rhyme or reason. Of course, if it wasn't bad enough, the clouds also started raining.

He growled as an unfamiliar brown liquid started splattering against his coat, leaving him feeling somewhat sticky and unpleasant. It wasn't until a stray drop landed on his lips, which cause him to lick it on reflex, that he realized just what it was.

_Chocolate milk._

"For fuck's sake..." he muttered.

Immediately his eyes started flickering across the sky, taking in as much information as he could.

The pegasi were busy attempting to bust the clouds, which only resulted in them getting sticky and covered in milk. The earth ponies and unicorns along the ground were all either staring up in confusion, or peeking out through windows from inside.

He growled. Something was happening. Something _bad_.

Nodding to himself, Emerald darted out into the middle of the street,

"EVERYONE!" he screamed, startling the ponies around him, including the pegasi in the air, "GET INSIDE THIS INSTANT! EQUESTRIA IS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING STRANGE MAGICAL PHENOMENA! FOR YOUR SAFETY, GET INSIDE AND DON'T COME OUT UNTIL EVERYTHING HAS BEEN CLEARED BY THE PRINCESSES!"

He didn't know if it was because he had stepped up and given the order, or if ponies were generally just that trusting, but no one even bothered to ask any questions, simply following his orders the moment he'd finished speaking.

Both the skies and the streets were empty now, leaving him, and him alone, standing in the middle of the unusual storm. He looked around for a moment, his ears on the lookout for any sound that could give something, or even someone, away, but found nothing. He cursed, and made his way back into Sugarcube Corner, grabbed his spear, and headed back out, slipping his goggles on to protect his eyes in the process.

"Dammit. What the fuck is going on here?" he muttered to himself, before cracking his back, and taking to the air himself.

He ignored the few clouds that zipped across his path, as they didn't seem directly hostile, and stopped just above the town's weather limit. He spun in place, eyes scanning every conceivable detail they could. Not even The Everfree seemed completely free from whatever odd magic was at work, meaning it likely didn't originate from there. The town itself didn't seem too badly in shape, as, aside from the milk rain and pink clouds, nothing was happening. At least, nothing was happening _yet_. There was little doubt in his mind that things would escalate sooner or later.

_There!_

Just at the corner of his eye, he spotted movement down at the Acres.

_Must be Applejack..._

Rather annoying, but he should see if she needed any help. Who knows what this strange weather could do to the crops, after all.

He burst into motion, flashing across the sky with only a few beats of his wings, until he arrived just above Applejack's position. She was hunkering down under one of her apple trees beside the corn field, looking around wildly.

He wasn't the only one who had come around, though, as Dash suddenly appeared, chasing one of those damned clouds. It was dashing towards the ground, with Dash hot on its tail, only for it to pull off the impossible, and _switch directions instantly_. There was no slowing down, no turning. One moment it was going down, the next it was going up. Dash wasn't expecting this either, and didn't have time to slow herself down.

"Gah!" she shouted, crashing into the ground, sending up clouds of dirt and debris, "Dammit!" she cursed, pulling herself from the ground, "Get back here, you stupid son of a-!"

"Rainbow Dash!" Applejack shouted, "What in the hay is with all this crazy weather?!"

"Fuck if I know!" Dash shouted back, her filter evidently taking a backseat at the moment, "Places all over Equestria are getting all this freaky weather!" she said, "Cloudsdale's getting this massive cola storm, and Las Pegasus is up to their knees in orange juice!"

"Well whatever the fuck's going on, it isn't normal," Emerald interjected, landing firmly, "Whatever is doing this is powerful enough to affect places all over the fucking country. You two need to get inside!" he snapped. Applejack shook her head,

"Like hay I am! All this chocolate milk might ruin mah family's crops!" she shouted, "I gotta at least get 'em all covered!"

Before anyone could continue, the corn field, which had gone mostly unnoticed by him, suddenly started fucking popping. And not one by one either, as the quickly growing tsunami of popcorn crashed over them all, covering them in thousands of individually popped kernels, which, thankfully, were stone cold despite popping.

"Faustdammit!" he snapped, angrily bursting out of the field of corn, throwing kernels all around him. A shadow suddenly overtook him, and he turned to find that the tree Applejack had been hiding under was _bending at the trunk, now overburdened with apples the size of his fucking head!_

He cursed and leapt away, ignoring the muted **_*CRASH*_** as the tree and its now heavy fruit sank into the soggy popcorn.

Of course, it didn't end there, as a multitude of animals suddenly stampeded across the ground, rushing for the head-sized fruit, consuming it without hesitation.

"Consarnit! Fluttershy, control yer animals!" Applejack snapped, causing Emerald to turn, finding the mare in question helplessly pleading with one of them,

"I'm trying!" she insisted loudly, for her at least, before turning back to the nearest rabbit, "C'mon now Angel, it's not nice to- oh my!"

Oh my indeed, as partway through her attempts at negotiation there was a flash of light, and the rabbit's legs suddenly began to shrink and expand, hard hooves popping out from the bottom, while simultaneously elongating, until it was nearly three feet in length, bony, and bared only a passing resemblance to a set of _actual_ limbs.

"Oh my, that's not normal at all!"

Seemingly unconcerned with this unusual development, the animals charged off, nearly running Emerald over in the process.

"Okay, seriously, _what the fuck's going on?!_" Dash shouted, throwing her hooves into the air, though Emerald wasn't too sure he was far behind.

"Goodness, things are much worse than I'd imagined," a posh voice said, just as Rarity came into view from behind the veritable mountain of soggy popcorn, wearing an elaborate purple coat and umbrella, "I suppose it's a good thing I've come along to help."

"Rarity!" Applejack shouted, sounding slightly relieved, "Thank goodness, ya got any magic that might solve this?" she asked hopefully, only to deflate when Rarity shook her head,

"I'm afraid not," Rarity admitted, "My expertise lies with dresses, not spells. Though, I'm sure Twilight has just the thing to fix this mess," she added confidently, sending her farmer friend a smile, "In the meantime, I'd be glad to help out! Well, so long as it doesn't involve me getting dirty. Or out from under my umbrella, of course," she offered with a bright smile.

"Of course," Applejack deadpanned, staring flatly at the dressmaker. They were interrupted by a loud shout from beyond the popcorn before they could argue, however,

"Don't worry everyone!" Sparky's voice cried over the rain and popcorn, "I've finally finished that new 'Fail-safe' spell of mine! Just one cast and everything will be back to normal!" she shouted.

"Well hurry up!" Dash shouted back, "There's enough chocolate milk in my feathers, and I don't want any more!"

"Aw, come on Dashie!" Pinkie's voice suddenly asked from directly behind them, causing the entire group to spin around in surprise, finding the pink mare sitting atop the popcorn pile, mane lying flat, jaw wide open and aimed towards the sky, "Why would you wanna stop this? It's _raining chocolate milk!_"

She was promptly ignored, as a sudden _wave_ of purple magic washed over the area, bathing it in a deep purple glow, before a flash of white revealed-

_-that nothing had changed._

"Wh-what?!" Sparky stammered, "My Fail-safe spell... failed?! Wh-what do we do?!" she cried, looking horribly lost as she looked around frantically.

"Panic?" Spike's voice supplied, before he and Sparky fully came into everyone's view, though he was mostly ignored as well.

Emerald growled, idly dodging a particularly low flying pink cloud,

"Can we figure out what's going on after we _get rid of these fucking things?!_" he snarled, cutting the next one to come at him in half, only for it to reform into two new clouds behind him.

"Okay, okay..." Sparky murmured, "Alright! Time for Plan B!" she shouted, "Rainbow Dash?! Can you corral these rogue clouds into one spot?" she called. Dash, who had recently been beset by a group of the deformed rabbits, knocked them aside and saluted,

"Got it!" she said, and took off, using her speed to cut off multiple clouds, forcing them to reverse direction to avoid her, until she began to form and then circle a large group of the things, effectively keeping them in place.

"Applejack!" Sparky yelled once more, "Can you use a rope to bring those high-strung clouds down from the sky?!"

"Heard ya loud an' clear!" she hollered, slipping a lasso out from underneath her hat, before twirling it around, and, with one impressive throw, managed to lasso the entire group of clouds, before pulling it down to ground level,

"Fluttershy, can you get the animals to eat it?" Sparky asked quietly, having trotted over to the pegasus, who gave her a shaky nod,

"Oh my, I hope none of these animals want to eat any of these chocolate filled cotton candy clouds! I'd hate to share!" she yelled.

Her acting was horrid, by the way.

Granted the animals didn't seem to notice, having immediately descended on the large mass of sugar like a starving colt at a feast.

"An' when ya'll'er done, feel free ta have some popcorn for dessert!" Applejack shouted, smirking widely.

"I can't help but feel that this is highly unhealthy for the animals..." Emerald muttered, eyeing the creatures and their snack with a critical eye, "... then again, neither are those limbs..."

"Aw... but I wasn't finished!" Pinkie whined from off to the side.

"See Spike?" Sparky suddenly asked, "There's nothing we can't overcome if we just work together," she said, nodding sagely. Emerald scoffed,

"What did we overcome?" he asked, "Some odd weather? This kind of stuff is taking place all over Equestria, we've only just begun fixing shit," he said. Sparky sighed, and shook her head,

"Don't be so pessimistic," she chided him, unaware of Spike's suddenly bulging cheeks, "Sometimes things are a lot simpler than they-wah?!" she yelped as a sudden burst of green flame erupted from beside her, nearly sending her flopping to the ground as the flame's ashes coalesced into a scroll, even as she reflexively caught it in her magic.

Oddly enough, there was a second trail of ash, only this one made its way over towards Emerald, before doing the same thing, landing firmly in his own hoof.

This... wasn't good.

For both a letter to be addressed to himself _and _Sparky at around the same time? The princesses knew that he'd likely be near her quite often, but for them to take the extra precaution of sending a letter directly to him?

Something was wrong.

_Come to Canterlot Castle **immediately**._

_~Luna_

Something was _definitely_ wrong.

* * *

It was surprising to find that, in the face of something that was distinctly bigger than anything he'd faced before, his motion sickness was effectively out of mind, as he managed to ride the train with the others with little difficulty.

He could've flown to Canterlot and been there within the hour, rather than the several hours spent on train, but if the weather was any indication, then flying was not only unsafe, but it could very well turn into something worse, and Emerald would be _damned_ if he let anything happen to these mares before they all got to the bottom of this.

_Although, with every passing second, he could feel **It**, growing stronger, and stronger the closer they came to Canterlot. Its **Power** only grew deeper, deeper, and deeper, as if he was sinking into the endlessness of the **Abyss**._

_He began to shake, his body convulsing in a feverish attempt to get him away_-**_awayawayaway_**-_from **Something.**_

_But. He. Didn't. Know. What._

"Emerald?" Sparky's voice cut into his thoughts, dragging them away from the**_ Power,_** "Are you okay?" she asked, gently placing her hoof over his.

Just like that, a _Familiar_ warmth enveloped him, and his shaking ceased, and he found himself staring, confounded, into the pair of worried amethyst eyes peering, worriedly, into his own.

"... I-I'm fine," he said, though he couldn't keep his voice straight. Sparky just frowned at him, her eyes searching his,

"Are you sure?" she asked, gently squeezing his hoof without thought. Emerald found himself nodding, and even squeezed back,

"Y-yeah... I'm doing fine now," he said, inadvertently hinting at the opposite being true a few moments ago.

"Well, as cute as this all is," Rarity's voice cut in, sounding oddly apologetic, even as the unicorn and thestral practically jumped apart, "we still have no idea what's causing all this strange weather."

"Well, whatever the fuck it is," Emerald began, ignoring the way the **_Power_** began pressing against him once more, "it's... powerful," he said, "To have managed to affect the weather of so many places all over Equestria, without being seen or detected is astonishing. Plus, the sheer amount of magic required to have done all of that within so little time, and over so wide an area, not to mention making it all resistant to everyone's attempts to stop it, is... beyond imagination."

_Not to mention this **Power**..._

"Well, the princesses obviously figured it out!" Dash snapped, glaring outside at the dozens of armoured ponies and thestrals darting around, trying to contain whatever the fuck was going on, "Now they need us to fix it!"

"How?" Fluttershy asked, looking despondently at the rest of them, "I-I mean... the animals wouldn't listen to me, and not even Twilight's magic worked..."

"That was jus' one spell!" Applejack argued firmly, stamping her hoof against the cushion, "I'm sure the princesses got plenty'o spells ta use!"

"Then why haven't they used them already?" Rarity asked,

"Ooh! What if the princesses made all this happen? Maybe it's all just a big surprise party and this is how they got us to come!"

The mares, mostly Applejack and Rainbow Dash, continued bickering with each other, until Sparky's voice cut through all of them,

"There _is_ one thing..." she said, causing the arguments to fall quiet,

"What?" Dash asked, looking just a little impatient, "What've ya got?"

"The Elements," Sparky said, looking up at the rest of them, "I mean... we _are_ pretty much just civilians," she added sheepishly, noticing her friend's stunned looks, "the only thing we really have to deal with something like this are the Elements of Harmony, which we managed to use once. Maybe they need us to help them use them?" she finished.

_... If the princesses know who did this, and think the Elements are necessary then..._

"B-but the last time we used the Elements, the whole _world_ was in peril!" Rarity stammered, "S-surely a little bit of weather trouble isn't _that_ big of a threat?" she asked,

_... There's only one being that was so powerful that the Elements of Harmony were required to defeat... and even then, it only reduced him to a statue..._

"All of Equestria is being affected by... whatever this is," Sparky continued, looking dour, "For all we know, it's happening all over the planet."

_But... he couldn't have possibly escaped. The Elements were at their full power when they took him down, unlike Nightmare Moon, who was imprisoned with only three at full strength and three at... whatever they were..._

"But how?!" Rarity practically snapped, looking genuinely distraught, "S-surely there's nothing out there as strong as _Nightmare Moon_?!"

_Mother mentioned how his prison was self sustaining, and couldn't be broken by anything other than something as powerful as the Elements themselves... so what is it?_

"We won't know until we find out," Sparky said, all but ending the conversation with that grim statement.

_Unless someone tampered with it... but, to have actually tampered with a spell weaved by the Elements... that would take some seriously dark magic... but, if they're wanting to release him, then the mental risks of that magic are likely not their biggest concern... but, even then..._

_Who would want to release **Discord**?_

* * *

Thankfully the train suffered no complications during the rest of the ride, and they made it to Canterlot in good time.

And if he thought Ponyville was bad...

Canterlot was a _mess_.

Entire buildings had been uprooted from the ground, hovering in the air, without a care for stability of any kind, occasionally tipping over themselves, eliciting panicked screams from inside. On top of that, there were dozens of those same mutated animals running around, and even some of the townsfolk had been altered as well!

He could even spot some poor fools whose _clothes_ had sprouted legs, and were now trying to wear _them_.

Ponies were running around everywhere, screaming their heads off, and it was all the Royal Guard, as well as whatever was left of the Solar and Lunar Guard that hadn't been deployed elsewhere, could do to keep everyone from getting hurt.

"This is..." Sparky tried to say, failing almost immediately,

"Crazy?" Rainbow supplied,

"Impossible?" Rarity added,

"_Chaos_," Emerald snarled, his eyes lingering on the distant castle, where he could see a swirling vortex of those pink clouds surrounding the main spire.

"That sounds 'bout right," Applejack agreed, staring around them with thinly veiled fury in her eyes, though it did nothing to quell the fear that was there as well,

"C'mon everyone!" Sparky suddenly snapped, breaking off into a sprint, "We need to get to Princess Celestia as fast as we can!"

As if she even had to say anything to get the group moving. Hardly even a second after the first syllable had left her lips and the entire group was charging after her. They charged passed animals, ducked beneath buildings, and weaved through the throngs of panicking ponies with only minor issue.

Emerald nearly cursed as they closed in on the castle. The sheer amount of magic required for all of this practically guaranteed that Discord was behind all this, but if it _was_ Discord, then there was no doubt that he could sense the Element Bearers approaching. After all, the girls might not have the Elements on them, but they were intrinsically connected to them. The fact that he was just _letting_ them approach meant he was planning something.

And when Discord: **The Mad King of Chaos** is planning something, then things were about to spiral way out of control.

It was just as they passed through the castle gate, that the sight of a series of statues caused him to remember.

"The schoolfoals!" he hissed as he came to a stop, inadvertently bringing Rarity, Applejack, and Dash to a stop as well,

"""The Crusaders!"""

"Where are they?!" Applejack asked, looking around, "Applebloom told me that they were headin' ta the Statue Garden!"

"Oh, I hope Sweetie Belle's alright," Rarity murmured worriedly, "I shudder to imagine what might've happened to her..."

"Girls! Emerald!" Sparky called, having stopped just before the castle door, evidently not realizing their absence until then, "We need to hurry! We can make sure the foals are safe after we take care of this!" she added, sounding almost desperate. Applejack huffed,

"Ya'll saw what was going on!" she snapped, whirling to face Sparky with a sneer on her face, "I don't wanna leave mah baby sister out there with this... _thing_ messing with everypony!"

"Yeah, and I can't just leave Scoots either!" Dash shouted, clearly agitated, "What kinda role model would I be if I left my number one fan to some crazy monster?!"

Emerald tuned out their argument, stuck in his own thoughts.

_Dammit! Should I go hunting for them? With Discord on the loose, who knows what could happen to them! But, I can't just leave the Bearers either... Dammit, dammit, dammit!_

"W-you need to stop this!" Emerald shouted, catching the six mares' attention, "The sooner w-you fix this issue, the less danger the foals will be in!" he implored, "This is clearly something that only the Elements of Harmony can handle! If any of you aren't present, who knows how much danger the entire _world_ could be in!"

"Wha-but-!" Applejack stammered, before snarling, "Fuckin' dammit!" she snapped, before turning to Sparky, "Let's git this over with so I can find mah sister!" she growled, stamping over to Sparky, ignoring the stunned, and fearful, looking Fluttershy,

"I agree," Rarity said daintily, though no less aggravated as she followed, "Though, perhaps I wouldn't put it in such a crass manner..."

"I sure as shit am!" Dash grumbled hotly, hovering after them. For a moment, Emerald was startled at their hostility, but pushed it aside.

Their families were in danger. It was only natural.

Hopefully.

* * *

"Princess!" Twilight shouted, seconds before the door to the Main Hall burst open, revealing herself and the other six behind her, "We came as fast as we could!"

"Good," Princess Celestia addressed her, as she and her sister, Princess Luna, stood atop the central stairs, "We don't have much time left, follow us," she directed, climbing the steps,

"And be on your guard," Princess Luna added ominously, before following her sister.

Twilight swallowed the lump in her throat, and moved after them, her friends right behind her.

"What's goin' on, Yer Highnesses?" Applejack asked, a tad rudely, but considering that her sister was probably in danger, Twilight was willing to let it slide, "Everythin's all crazy out there." Princess Celestia nodded,

"It's a matter of grave importance," she began ominously, "You see, my sister and I have faced many enemies in the past."

"Some greater than others," Princess Luna added, stopping momentarily at the top of the stairs, "But none of them were as powerful as the one we faced before ruling Equestria," she said.

"Yes," Princess Celestia said, "an old foe of ours has returned. One we thought defeated forever," she continued, turning a corner.

Twilight gasped once she stepped into the hall.

It was a massive hall, lined with arches high enough to dwarf the Town Hall in Ponyville, and a pristine, checkerboard, marble floor, with only a single blood red carpet stretching from one end of the hall to the other. The walls were a faded purple in colour, with only a few statues of pony soldiers standing beside each of the many windows. They were massive stained-glass windows as well, towering easily above their collective heights, and each one bore a different image, that Twilight only passively recognized.

Great forests, towering mountains, and bottomless oceans spread before her. Grand ponies and monsters adorned each window, as battles of ages long in the past were forever immortalized in glass.

"We're not sure how he managed to escape," Princess Luna spoke suddenly, startling Twilight from her thoughts, "We'd thought the spells and enchantments on his prison everlasting, but, alas, that proved to be false."

Princess Celestia paused for a moment, and stared up at one of the windows, prompting the others to do the same.

Twilight _shuddered._

The image was that of a creature she could scarcely fathom, made up of a dozen different parts from different creatures, and wide, yellow and red, but still mismatched, eyes.

"His name is Discord," she said, her tone turning venomous as she glared violently at the image, "He was, or rather is, a spirit, one of chaos and disharmony. He lives for nothing other then to spread misery and sorrow wherever he goes."

"Before mine sister and I challenged him, he ruled Equestria for nearly three centuries, and placed its inhabitants in a state of permanent unrest and unhappiness," Princess Luna supplied, walking off once more, which caused the group to follow along, "T'was only after we discovered the Elements that we managed to defeat him, and, even then, it took us nearly a century to do so."

"Alright, Princesses!" Rainbow cheered, slightly easing the tension in the group,

"Alright indeed," Princess Celestia said, smiling just the slightest bit, "Luna and I aren't sure what allowed him to escape, but we believe it might have something to do with us no longer being connected to the Elements, though we can't be certain."

"No longer connected?" Twilight couldn't help but repeat, "What do you mean, Your Highness?" she asked. Princess Celestia cast a quick glance at her sister, but Princess Luna's expression gave nothing away,

"Well... when my sister became... Nightmare Moon, our connection to the Elements was broken. We're not sure if it was the distance, or the fact that I was forced to use them against another Bearer that broke the connection, but, as it is, we are no longer the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony."

"Indeed," Princess Luna added, just as they came to a stop at the end of the hall, where a door was waiting for them, "That burden now falls to you six. This is Canterlot Tower, otherwise known as the Hall of History, where my sister and I are housing the Elements of Harmony."

However, her words had been lost, as Twilight's focus immediately landed on the door.

It wasn't anywhere near as large as the doors to the throne rooms, or even the ones leading to the guestrooms. Rather, it stood about one and a half as tall as Princess Celestia, and bore a single, tricolour, metal door, with a sun in its center. The door was also framed by a large golden arch fit with several gemstones, and above the door was the white silhouette of a single, alicorn pony standing before a purple backdrop.

There was something... distinctly ominous about the door. Despite that, something... _called_ to her from just behind it. It was faint, like an echo, but it was _there_.

"We need the six of you to harness the power of the Elements to defeat Discord," Princess Celestia said, starlting Twilight,

"Wha-why us?" she asked, "Why can't you-?"

"Hey look girls!" Pinkie's voice suddenly cried, "We're famous!"

"Pinkie, what in the world are you-oh dear..." Rarity trailed off, not that Twilight could blame her.

Because right there, in front of Pinkie, was a stained-glass window with _their faces on it_.

It wasn't a perfect likeness, of course, but there was no way they could be mistaken as anyone other than them.

They stood together, surrounding a dark blue, nearly black, figure, whom Twilight recognized as Nightmare Moon.

But-but if they had a window _here_ of all places then, didn't that mean-?

She gasped.

_They were a part of history!_

"It is _you _who wielded the Elements," Princess Celestia suddenly intoned, her voice commanding their attention, as she stood before them imperiously, "It is _you_ who commanded their full power," her wings spread open, making her seem so much bigger than usual, "and it must be _you_ who defeats Discord!"

Twilight swallowed, her mouth suddenly feeling dry.

This... this was all... this was _insane!_ She wanted _them _to fight some ancient horror that they only narrowly managed to beat!? She wanted them to put their lives on the line to save Equestria, when just this morning they were going about their daily lives without any hint of what was to come?!

But-but... they... they had a responsibility, right? They were the ones chosen by the Elements. They were the ones who managed to defeat Nightmare Moon, which, really, wasn't all _too_ different. They'd all gone off after Nightmare Moon without the Elements, or, really, an idea on how to beat her at all, and yet they still did.

So what was so different about this? Sure Discord was super powerful, but Nightmare Moon hadn't lacked strength either, and yet they still managed to beat her. The only real difference seemed to be that this time, they'd be going in with an actual _plan_!

That thought banished any lingering doubts, and Twilight nodded resolutely,

"I understand, Your Highness. I'm ready to do whatever it takes!"

"Yeah, count me in!"

"This fiend _must_ be stopped!"

"I'll help too. There's not way I'm lettin' this varmint hurt mah family or mah home!"

"U-umm... as long as nopony gets hurt... I-I'll help!"

"Wait!" Pinkie suddenly interrupted, "Are we sure we actually wanna do this, girls?" she asked, sounding genuinely worried as she turned to them, before grasping Twilight shoulders, "I mean, if we stop this guy, that means no more chocolate rain!" she said, causing the others to immediately deadpan at her, "Seriously girls! This is _chocolate rain_ we're talking about!"

"Don't listen to her, Your Highness," Twilight immediately said, ignoring everything Pinkie just said, "We'd be honoured to wield the Elements of Harmony again," she added.

Princess Celestia smiled at her, and nodded,

"Thank you, girls, now stand back for a moment."

The group listened to her, and stepped away, watching as the Princess turned to the door, and lowered her head. For a moment, Twilight was unsure about what was happening, but when the Princess stuck her horn into a slot in the center of the sun and her horn glowed blue, she realized what was going on.

An unlocking spell. It was a simple piece of magic, though what Twilight was witnessing right in front of her was anything _but_. She might not be able to see what enchantments had been placed on the door, but the heavy wave of magic that suddenly burst out of the door when the Princess stepped away painted it as something that would've proved ill to her health if she had tried to open the door herself.

Suddenly, the doors parted, revealing a small blue box, lined heavily with gold and various gemstones.

"Ooh..." Rarity nearly moaned, "you can keep the Elements, I'll take that case!" she whispered to herself.

"Don't worry girls," Princess Celestia said, levitating the case out of the elaborate safe, "I have full confidence that you'll be able to defeat Discord, with _these_," she said, using her magic to open the case, revealing-

Princess Luna cursed.

"Aw, fuck."

* * *

Hearing one of the princesses curse was always amusing to him, but, given the current situation, Emerald decided that it was best to push his amusement to the side.

"The Elements! They're-they're gone!" Sparky murmured, her voice hoarse,

"Th-that's not-that's impossible!" Mother almost screeched, dropping the case as though it had caught fire, whirling to face the empty vault, "That vault was laced with enough enchantments to level all of Canterlot! Breaking into it is-is-impossible! How could anyone have gotten into it?!" she muttered, beginning to pace around, a sight he hadn't seen for years now, "This doesn't make any sense!"

**"Sense? Oh, what fun is there in making sense?"**

_It was an enormous **Weight**, bearing down upon him from every direction at once. It locked him in place, for he knew_-**_heknewheknewheknew_**-_that moving would be synonymous with **Death**, as the air itself grew tense._

None of the girls seemed to notice the way he suddenly stiffened, all of them whirling around to find the source of that... **Voice**.

"Discord!" Mother yelled, as she and Luna took formation around the seven of them, and Emerald would have moved with them, if only his body would respond,

"Show yourself, coward!" Luna snapped, horn glowing brightly.

**"Oh? A coward am I? Funny, I do distinctly recall that it was you two who ran from me with your tails between your legs, how many times was it? Ten-thousand-four-hundred-and-forty-six, if I do my math correctly, yet, I am the coward?"**

_The **Voice** was smooth, free of any worry. It was amused, arrogant even. Yet it pervaded every single one of his senses, bombarding him from every angle. He tried to block it out, but his body still refused to respond._

Was he shaking?

"Your taunts are useless, beast!" Luna snarled, her horn crackling with visible arcs of magic, as the very _air_ around her began to sizzle,

**"Hmhm... so you say, little Lulu."**

Mother placed a hoof over her sister's shoulder, not flinching as Luna's gaze snapped to her, her eyes nearly glowing with a furious white light,

"Calm down, Luna," she said gently, "You know as well as I that his words are just that. Words."

**"Hmm? Just words are they?"**

_They had made a mistake. Something was **different**. The air, so tense, suddenly began to flow, caressing every physical inch of flesh that was, so foolishly, exposed. It felt heated, nearly burning even _his_ skin._

"Exactly," Mother continued, seemingly unaware of the changes around them-_but that was impossible, wasn't it?_-and turned her gaze to the stained glass image of the Mad King, "we've faced you before. You favour mental manipulations. Rarely do you ever actually _do_ something with your own strength," she _taunted_.

She was taunting _**Discord**?_ Was she out of her mind?!

**"Hmhmhm... my, how I missed our little word games, Celestia. It's no fun being imprisoned in stone. Oh, but you wouldn't know that, would you? Because I don't turn ponies into stone."**

_**Malice**, pure and vile, poured from those words like a raging waterfall. It dripped with such concentrated venom, that his knees buckled immediately, and he came crashing to the floor like a puppet without its strings._

"Emerald!"

The girls crowded around him, with Sparky and Pinkie the closest to him. He saw, more than he felt, them grab his legs, trying to pull him back to his hooves, yet his body _still_ refused to obey.

His breathing was picking up.

"_What did you do, Discord?!_" Mother's voice growled.

**"Hmm? Oh, I simply borrowed the Elements for a little while. Can't have them mucking about, now can I? Unless you're talking about that interesting little pet of yours, well, I'm afraid I've no idea what's wrong with him. Ponies truly are a squeamish little bunch. It's so funny, it's actually quite sickening, really."**

"Enough games, Discord!" Luna shouted, stamping her hoof, causing the floor to crater slightly, "We will not allow you to get away with harming our subjects!"

**"Oh my, I forgot how utterly grim you two can be. It's so utterly boring. I don't understand how you can live with yourselves."**

"Hey!" Dash's voice snapped, rising into the air, "Nobody insults the princesses!" she snarled, whirling around in an attempt to find the source of the **_Voice_**.

**"Oh, you must be Rainbow Dash, famed for her Loyalty. The same as the Element of Harmony you represent."**

"You're damn right I am!" Rainbow boasted, puffing her chest out, "I'll always be loyal to the princesses!"

**"We'll see about that."**

The girls, save Rainbow, shivered at those words.

"W-well, w-we're wasting time just talking to the air, aren't we?" Rarity asked nervously, "Surely we need to find the Elements, before this... _Discord_, does anything?" she inquired hesitantly.

**"Ah, Rarity. The Element of Generosity, if I'm not mistaken."**

"So what?" Applejack asked, ignoring the way Rarity yelped when the Voice indicated her, "Ya know some stuff 'bout us. It ain't a big deal!"

**"Oh, I know much more than that, Honest Applejack."**

"You seem to know our strengths, too," Sparky pointed out from beside him, still trying to support his unresponsive body.

**"Strengths, weaknesses... fears, desires... Oh yes, I know quite a lot of things, Twilight Sparkle. Just as I know quite a lot about your Element. The Element of Magic, oh yes. Quite the interesting little thing, isn't it? The youngest and most unknown Element of them all... well, unknown to you ponies, that is. I know a lot about all of you. Fluttershy is the Element of Kindness, just as Pinkie Pie is the one who holds the Element of Laughter."**

"Enough stalling, _Discord_!" Mother snapped, getting fed up, "Where are the Elements of Harmony?! What did you do with them!?"

**"Ugh, so _demanding_. Why ever would I tell you where to find the only things on this wretched rock that can actually defeat me? '_Oh yes, of _course_ I'll tell you Celestia, they're just right over there behind that tree!_', bah. And you ponies say that I'm the insane one."**

"You fear them."

**"Yes, just as much as I fear chocolate milk. Oh, wait, I don't. I'm just not the idiot you _ponies_ think I am. Honestly, the only reason you _prancing little_ _pipsqueaks_ ever managed to defeat _me_, was because I, in my arrogance, thought nothing could ever touch me!... Oh, but I've learned my lesson, you see. I know that I can't just lay back and bring misery to you wretched little cretins like I did once before. No, after what you all did to me, I realize that the only way to make things right-"**

"-is to get up-close and _personal._"

For the first time since his appearance, Emerald's body finally moved once more, bolting from his nearly prone position on the ground. While the others were still seconds behind, pondering the sudden change in the _**Voice**_, Emerald had already recognized what had happened, and moved accordingly.

_He was not prepared._

**Power.**

**Absolute Power.**

**Power Beyond Comprehension.**

**Power That Surpassed Divinity.**

There he was, just standing behind them as though he'd been there the whole time. Long, snake-like body beginning with a red-scaled tail, slipping abruptly, but seamlessly, into a long, reddish brown torso of a serpent. Extending down, his legs were made up of a goat's leg, and a lizard's leg, the stark white and dirty green not going together with his body in the slightest. A griffon's claw and a lion's paw made up his arms, both laying harmlessly against his side. From the neck up, he bore a pony's head of gray fur, with a long white beard and bushy white eyebrows, where a set of mismatched horns jutted out from his skull, one horn that of a deer's antler, and the other a blue goat's horn. A bright blue pegasus wing and a dark bat wing spread lazily from behind his back, their small size contrasting his disproportionate appearance.

_But it was his eyes that caught the most attention. Mismatched orbs of putrid yellow, with a pair of glowing crimson irises, each dripping with **Malice**._

Despite his relaxed appearance, Emerald could scarcely stand before him, the sheer amount of **_Power_** radiating out of the creature before him akin to a heavy waterfall, crashing over him relentlessly.

In spite of the sheer difficulty Emerald had standing, the others had no difficulty standing before him in the slightest, as though they couldn't even feel it in the first place.

_It made no sense. Why was he having so much difficulty? Was he not stronger than them? Was he not more resilient than this?_

_Was it because he was not **one of them**?_

Eventually, however, the others soon caught up with him, each of them turning, and subsequently jumping backwards upon sighting the creature before them all.

His eyes scanned over all of them, taking in the appearance of each individual in the room carefully, analyzing them with meticulous care.

_All except for him._

"Discord!" Mother shouted,

"So you finally show yourself," Luna noted, almost clinically, her previous rage turning into cold fury.

"So I have," Discord replied, almost languidly, his gaze sliding over to them, "I suppose this is the part where you make some inane claim of how 'You're going to regret escaping' or 'Twilight and her friends will stop you, no matter what', yes?"

"You are weaker than you once were," Luna proclaimed, sounding oddly smug-_why was she acting like this?_-, "the Elements might not even be necessary." Discord only tilted his head,

"Really now? You must be getting old if you think that, in any way, that is true. Or perhaps... you've fallen into the same pit I fell into, all those years ago. I am, of course, talking about arrogance. It's a nasty temptress, I tell you. Really, I sympathize with you," Discord said, holding his claws to his chest, presumably over his heart-_Emerald made a note of the location for later_-, "Tell me, how is the Nightmare treating you? I heard the two of you had a bit of a falling out," he asked idly.

"_Don't you dare-!_"

"_Luna_, calm down," Mother's voice washed over the angered princess, cutting off her scathing remark before it had fully left her lips. Discord chuckled, the sound sending frozen shivers down his spine,

"My my, you really haven't changed have you? Still as easy to rile up as you were back then. Though, if a little light teasing is enough to tick you off, then it's no wonder you became the Nightmare _so easily_. It's in your nature, I presume?"

"_Enough playing around,_" Mother growled, having to seal Luna's mouth shut with her magic, "Tell us where you've taken the Elements, _now._"

Discord only sighed, shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head.

"I didn't tell you before, so why would I tell you now? Besides-" his eyes suddenly locked onto them, the red of his irises practically _glowing_, "-we have so much _catching up_ to do! Hmm, let's see..." he began to float into the air, tapping his talons against his chin, "what should I do? Maybe I could turn you all inside out and throw you outside for the pigeons?" Fluttershy gagged, "Hmm, no, no too obvious. Drop you all into a vat of acid? No, too cliche... Hmm... decisions decisions..."

The only warning was the brief instant of the scent of ozone, before a bright beam of blue light _erupted_ from Luna's horn, screeching through the air faster than he could blink, zeroing in on the spot just above Discord's heart-

-only for it to splash harmlessly against his skin, fizzling out into faint sparkles against the air.

"Hmhm, did you forget what happened the last time you tried doing that?" he asked, then waved his paw, "Bah, of course you did. All that time with Moony as your roommate surely must've messed with your head. Oh! If you're mucked up in the head, I can certainly help, if you'd like," Discord offered, 'smiling' down at Luna, who started growling at his words, "I've gone insane plenty of times in my life, and let me tell you; It gets boring pretty quick, and you can only get so insane before you roll right back over into sanity!" he paused for a moment, then grinned once more, "Just like you did, actually! I never quite thought about it until now, but, my oh my, you and I are just alike, Luna!"

"_SHE_-!" a beam of light burst over Discord's heart once more, erupting around him in a cloud of pink magic,

"_IS_-!" a hundred balls of brilliant yellow light burst into being surrounding the cloud, before diving into it all at once,

"_NOTHING_-!" a massive white and gold warhammer appeared out of thin air, before it was sent flying into the cloud, spinning like a demented buzz saw,

"_LIKE_-!" pieces of the floor around them suddenly uprooted themselves from the ground and flung themselves into the cloud,

"_YOU_!" a final beam of pure white light erupted from her horn once more, completely encasing the cloud, and blinding everyone in the room.

Moments passed, where Mother's extraordinarily heavy breathing was the only sound. They all waited, staring as their eyes all began to adjust back to normal, before a round of gasps broke the silence.

The cloud of smoke was gone, and so was Discord.

Not to mention the _entire fucking roof_ was completely absent as well. Not even ashes or debris were left over. It was as though the _sun itself_ had _burned_ away that part of the room, leaving absolutely nothing behind.

For a moment, Emerald allowed himself to believe it was over, no matter how foolish the thought was.

Alas, it was only a matter of time.

_"Then let's fix that, shall we?"_

Emerald spun around, idly noting that the girls had long beaten him to the punch, though they seemed no more able to interfere than he currently was.

_He was standing there, claw clamping around her throat as he held her aloft._

"Grk-guh-gu!" Luna was choking, he was-**_killingdyingfading_**-_choking her!_

She was shaking in his grip, clawing at his talons to no avail. Mother's eyes were locked onto her sister's panicked expression, but the amount of magic she must've put into those spells kept her immobilized for the moment.

Discord sighed,

"Really, so dramatic. I'm not even gripping you _too_ hard," he said, punctuating that by tightening his grip, causing a spurt of blood to gush from Luna's lips.

"_Let... her... go..._" Mother's voice wheezed out, deathly low, but easily heard, even over Luna's choking. Discord glanced over at her, tilted his head, and _smiled_.

_The World **Screamed.**_

"_With pleasure._"

He reared his arm back, and threw Luna at Mother with enough force to send them both careening into the far wall, dealing more damage to the already ruined foundation, as cracks ran up its surface, causing chunks, that had already been made from Mother's failed attack, to fall to the floor.

"Luna, Luna!" Mother cried, scrambling to her sister's front, where a very _dark_ mark was left on her throat from where Discord had throttled her, "Are you alright? Answer me, _Luna_!"

No one dared move, not until a weak cough emerged from Luna's throat, followed by a small glob of blood,

"Tia..." she muttered, voice hoarse, eyes shut lazily as she turned towards her sister's voice. Mother's expression of worry melted into a mix of relief and sorrow, as she gently tried pulling Luna to her hooves,

"Thank goodness you're alright," she murmured, turning to face Discord, expression morphing back into fury, "there's an enemy we need to take care of," she growled.

"Y-yes... of course," Luna muttered, her usually waving mane folded over her eyes as she hunched over, pawing at her injured throat.

Mother's eyes slid over to them, the fury still present,

"Girls, Emerald, go! Find the Elements! Luna and I will-_Gah!_" Mother was cut off by a burst of dark blue magic _slamming_ into her side, sending her tumbling away, crashing into the wall beside the empty vault.

""""""_What?!_""""""

Emerald didn't blame the girls for their reaction, as he was much too preoccupied with freaking out, himself!

"L-Luna?!" Mother asked warily, wincing as she stood back up, a spot on her right side beginning to turn a faint red, "Wh-what are you...?"

"Mhmhmhm... _Luna?_" Luna asked, smiling, a set of dagger-like teeth-_that were most certainly _not_ hers!_-glinting in the light, her bright teal eyes twinkling, "Ohoho... _I_ am not _Luna_, Ce-les-ti-a~"

The dark spot on her neck suddenly blackened, before spreading out like some demented virus, staining her pristine midnight blue coat a charcoal _black_, as though it had been burned away. The air around her suddenly warped, as her mane and tail began to wave around wildly, before wrapping themselves around her, contorting into a deep blue sphere as the colour in them turned dark-_**darkerdarkerdarker**_-, before it suddenly turned a searing _red_.

_The air was thick with the scent of magic. The sky darkened, as a familiar white object suddenly began to rise from the horizon, as **The Moon** took its place beside its sister, The Sun._

"_I..._" Luna's voice suddenly spoke, the sphere shook wildly, before, in a wave of pressurized air, it expanded cratering the floor beneath her, fading away as a deep black alicorn stood up, her teal eyes locked onto Celestia, before her pupils suddenly expanded, then contracted into a pair of venomous slits, "_I_ am so _much more..._"

_She was taller than Luna by nearly a head, her eyes, a deep teal similar to the Moon Princess's, were complimented by a set of royal purple eye-shadow. Her horn, like a spire jutting from her forehead, was nearly twice the length of Luna's, her wings were similarly proportioned. She stood there, a helmet of blue steel cascaded down her neck, leading the eyes to the metal neck-piece adorning her form, the brilliant white crescent moon shining innocently on her chest. Her legs, so much longer than Luna's, were protected by a set of metallic greaves._

"Nightmare Moon..." Mother breathed, eyes widened in horror as she stared at her once-sister.

Nightmare Moon chuckled. Her voice was deeper than Luna's, holding a more mature quality that _would_ have sent shivers down even the most loyal stallion's spine, had her maw not been filled to the brim with knife-like fangs, each one on display as she gave her solar counterpart a wide grin.

"Hello again, Ce-les-ti-a,~" she sang mockingly, the air beside her darkening, before a black scythe appeared, hovering in her magic, "I believe we have some _unfinished business_ to attend to," she growled. Mother swallowed as she stared at her adversary, her eyes darting angrily over to Discord, who was lazily floating the air, watching the proceedings as though they were nothing than an entertaining drama, before they returned to the other alicorn

"Luna, you need to snap out of it," she said suddenly, causing the Nightmare to stiffen, "Nightmare Moon is _gone_, you _know that_. This is just one of Discord's tricks. _Don't let him trick you!_"

Nightmare Moon-_or was it still Luna?_-stared at her, and smiled.

"A trick, huh?" she asked, tilting her head, in a manner eerily similar to Discord's, "Oh, he hasn't tricked me. He's only _reminded_ me. You think I don't _notice_?" she asked, beginning to stalk to the side, circling her elder sister, "Just like all those years ago... Even now, they _still_ fear me. Oh, they've gotten better at hiding it, yes indeed, but it's still _there_," she hissed quietly, narrowing her eyes.

"_Luna-!_"

"You welcomed me back, dear _sister_," she spat the word, "but you haven't _accepted_ me back!" she stopped, waving her scythe, not bothering to care how it cut through the stone floor without issue, "You _say_ that you've missed me, you _say_ that you're glad to have me back, but you haven't _shown_ me anything! You claim that we can rule together, just like back then, yet who is it that _sits on the throne?!_"

Emerald twitched at the memory.

He always wondered why Mother hadn't gotten that second throne yet...

"I've done what I could, but _they still reach for your damned Sun!_" she snarled, stamping her hoof, "Only am I acknowledged when _you_ send them my way! I desired friends-_companions!_-yet all I get are your sloppy seconds! Your _guard_, your _student_, your _subjects!_" she growled, before abruptly taking a deep breath, and straightening herself, "I have always been the fighter between us. I fought for our home. I _bled for it_. And all I get in return is _scorn_, even all these years later. There can only be _one of us_, Celestia," she said, leveling her scythe at the solar monarch with narrowed eyes, "I didn't fight to kill you back then out of familial loyalty. A lingering desire to keep you around to see my triumph didn't help that either. But now? Now I can't wait to _gut you like the coward you are!_"

And just like that, Nightmare Moon burst forward, taking them all by surprise, and planted her hoof into her elder sister's cheek, sending the solar alicorn hurtling through the wall she'd cracked earlier, before she chased after her, screeching.

The seven of them could only stand and stare in stunned silence, not one of them having expected the current sequence of events.

Discord chuckled, breaking the silence and startling the seven of them.

"Well, that was much more entertaining than I'd anticipated," he said, rubbing his chin with a talon, before he turned to them, his-**_wrongabnormaltwisted_**-amused gaze twinkling as he took them in, "So, what to do with you six?"

For an instant, none of them moved.

Then Emerald found himself hurtling straight at the draconequus, spear extended, heading straight for his eyes-!

-only for a _titanic weight_ to crash into his chest, sending him crashing back into the ground just before the girls. He struggled to stand for a moment, his chest already aching and sore, before spitting out the blood that had collected in his throat.

"Emerald!"

"Ow..." he muttered pathetically, feeling one of the girls pulling him to his hooves, where he swayed dangerously for a moment, before steadying himself.

"As amusing as that was, what were you expecting to happen?" Discord asked, brow raising as he gave the thestral a crooked grin,

"B-bastard..." Emerald retorted weakly, earning an amused scoff from the spirit.

"You won't get away with this," Sparky said suddenly, glaring bloody murder at Discord, who only smirked,

"That line again? How _boring_," he complained, raising a paw suffused with crackling energy, "At least try to make this a _little_ entertaining, won't you?" he asked, before firing a condensed ball of magic at the seven of them.

"RUN!" Sparky yelled, darting off to the side.

The others immediately followed that advice, scattering out of the ball range, but the lot of them were blown across the room by the massive explosion that occurred once the damn thing hit the ground.

Discord's paw once more lit up with energy, and the chase began.

* * *

It was quite stressful, Emerald had to admit. He'd had his fair share of chases like this, and had experienced it from both ends. But never had he experienced something even _close_ to Discord's level.

His spells never ended. Every second that passed was filled with some sort of spell. Balls of energy racing at them, furniture coming to life, objects fucking _spawning_ in front of them, all twisted with features like eyes, mouths, and limbs trying to reach out and grab them.

Even flying was rendered difficult, as he and Rainbow Dash painfully found out. The air would constantly switch between searing cold and burning heat, quite literally freezing and setting things on fire all at once. Miniature tornadoes and thunderstorms chased them all over the place, only causing Emerald to curse the fact that the castle's ceilings were so fucking high.

Trying to stay out in the open, away from things like dressers, banners, and other furniture was fruitless as well, as the very ground would split and reach up to grab the lot of them, often splitting open into something resembling a mouth and trying to devour them whole.

Despite this, Emerald couldn't help but notice that nothing that Discord threw at them had come even close to actually _harming_ them. He seemed oddly dead set on capturing them rather than hurting or even killing them.

_They're the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony... Killing them should be his first, and frankly only, option. Getting rid of them practically guarantees his rule, so why is he playing games like this?_

It was a puzzle and, short of asking the creature himself, Emerald didn't think he'd ever figure it out.

Eventually, they reached the throne room, burst through the doors, and slammed them shut behind them, for all the good it would do. The girls were all panting heavily, with Applejack and Rainbow the least winded of the lot. Surprisingly Sparky was doing the best after them, with Rarity and Pinkie being the worst off, with the former holding a hoof against her chest and the latter laying flat on her back, gasping for air.

He felt a rush of pride hit him as he looked at Sparky, and realized just how much better she was than when she started. At least _something_ was going well.

"Oh? Are you all done running now?" a voice from behind them asked, startling them all into turning around, where Discord sat, lounging on the throne, "Honestly, can't you do _anything_ else? Scream? Throw something at me? Teleport even?" he asked further, inspecting his nails lazily.

Emerald felt a surge of anger, and he very nearly launched himself once more, but held back. He wasn't used to being played like this. Wasn't used to being so completely _helpless_ against his enemy.

_But was that any excuse to not try? Against impossible odds, was he meant to simply lay down and allow the **spark** in his heart to give out?_

No!_ He **refused** such a reality! He **denied** its existence, **denied** it with every fiber of his being!_

_He would **fight **to prevent such a worthless reality! And, if necessary, he would **die **before allowing it to happen!_

Emerald growled and brandished his spear once more, taking an offensive stance in front of the girls.

"Oh? You're going to fight me, are you?" Discord asked, rising from the throne, his voice laced with amusement, "Well... I suppose it's good to see _someone_ with some backbone, at least," he added idly, "I'd wondered if ponykind had grown as fearful as I'd imagined."

"Emerald!" Sparky hissed in his ear, using her magic to pull him backward, "What are you doing?! You can't beat him!"

"And without the Elements, neither can you," he hissed back, narrowing his eyes at her, "At the very least I _can_ buy you lot time to get out of here and find them!" he added, glaring over at the draconequus, who seemed oddly okay with letting them talk, simply standing there, staring at them.

"Wha-? _Are you out of your mind_?!" she asked, staring at him as though he'd suddenly grown a second head, "We're not _leaving_ you!"

"You will, or I'll _make you_," Emerald snarled, "I'm sure he'd find it funny enough to let me chuck you lot out the fucking window!"

"You woul-!"

"That's enough of that."

His senses screamed at him, and he tackled Sparky to the ground, just as a lance of energy raced over their heads, spearing through the door, with a loud explosion reaching their ears seconds later.

"As amusing as this little drama of yours is, I'm afraid I'd like to get to _terrorizing this pathetic country_ before the day is out," he said, lowering his arm, then smirked and glanced outside, "Well, _more_ out than it already is."

Emerald seethed for a moment, before glancing down at the mare beneath him,

"You see now?" he asked quietly, staring deeply into her eyes, "This isn't a fight. It's a slaughter. But as long as he has a sheep to mess with, you lot can get out and put an end to it once you find the Elements. You're all connected to them, so I'm sure you'll be able to find them without issue, alright?" he asked,

"But-!"

"Twilight," he said, silencing her, "do you trust me?"

She was silent for a moment longer, before giving him a slow nod,

"Y-yes."

"Good," he said, stepping away from her, taking place in front of the six of them, "now _go_."

He waited as the girls hesitated, but, eventually, Applejack moved forward,

"You heard 'im, Twi," she said quietly, making her way to the door, "He knows what he's doin'."

"What?!" Dash nearly shouted, sounding surprised, "You're just gonna leave him?!" she said, throwing her hooves out towards him,

"He's helpin' us by givin' us time ta find the Elements'a Harmony, Dash," Applejack said, not turning to look at her, "The least we can do is trust 'im an' do our part."

"Applejack's right," Rarity said, he could feel her eyes on the back of his head, "It's the only solution."

"You too, Rarity?!" Dash asked, sounding almost... betrayed, "You're kidding me, right?! Fluttershy, Pinkie, back me up here!"

"O-oh! Um... I-I don't really... h-he wants to help us..." he mumbled,

"Yeah!" Pinkie chirped,

"But-!"

"Rainbow Dash," Sparky interrupted, standing back up, "It's okay. Let's go."

"Wha-but-but Twilight...?" Dash tried to ask, before sighing, "... Dammit, fine... but I swear to Celestia, Emerald, if you _die_, I'm gonna..." she trailed off. Emerald chuckled,

"Right, got it," he said, smirking, "Now get going, I doubt he's going to give us any more time."

They didn't say anything after that, only nodding and bolting out the throne room doors, leaving Emerald alone with the draconequus.

"Hehe... That's quite brave of you," Discord began, beginning to float in the air once more, "but surely you realize that you can't beat me, yes?" Emerald narrowed his gaze at Discord, and lowered himself to the ground in preparation,

"Never dreamed of it."

Emerald launched off immediately, keeping low to the ground. As he got closer, he quickly brought his spear up in a diagonal slash, only for Discord to bend out of the way at an unnatural angle. He started to correct himself, but Discord's paw shot out and caught him on the ribs. He grunted as the impact shunted him into the wall, swallowing as blood bubbled up his throat.

_Damn... fucker hits hard..._

He shook his head and tore himself free. He'd scarcely touched the ground when Discord appeared in front of him, wielding a mallet twice as big as himself. Emerald barely managed to duck as the blunt weapon's edge swept over him, though the weapon's sheer size pulled the air along with it, sending Emerald tumbling to the floor. Discord's foot collided with his side, kicking him up into the air, just in time for a massive baseball bat to slam into his stomach. Emerald gasped, coughing out a glob of saliva on impact, before being rocketed off towards the ceiling.

He just managed to correct his flight and avoid hitting the ceiling when Discord reappeared beside him. Thankfully he was on alert for just such a thing, and met Discord's appearance with a swing of his spear. Discord's eyes widened slightly, jerking his head backward enough to prevent Emerald from dislodging his head, though he still suffered a gash along his cheek.

Emerald smirked.

_Magic might have been useless, but physical attacks still can affect him!_

Emboldened by his successful strike, he moved forward to strike again but was stopped by Discord's tail, snapping around him and impacting his back, sending him hurtling back to the floor.

He cratered the ground on impact, and only stood up in time to block Discord's follow-up strike, bringing up his right hoof to take the blow from his suddenly armoured limb. Unfortunately, he'd underestimated how much power Discord could bring to bare, and ended up having his entire right leg shattered on impact.

"GAH-!"

He was further knocked into the ground, the crater around him growing bigger as Discord's strike continued into the floor, inadvertently knocking a cloud of debris into the air.

"You really should think of giving up," he said, staring into the cloud, "what's the point in dying here? A few extra seconds for those little _friends_ of yours won't mean anything, you know?" he asked, before snapping his talons, clearing away the cloud in an instant, "Truly, you're wast-" he cut himself off once he caught sight of Emerald's now revealed form, his bracelet having shattered from the impact.

Unfortunately for Discord, his moment of surprise was short lived as Emerald took the opportunity and lunged at the spirit, driving his good hoof into the side of his face, breaking his jaw if the loud crunch was anything to go by, turning the tables as Emerald was the one to send Discord flying away this time.

Emerald fell back to the ground, having to bite his tongue to keep himself from crying out as his leg was jolted by the motion.

The doors behind him suddenly burst open,

"We're not leaving you behind, Emerald!" Sparky's voice filled the room, "You're either coming with us, or we're not going!"

_You've gotta be fucking kidding me!_

Emerald snarled, and turned around, finding all six mares standing in the open doorway, each one looking overly determined, in their own way.

"Idiots!" he snapped at them, cradling his right hoof, "You're just gonna get yourselves fucking killed!"

"And what about _you_, huh?" Rainbow Dash retorted hotly, "Do you honestly think we'd be okay if _you_ died instead?! Don't be a fucking idiot!"

"Dash's right," Applejack, the mare who'd previously been on his side, said, "I thought it was the right thing ta do, lettin' ya fight 'im alone," she shook her head, "Wasn't 'till this one-" she indicated Sparky, "started yellin' at me that I realized what ya were tryin' ta do."

"I must say though," Rarity interjected, smiling warmly at him, "the idea that you'd so willingly sacrifice yourself for us is... well, quite storybook, actually."

"The point is, Emerald," Sparky began solemnly, "that you're our friend. We can't just let you do that, because... we're in this together, or not at all."

He just stared at them.

Just stared at these... these _morons_...

_Didn't they realize that he wasn't as important as them?_

These total... total _idiots_ who just wouldn't let him...

_They were the Elements of Harmony, and he was only a Guard!_

Wouldn't let him...

_They shouldn't be worried about him like this! They should be focusing on saving Equestria, so why...?!_

_Why...?!_

_Why were they...?!_

Dammit, why the fuck was he crying?! He shouldn't be crying about this! He shouldn't... he shouldn't...!

"F-fucking... id-idiots!" he said, ignoring the tears that _weren't_ falling down his face, because he _wasn't_ crying!

"It's okay..." a warm voice soothed him as a pair of butter-yellow legs wrapped around him, causing him to stiffen, "There's no need to cry..."

"I-I'm not f-fucking crying, dammit!" he sniffed, trying to pull away, only for another set of legs, pink this time, to wrap around them, keeping him locked in place, "L-let me go!"

"Hmm-nope!"

He struggled a bit more, only for a third set of legs, followed by a fourth, fifth, and even sixth pair to wrap around him, effectively preventing him from moving.

He just shook in place as the girls held him, trying in vain to stifle whatever sounds bubbled up his throat-_because they were just _sounds_, not fucking _sobs_!_-each one only causing them to hold him tighter.

Eventually-

"One chance. I'll give you ponies, one chance."

The seven of them, startled by the words, all broke apart and faced the one they'd come from. The seven of them found Discord, just laying there, lion paw rubbing his now-healed jaw. There was no visible sign of damage anywhere on him, as even the cut he'd gotten wasn't there anymore, the skin appearing unblemished.

"What are you talking about?" Sparky asked, taking a stance that Emerald recognized as a basic training stance, concluding that her brother must've taught it to her at one point.

Discord ignored her, and rose to his feet, paw lowering to his side.

"I won't make it easy for you," he said, his eyes locked on to Emerald's form, "of course not. It will be hard, and, frankly, I'll do everything I can to stop you... but I'll give you the chance," he said cryptically, before he raised his paw-

_-and vanished in a flash of white light._

**"To retrieve your missing Elements, simply make sense of this change of events. Twists and turns are my master plan, then, find the Elements back were you began."**

Discord's voice faded away, leaving them standing alone in the throne room, silently.

They didn't speak for another minute or so, until-

"So... wh-what do we do?" Fluttershy asked, breaking the silence,

"Whaddya reckon _that_ mean?" Applejack asked right after, "All that 'twists an' turns' an' 'ended up back where we began' stuff?"

"A riddle..." Emerald muttered, adjusting his grip on his broken leg, "he's telling us where the Elements of Harmony are... with a fucking riddle..."

Sparky broke off from the group, staring at the ground thoughtfully with a hoof on her chin,

"'_Twists and turns_'," she muttered, "'_Twists and turns_'... '_Twists and turns_'..." she kept repeating that part of the riddle under her breath, until she paused, gasped, and spun around, "I've got it!" '_Twists and turns_', he must've hid the Elements in the Canterlot Hedge Maze!"

"Makes sense," Dash said, shrugging, "I always get lost in those stupid things and end up back at the entrance..."

"That's... a bit obvious, don't you think?" Emerald asked, turning to Sparky with a grimace, "A maze is the first thing you're bound to think of when hearing the phrase '_twists and turns_', you know? It's a riddle, so you need to think about the whole thing instead of just one part of it," he pointed out, only for Sparky to shake her head,

"No, it's definitely the maze. Making the answer to his riddle obvious is something that Discord, mischievous spirit, would do to throw us off," she said, nodding firmly to herself. Emerald frowned,

"And what if it's _not_?" he asked, "'_Twists and turns_' implies that it's meant to throw us for a loop. It's more likely that '_back where you began_' is the more important part," he insisted.

"Oh come on! Where is that supposed to lead us?" Dash said, irritated "A hospital or somethin'? That's definitely where I began!"

"Maybe your right, Emerald," Sparky said, ignoring Dash's comment, "Maybe it _is_ a trick and the line '_twists and turns_' is supposed to throw us for a loop. But what if '_back where you began_' is _what_ that loop is? For all we know, that line is just a red herring meant to send us on a wild goose chase! Besides, where _would_ 'back where we all began' even be? I'm from Canterlot, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are from Cloudsdale, Applejack and Rarity are from Ponyville, Pinkie Pie is from Salt Lick City, and you're from Nocturne!"

"I-..." he trailed off, "I don't know..." he said, but shook his head anyways, "But I _do_ know that the Elements aren't going to be in the Canterlot Maze! It's just... just _right there_! I can't imagine that Discord would go through all that trouble just to place the only things that threaten him right next to where he was being imprisoned this whole time!"

"That's exactly the point!" Sparky argued fervently, taking a step towards him, her eyes skipping back down to his leg once or twice, "It would be the _last place_ we'd look!"

"But it was the _first place_ you thought of!"

"Calm down you two!" Rarity interjected, taking a step between them, "Why don't we simply split up? Some of us head into the maze, while the others head elsewhere to work on that last line?"

"An' split us up?" Applejack asked, raising a brow, "What happens when we find the Elements an' we ain't together?" she added, causing Rarity to wince.

"Applejack's right, we _need_ to stick together," Sparky said, frowning, though it was more sad than angry this time, staring at his leg again.

"I mean... Emerald isn't one of us," Pinkie suddenly said, looking up with a hoof against her chin, "He's a super tough Guard, but he's not an Element..." she trailed off, noticing how the group had started staring at her, "What?"

"That's... true," Emerald said, not entirely certain if he was being insulted or not, "but I can't just leave you lot alone."

"Why not?" Dash asked, raising an eyebrow at him, "I mean, what are you gonna do? Discord already kicked your flank!"

"Rainbow Dash!"

"Yeah, and I supposed an untrained civilian like yourself is going to do _so much better_!" he snarled in return.

"Stop it you two!" Sparky yelled, stamping her hoof, "We can't be arguing like this! Look," she began consolingly, approaching him, "Pinkie and Applejack are right," she added, stopping before him, eyes flickering to his leg, "The six of us _have_ to stay together if we find the Elements... but you're right to think that Discord is trying to trick us," she said, before glancing at his leg, again, "You've already fought him once, and you lost. Badly."_-he tried not to wince at her words-_"If all seven of us go at once, then you're only going to get hurt again an-"

"Like I care," Emerald interrupted waspishly, "My well-being compared to yours isn't exactly a high price to pay, not when you're all the heroines of the day." Sparky only sighed,

"You might not care about your health, and you've made that quite clear over the time I've known you, but _I do_. I don't want you getting anymore hurt than you already are, and even then I'm _this close_ to freaking out!" she admitted, before swallowing a lump in her throat, her eyes darting down to his leg, before resolutely looking at anything that wasn't him, "I-I-I don't... I don't want you to..." she bit her lip, and forced her eyes back onto his, "_I don't want to lose you, Emerald._"

He stared for a moment, uncomprehending, before his eyes widened once the words fully reached him.

"I-I-?! Wh-what a-are you-?! D-_don't say embarrassing stuff like that, dammit!_" he demanded weakly, turning his head away, trying in vain to ignore the heat in his face. Sparky, equally as red-faced as himself, puffed up her chest and shook her head,

"No! I-I'll say whatever I w-want to say! If I want to tell you how much I c-care about you, then I-I will!"

"As cute as this is-" Rarity interjected once more, though she had quite the smile on her face this time, "-we absolutely _must_ find the Elements!" she said, then spared a quick glance between the two of them, "Though, I_ would_ suggest the two of you take the time to, ah, talk about this _after_ we've stopped Discord, yes?"

"Yeah, plus this is kinda awkward for the rest of us..." Dash cut in lowly, looking between himself and Sparky uncomfortably.

"Speak for yourself! Ha! I knew they'd work out!" Pinkie gushed quietly.

"R-right," Sparky agreed hesitantly, now fervently avoiding even glancing in Emerald's direction, "S-so the six of us will head into the maze, while E-Emerald heads out and tries to figure out what the last line of Discord's riddle means. Does everybody agree?"

"Yeah!"

"Um, yes?"

"Totally!"

"Eeyup."

"Indeed."

"I've been outvoted, so yes."

"Good!" Sparky said, nodding resolutely, "Let's get going everyone!" she concluded, "Quickly girls!" she added, jogging out the front door, the other Bearers hot on her tail.

That left Emerald sitting alone in the throne room, still clutching his broken leg.

He stared after them for a moment, before cursing and hobbling over to the nearest window.

_Dammit... I'm the fucking Champion, yet all I can fucking do is fucking sit the fuck around while they go and put themselves in fucking danger!_

He growled, but shook his head with a huff.

_No... no... I can't focus on that right now. Alright so... _'**_To retrieve your missing Elements, simply make sense of this change of events. Twists and turns are my master plan, then, find the Elements back were you began._**'

_The first half is... useless. Nothing more than introductory information that explains the purpose of the riddle... no... no, there _is_ something there. It specifically mentions 'your missing Elements'... that means it was directed at the girls... so it likely has absolutely nothing to do with me, which makes it both easier... and much more difficult._

He licked his suddenly dry lips.

_So I need to know something specific in regards to the six of them, presumably to do with 'find the Elements back were you began'._

It was a easy enough conclusion, he knew. But the biggest issue, and likely the one hiding away the answer was this; Where did _'began'_ mean?

The word _'began'_, in this particular context, could mean a variety of things. It was like Sparky said, they all began in slightly different places.

...

But, in the end, they still wound up in Ponyville, just before they encountered the Elements for the first time.

Was it that simple? Did Discord hide the Elements in The Castle of the Two Sisters?

It would make sense, since that _is_ where they found the Elements. Where they defeated Nightmare Moon and became a _real_ group of friends.

...

They needed the Elements to defeat Nightmare Moon. Finding the Elements was their goal. If finding the Elements was their goal, then didn't that mean it was the _end_ of their journey to combat Nightmare Moon?

So if that was the end..._ then where did it begin?_

He scowled, and turned away from the window-_Discord's magic made sure there wasn't anything useful to see outside anyways_-before making his way, awkwardly, into the right-side hall.

_I need more information. I read their personal files, but those things have obviously been out of date for a while now. I need to know what happened that night, I need to see what path they took._

It was his only idea as of right now. He knew that Mother had sent Sparky out to Ponyville and that she'd run into the other Bearers over time, but he didn't know what they'd been doing, what order she'd met them in, or what exactly caused them to head out into the Everfree, a place the entire town avoids like the plague.

But he _did_ know that Mother had asked Sparky to write a detailed report on what happened that night. She had, of course, disguised it as Sparky's first ever friendship report-_and what a stupid idea that was_-and placed it with the others in the Secret Archives.

It took him some time, but managed to get into the Royal Archives quite easily, noting that there weren't any guards to delay him, though he wasn't terribly surprised.

It had been awhile since he last visited the Royal Archives. The massive section of the castle featuring an enormous amount of reading material. With shelves upon shelves filled to the brim with books and tomes, Sparky probably loved the place.

Sure, it didn't have as many books as the Canterlot Public Library, and nowhere near as many as the Canterlot Royal Library, but the Archives contained more... direction than most.

Both Libraries contained great deals of information, ranging from history, to maths, to sciences, to chemistry, and even magical tomes, but very few of them were dangerous in anyway. The Royal Archive contained books with more sensitive material.

Time travel, spacial manipulation, teleportation, mutation.

Various potions and chemical recipes that had various effects on the body.

Sensitive mission reports made by various Guards in the past.

Information on dark magic and dark creatures.

There was a lot of this information in the Royal Archives, and a lot of it had _some_ form of instruction within, and so, had to be more heavily monitored. As such, they're kept here, rather than the Canterlot Libraries.

Not even the Restricted Section of the Canterlot Royal Library had this kind of information. That was limited to more morally sensitive things, with little to no direction whatsoever.

Emerald glanced up at the large globe that took up the geography section of the Archives. That was one thing he both liked and disliked about the Archives. The large monument in the middle of each section, telling anyone who came by what the surrounding information was about.

It was stupid and should anyone infiltrate the place looking for information on, say, time travel, then all they'd have to do is look for the giant fucking hourglass.

On the other, they did have a prominent feature.

Each one of these large structures hid an entrance into the Secret Archives, a hidden section of the Royal Archives that only a select few individuals were even allowed to _know_ about, much less have access to.

As Champion, Emerald was one of those select individuals.

The others were Princesses Luna and Celestia.

_That's it._

He approached the globe and, being careful with his leg, ran his hoof along it's platform, only to hiss slightly as his hoof was suddenly cut, causing some of his blood to dribble onto the golden surface.

Rather than clean it up, Emerald watched as the blood splatter began to shrink, before completely disappearing into the metallic surface. A moment passed, and the sound of a lock being disengaged signaled as the globe suddenly sunk into its pedestal, splitting open along the top, revealing a dark crimson platform, sitting there innocently.

Emerald scoffed at the display, not at all amused by the admittedly grandiose method of activation. Despite this, he quickly hopped onto the platform, not even flinching as the globe shut around him, encasing him in a darkness that didn't work on him.

The platform stuttered slightly, before the feeling of weightlessness overtook him for a moment as it rapidly descended, his eyes perfectly capable of seeing the grooves in the stone work slowly turn darker and more rugged, until the once smooth stone was jagged and black. This continued for another thirty seconds, before it gradually began to slow down, and it finally came to a stop, just before a large, black door with the bright white sigil of a conjoined sun and moon in the center.

Emerald huffed and approached the door, ignoring the sound of magical humming as the sun and moon spun in place for a moment, before splitting in two, allowing the door to open just as he passed through the previously occupied space.

The room was the same as it had been the last time he'd been here, as well as the time before that and, likely, ever since it was made.

Blank, black, stone walls with an equally blank, dark gray floor, illuminated by a sparse number of torches that had lit themselves upon his entrance. Each of the other three walls bore a towering bookcase on either side of a nondescript door, which blended in almost perfectly with the shelves around it. Along the shelves of the bookcases were various security measures, ranging from simple chains preventing the books from being removed, ornate cases over the row, locked firmly in place, to ominous looking markings etched onto the wood, each glowing a faint purple and absolutely _reeking_ of malevolence.

The Secret Archives were where only the most potentially dangerous information in Equestria was stored. These shelves before him were the entirety of the magical storage in these Archives, consisting almost entirely of forbidden, banned, or outright evil rituals, most of which required a distinct number of live sacrifices, instructions on how to make dark deals with malicious entities, books crafted from the flesh of other creatures, each promising a method on how to obtain some form of false godhood, and even books about the mysterious realm of soul tampering.

Basically, the Secret Archives contained knowledge about black magic, a branch of magic _severely_ worse than dark magic.

The only reason that most of these tomes hadn't been destroyed were, in part, due to the vast number of protections on them preventing their destruction.

The others were kept due to their... value, should Equestria ever face an all out war.

The three doors, however, contained less... morally questionable items, though no less important.

One contained things like treaties between Equestria and other countries, established trade routes, and other legal documents too important to store in the Royal Archives.

Other things involved required information on every Equestrian citizen currently alive, and plenty on dead ones, including wills, property deeds, tax information, basic things that, in the wrong hooves, could be dangerous.

The last door, however, was a more... subjective room. It contained things that either the Princesses or the various Champions had deemed dangerous, or important, enough to place here.

Things like an enchanted set of armour that made the wearer completely impervious to all forms of damage, but demanded the user's first-born child in return, an animated tea set that poured the host's blood instead of tea, and, of course, sensitive information regarding the Elements of Harmony.

...

Honestly, Emerald had to wonder how some of the Champions had come across such strange items.

Regardless, it was where the report Sparky had written about that night, as well as some medical examinations the six of them had gotten after the fact, were stored, due to its close relation to the Elements of Harmony.

He slipped into the correct room, which was almost perfectly identical to the main room, with only the addition of some colour located on the box containing the reports he was looking for marking it as a different room.

Annoyed, he clicked open the box and ruffled through the papers, before pulling out the folder he was searching for.

Lazily flicking it open, he started scanning over it, Sparky's neat, tidy horn-writing making it laughably easy to scan the contents, until he'd found exactly what he was looking for.

According to her report, Sparky arrived in Ponyville early in the morning and began her rounds, checking in on all the ponies in charge of the various tasks that went in to the Summer Sun Celebration. The ones running each task happened to be one of the other girls, save Pinkie, who Sparky only met when she threw her customary 'Welcome to Ponyville!' party.

Evidently, Sparky completely ignored everyone in favour of researching the return of Nightmare Moon, which she had claimed to have been absolutely certain, likely feeling rather smug when it turned out to be true.

The report continued in that manner, detailing rather small events that led up to Nightmare Moon's return, Mother's disappearance, and the town's failed response.

It was here that Emerald found what he was looking for.

Sparky reported that, once she saw Nightmare Moon, she immediately returned to the library, looking for information on the Element's possible location, where she was confronted, rather harshly, by the other five, with Rainbow claiming she was a spy of some sort. It was only after Pinkie's intervention that she found a book containing the Element's location, that she set out to find the Elements, reluctantly being forced to take the others with her.

_A book. It was a book. Of course it was a book! It's Sparky of all ponies, so of _course_ it's a book! Faust dammit..._

He had to admit, it was both annoying, and mildly amusing, to find that this entire thing began, because Pinkie happened to find a book that Sparky had missed, simply because it was under 'E'.

Although, it had ended up raising a question or two. Why had Mother decided to send Sparky to the Summer Sun Celebration that year? The year that she, and five others, just so happened to find, discover, then _use_ the Elements of Harmony against Nightmare Moon, turning the demented mare back into the little sister she'd once been forced to banish herself.

It was almost like it was... planned.

Did Mother...?

No. He couldn't think about this right now. Later, perhaps, but he had work he needed to do right now.

He didn't bother putting everything away properly, as that would eat up time he was beginning to lose, and made his way back into the Royal Archives. He hopped out of the now closing globe, searching around until he spotted the nearest window.

_Perfect._

Wasting no time, he hobbled over to it and, after a second of adjustment, shattered it with a single, well-placed punch. With the obstacle out of the way, he hopped onto the window sill and launched off, his wings causing a massive **_*CRACK*_** to echo into the air.

He cleared Canterlot within seconds, but refrained from going much faster due to his leg's injury. The Everfree Forest's massive canopy soon appeared beneath him, dotted only by occasional clearings in the landscape.

He could see Ponyville in the distance, likely another minute or so until he could-

"Now, where are _you_ going?"

He had only an instant to recognize the voice, but by then a massive weight crashed into his back, directly between his wings, sending him darting towards the ground even faster than he'd been flying previously. He screamed in shock and pain for all of a second before he hit the ground, lightly cratering the surrounding earth.

He groaned, and forced himself to stand, faltering only twice before he finally managed to get to his hooves.

"My my, your kind seems just as resilient as I remember," Discord spoke, appearing in front of him in a flash of white light, idly filing his claws.

"B-bastard..." Emerald snarled through clenched teeth. Discord 'tsk'ed,

"Didn't we have this conversation earlier?"

"Fuck you."

"Quite," he said, beginning to walk in a circle around him, "Though, I must admit. After being encased in stone, I was certain that someone would do away with you thestrals. Though, I suppose Celestia _did_ try, didn't she?" he asked. Emerald only growled through grit teeth, not responding to the likely taunt.

"Oh hush," he admonished, causing a muzzle to appear over his face with a wave of his paw.

Emerald immediately froze, the-**_familiarpainfuluncomfortable_**-feeling of the muzzle bringing up far too many memories for his comfort.

Unlike before, a quick growl and he was able to set the thing alight, reducing it to ash within seconds. Discord only clicked his tongue at the display,

"Fire breathing," he noted, almost clinically, "How odd that thestrals regained that particular trait..." he muttered. Emerald's ear twitched and, to his chagrin, he found himself growing curious.

"What... does that mean?" he asked, wincing as he straightened his back. One of his wings had been dislocated from the impact, it seemed.

"Oh, you don't know?" Discord asked, immediately turning to face him. Unlike what Emerald might've expected, his voice didn't sound sarcastic, rather, he sounded actually surprised.

"Know... what?"

Discord stared at him for a moment, and blinked, before leaning back slightly.

"You truly don't know... Do any thestrals know about your species' origin?" he asked, raising a brow. Emerald swallowed, and forced down the feeling of dread he was beginning to feel-_something big was coming, he could tell_-and shook his head,

"No. We just... are."

"How interesting," Discord remarked, holding a claw to his chin, "Well then, I suppose it's only right that I tell you. After all, I created you thestrals in the first place."

_For an instant, everything seemed to freeze in place. The very world slowed to a crawl._

**I created you.**

Beyond consideration.

Out of the question.

Completely-

-undeniably-

-_Impossible._

**I created you.**

Likely.

Obviously.

Totally-

-entirely-

-_Irrefutable._

**I created you.**

Irrelevant.

Unimportant.

Totally-

-utterly-

-_**Worthless**._

Discord's eyes widened as Emerald's spear suddenly entered his personal space. Within the span of an instant, the blade had reached him. Appearing as though moving in slow motion, Discord could feel the instant in which the tip of his blade met his skin, a few centimeters below his eye. Despite the searing pain that erupted from the point, he was still able to move, dragging the blade across his face, before he managed to reach his paw up and bat aside the weapon, knocking it clear into the forest around them.

Emerald continued his journey past the spirit, hitting the ground at an odd angle. He didn't let that stop him, however, immediately getting back to his hooves and launching himself, once more, at the draconequus, his eyes screaming bloody murder.

The distance between them closed in an instant, but he was caught just as quickly, Discord's supernatural strength gripping his hooves furiously.

"Did I touch a nerve?" Discord asked, glaring at him, the blood dripping down his face beginning to evaporate before his eyes as the wound stitched itself closed, "No... I know that look in your eye. You don't care, _do you_?" he asked.

Rather than let Emerald answer, not that he would've, Discord's grip tightened itself around his broken leg.

Emerald's vision turned white for all of an instant, as the-_burningsearingagonizing_-pain-**_Meant Nothing_**-was ignored.

The pain faded in an instant, and he reared his head back, before flinging it forward, colliding heavily with the draconequus.

"Gah!"

Discord reeled back in surprise, dropping Emerald as he clutched his forehead. Not one to let the opportunity go missed, Emerald leapt at him once more. Despite his shocked state, Discord was still fully capable of dodging his strikes.

Emerald growled as his furious attacks continued to miss, only barely scraping past the trickster every single time.

**Be Faster.**

His efforts redoubled, and he finally managed to land a solid blow on Discord's gut, the shock on the spirit's face lighting a flame within Emerald's chest.

Unfortunately, he was unable to capitalize on it, as the very ground suddenly erupted beneath him, a solid fist of earth crashed against his stomach, sending him flying backward into the surrounding trees. He impacted a tree hard enough to knock the damn thing over, feeling something in his back break in the process.

He hissed in pain, the searing sensation running across his back, and over onto his still injured chest.

If he kept fighting in his steadily worsening condition, it was very likely he'd end up dying.

**But That Didn't Matter.**

He tore himself free from the fallen branches and leaves, and burst through the foliage to face Discord once more. Unlike before, Discord didn't dodge, choosing instead to raise a shield-that hadn't existed a second before-to block his attack, his hoof causing a massive dent to mar its features.

**Duck.**

Emerald's broken wings twitched and propelled him downward, avoiding the razor sharp blade that soared through the space his head just vacated.

Unfortunately, the movement left Emerald slightly defenseless, allowing Discord's long tail to curl around the shield and grab Emerald by the leg. With a twirl, fit with a skirt and pom poms on Discord's part, he was thrown vertically into the sky.

He cursed and growled, trying in vain to gain some control over his unplanned flight. Alas, his wing was far too injured, both broken and likely more than a few muscles in his back torn from his interactions with Discord.

_Dammit! I can't fucking fight this guy! But it's not like I can run either!_

Though he was spinning through the air, he did manage to spot Discord on the ground, most likely just waiting for gravity to bring Emerald back to him, so he could do... whatever it was that Discord did.

_Fuck! Fucking fuck fuckitty fuck fuck!_

_I-I can't beat this guy! It doesn't matter what I do! All I can do is stall for time! The Archives aren't too far from the maze, so there's a good chance she saw me. The fact that Discord actively sought me out like this proves that the Elements are in Ponyville!_

Eventually, Discord tired of waiting for his fall, choosing to teleport himself right above Emerald, lashing out with a devastating axe kick of all things, sending the injured thestral rocketing back down.

He didn't bother acknowledging the way his other wing broke, or the way his chest, which had taken the brunt of the kick despite having been previously injured, began to sear, several more ribs having broken from the hit. The pain continued to grow, however, burning him from the inside out! It ripped and tore at him until-**_It Didn't Matter_**-he tossed it aside.

Every second he spent keeping Discord here, was a second more for Sparky to realize that she and the other six had been duped.

But it was clear. Try as he might, standing took nearly every ounce of strength left in his body at this point. Every motion, no matter how minuscule, sent tremors of pain through his body. Every broken bone, every torn muscle, all of it had been done within so small a span that even trying to continue this fight would be synonymous with suicide.

_How could he protect them if he was **dead**?_

_How could he see his family if he wasn't **alive**?_

_How could he _Survive_ if he failed to **Endure**?_

_Those years in that wretched Facility..._

_That pain, that fear..._

_He **Survived** then. He would **Survive** now._

**_Nothing would stand in his way._**

**_He Swore it._**

His **Goal** was clear.

_Stall._

"The Elements... they're in Ponyville, aren't they?" he asked, spitting out a glob of blood. Discord chuckled,

"Why, yes they are. In a little book at the library, to be specific. Though you already knew that, of course."

"Right... and so you decided to attack me, to keep me from getting there. Why? I'm not an Element, I can't use the damn things, and you could easily keep me from returning with them." Discord only smirked,

"Who said anything about keeping you from the Elements?" he asked, a single elongated fang peeking out from his lip, "Why, it was mere luck that you happened to head out to gather the Elements of Harmony when I decided to pop in for a check up," he admitted, causing Emerald to frown, "Don't believe me?" Discord asked, holding a claw to his chest, "Oh you wound me so. But I'm no liar, you see," he began to float in midair, pulling out a deck of cards, "A trickster," he pulled out a card, whose image depicted him in a purple and brown robe, "A riddler," card with him in a green suit with a series of question marks, "A jester," a purple and gold jester costume, "oh yes! I'm all of those things, there's no doubt," he said, before tossing aside the cards, ignoring the way they exploded once they hit the ground, "But I'm no liar. I may twist and pull my words around, but outright _lying_ isn't as fun. A riddle or a puzzle give me my entertainment and have the added bonus of tormenting those _wretched _little ponies," he finished, snarling at the end.

Emerald frowned,

"You seem... particularly hateful when it comes to ponies. Is there... a reason?"

Discord scoffed,

"You don't know the half of it."

"Enlighten me." Discord regarded him lazily, and smirked,

"You're trying to stall me, so your little marefriend and her pals can figure out that the maze is worthless," he said, smirking, then shrugged, "Alright then, I'll humor you."

Emerald frowned.

What happened to 'I won't make it easy for you'?

"I'd rather not tell you my life story, so I won't. But in simple terms, these ponies took someone from me," Discord began, his, relatively, jovial expression twisting into malevolence, "Someone that meant the world to me. I understand that before that I was a bit of a monster, but for once in my eternal life, I changed. Of my own volition, no less," he threw out his arms, "And what did that get me? _Her death, that's what!_" he snarled, now staring at the sky, "We had a wonderful life together. My darling Nia," he crooned, clasping his claws together, his expression softening for a moment, before it snapped back into fury, "then _he_ came along and _tainted_ them! Their magic became a mere shell of what it once was!" he turned his gaze back unto Emerald, the furious look in his eyes replaced by something... unrecognizable, "Sirens were once gentle creatures, you know? They sang beautiful songs for all to hear, for no reason other than they loved to sing. Their music was magical. It generated positive feelings in all who heard, and their magic, in turn, was nourished by the positivity it created. Then one day," he turned around, his gaze, presumably, locking on something in the distance, something too far away for Emerald to see, "_he_ appeared. He offered them strength, in return for the secrets to their magic, and their support for war against Equestria. My darling Nia, the Siren Queen, refused of course. She, like most sirens, _adored_ the ponies. They, like them, were a positive race. Generally free of conflict and hate, now that they discovered the 'Magic of Friendship' or whatever," he scoffed.

"He was angry, and cursed my beloved and her kind. What once brought happiness and joy, could only bring hate and anger," Discord said, returning his eyes to Emerald's, his expression flat, "He corrupted their very magic. Like most magical beings, their lives were dependent on their magic. Without it, they shrivel up and die. There's no stopping it. No changing it. It's a simple fact of life," he looked distinctly sad now, as he turned his head down, eyes staring straight into the dirt, "but they tried," he whispered, "they tried so hard, but they just kept _dying_. Eventually, they had no choice but to embrace their new lot in life. Some of them began to revel in this change, but most hated it. My Nia was one of them. She begged the Equestrians for their help. She begged and pleaded for decades on end, but they never responded. _And then they attacked them._"

_The World grew heavy, a pressure that bore down upon the World and threatened to crush them all slowly poured out of **Discord's** body._

_A titanic weight, raw, uncontrolled._

_**Fury.**_

_**Rage.**_

"_They came and killed them. All of them. I tried to stop them, but in my attempts, they saw me as the monster, and attacked. My Nia, my darling Nia, took the blow meant for me._" he began to shake, causing the World around them to do the same, "**She died in my arms, she died because those ponies couldn't spare a moment, a message, couldn't spare anything to help them when she begged! _THEY KILLED MY NIA IN COLD BLOOD. REVENGE WAS ALL I HAD!_**" he roared, then suddenly froze, his voice falling into a deathly whisper, "It was sweet. To see them **_suffer_** in the way I suffered. To see their _Hope_ fall into the deepest **Abyss**," he took a deep breath, and looked back up, "Of course I couldn't let that be the end. My Nia had always wanted a family, even though I could never give her one. It was easy enough, to take the bodies of the fallen sirens, and the ponies that killed them. Easy enough to combine the DNA and forcefully implant the pony's soul in them. Easy enough to create the perfect species. One greater than ponies in nearly every way. Bodies of ponies. Natures of dragons. Hearts of sirens. Little tweaks to ensure their survival, regardless of wherever they ended up. I even added my own DNA to the mix, giving them total immunity to Equestrian magic. I gave them everything I could to make sure that all that remained of my Nia would survive. But they weren't sirens. They weren't ponies. They weren't dragons, griffons, chimera, windigoes, or any other creature that had ever existed."

"They were Thestrals. And they were _mine_."

_The World grew light again, as the unnatural pressure faded._

"Hmph... so much for not giving you my life story," Discord muttered, though he didn't seem bothered by it, "Well? Anything else you'd like to 'stall' me with?" he asked, placing his claws on his hips, or whatever passed for it on his body.

Emerald blinked, and swallowed the lump in his throat.

_Fuck, that was terrifying._

"You seem... oddly okay with me stalling you," Emerald pointed out. Discord smirked once more, and even chuckled a bit,

"Oh please. Being in two places at once is foal's play for someone like me."

_... Shit._

"Besides, you _are_ one of my thestrals. I'm willing to give you a _bit _of lee way. Well, right now. Later, however..." he let the sentence hang.

"I'm surprised you're as... cordial as you are," Emerald said carefully, "I figured that, if that story of yours is to be believed, then you'd be going on quite the murderous rampage," he said. Discord stared at him, and laughed.

_Actually fucking laughed._

"BAHAHAHAHAHAH! AHAHAHHEHEHEAHAHA!"

Emerald's eye twitched as he watched the spirit being to convulse and fall to the ground, clutching his stomach all the while.

Discord continued laughing for a moment, before finally collecting himself, standing up while wiping aside a tear,

"Oh dear, oh my, that was funny!" he said, before taking a breath, and nodding, "But yes! You're right. A murderous rampage _does_ sound therapeutic right about now..." he trailed off for a moment, looking off to the side, then shook his head, "But no, I got all that murderous fury out of my system millennia ago. Plus, several thousand years trapped in stone with nothing to do but solve all your own mental problems can do wonders for your health," he said, then shook his paw in a a so-so manner, "aside from all the insanity of course."

"But then... why not just kill us?" Emerald asked, finally getting to something that had, admittedly, been on his mind for some time now, "The Elements are the only thing that can stop you... so why not just kill the Bearers? Why let them... try?"

Discord smiled softly, and clasped his claws together in front of him.

"Ah! An excellent question! I was wondering when you'd get to that. The answer is actually quite simple, you see..." he said, letting the silence build for a moment, before speaking, "I can't. I can no more destroy the Elements, and their Bearers, than they can destroy me."

"What?" Emerald asked. Discord sighed,

"It's not hard to understand, you know," he said, crossing his arms, "The Elements of Harmony come from something that the ponies refer to as the Tree of Harmony. The problem is that the 'Tree of Harmony' isn't actually its name. Ponies tend to have issues with naming things that already have names, you see."

"The... Tree of Harmony?"

"Quite! Its actual name is the Tree of Order. Now, the Elements of Harmony are from the Tree, that part the ponies got right," he said, wagging his finger, "but something they don't know, is that _I_ also was born from the Tree."

"What."

"Exactly!" Discord gushed, throwing his arms out, "Is it really so surprising that I, the Spirit of Chaos and _Disharmony_ was created by the same thing that made the Elements of Regular _Harmony_? Well, I say Element_s_, but, really, there was only one in the beginning."

"Only one?" Emerald asked, furrowing his brow, "What do you mean, 'only one'? Everyone knows that there are _Six_ Elements, and there's always been six." Discord sighed, and shook his head,

"Oh yes, and who told you that? The ponies? Well, they're _wrong_!" Discord snapped, and huffed, "Honestly... can't they get anything right?"

"Anyways, yes, there used to only be one. It wasn't long after the Element of Kindness was made that I was born. Ah, to be young and stupid again," Discord said wistfully, before giving a sarcastic frown, "Took almost two hundred years before someone found out about the Element and used it to seal me back in the Tree. Honestly, I was only causing a few natural disasters, yet everyone seemed to freak out about it. Thankfully a few thousand years later I managed to break free, stronger than ever before! Ahh... such glorious chaos. I was still inexperienced back then. I didn't quite know what 'holding back' meant. It was only two hundred years before someone else found the Element of Harmony and challenged me again. Unfortunately for them, the Element wasn't strong enough. Unlike me, it couldn't gather any energy to make itself stronger without a proper Bearer. But then they had to go and awaken a _Second_ Element!" Discord said, sounding exasperated, "I was a fool, of course. I didn't realize that the Second Element, the Element of Loyalty, made their magic so much stronger, and I was sealed back into the Tree. The next time I broke out I found that my memories had become spotty. I knew the Elements of Harmony had stopped me, but I didn't know _how_. Not that I cared, I was stronger than ever before!... Again. One hundred years later and the Element of Generosity appeared. And the cycle continued, awakening the Element of Honesty. Then Laughter a few thousand years later."

"Every defeat made my memory spotty. I could recall being defeated by the Elements, but I never was able to recall the fact that there was always _one more_ that made my defeat possible. It was during my sixth stint of freedom that I ended up doing something different. I met someone, a siren named... well, you can guess what happened after that. I fell for her, she was killed, and I took my revenge on the ponies. Three hundred years. My longest period of freedom yet! I was more experienced, more... experimental during that reign. But then, of course, they had to awaken the Sixth Element, the Element of Magic."

"But... they did something _different_." he said, suddenly getting excited, "They didn't seal me away in the Tree. Oh no... they encased me in _stone_ instead! All those years encased in that _wretched_ little prison shifted my mental state back and forth so much, I managed to break through the blocks in my memory. Now, not only am I _stronger_, but now I _remember_," he said, suddenly beginning to take a few steps towards Emerald, who unconsciously began taking steps backward, "I _remember_ my defeats. I _remember_ how they happened. How each new Element was unlocked... what kind of individuals unlocked them... how they were brought together. And why wouldn't I?" he asked, frowning, "After all, the Elements of Harmony can only affect their Bearers, me, and those infected by my magic, a fact I was sad to learn after Celestia banished Luna to the moon. Evidently, she didn't like the adjustments I made to her poor, impressionable, baby sister."

"_You-_?!"

"Yes, me. Didn't you see me bring Nightmare Moon back?" Discord asked, raising a brow, "I assure you, it was much harder the first time. I actually had to be _sneaky_, and, if you haven't noticed, I'm not a _sneaky_ individual. I do enjoy making a spectacle of things. Now, we're getting off track..."

Emerald swallowed, and backed away further as Discord continued his approach,

"What track?" Emerald asked, beginning to dart his eyes around for possible escape routes. He didn't like the way Discord continued to stalk towards him, didn't like the way his eyes focused on his own, didn't like being _helpless_.

"I told you," he began, his claws beginning to spark wildly, as the air became saturated with the taste of magic, "_I know how the Elements work._ I know how they're brought together. How a new one is made and, quite frankly... _I won't allow a Seventh one to appear,_" he snarled, raising his left paw over his right shoulder, "**_Die._**"

_The World **Shrieked.**_

_A wave of harsh, overflowing light erupted into the World, cascading over the injured thestral. In the brief instant where sensation existed, his entire **Reality** was set alight by **burning** pain._

_His skin melted._

_His blood boiled._

_His body failed._

**_And the world went white._**


	32. The Return of Harmony: Sacrifice Requiem

**Kinda sad, since I had to change the title to fit on this site. The original title was 'The Return of Harmony: Requiem of Sacrifice'. So if it sounds a bit weird, that's why. Also, sorry this one is a bit late, but a couple hours shouldn't hurt... right?**

* * *

Discord sighed, arching his arms over his head in an attempt to crack his back.

He didn't like having to harm one of his thestrals. They were family, in a way, and he never did like hurting those he felt were close to him.

It was a good thing that, slated as he was to became the Seventh Element of Harmony, Discord simply _couldn't_ kill him, no matter how much he overpowered his spells.

He glanced over at the massive steaming _canyon_ he'd carved through the forest, the body of the thestral-_his name was Emerald_-buried beneath mounds upon mounds of relocated dirt.

Discord chuckled, his arms falling to his sides.

Emerald reminded him quite a bit of Nocturnia.

Ah, Nocturnia. His precious Nia. Queen of the Sirens and Mother of the Thestrals.

She would've loved to meet him. Discord was sure that she'd have just adored him.

After all, they were both willing to sacrifice themselves for the ones they cared about. They both held a strength beyond anything he'd ever seen. Not many would fight an impossible battle for someone else's sake, you know?

Though, it wasn't just psychological similarities. Change his species, gender, and dye his coat white, and he'd be a dead ringer for Nocturnia.

Speaking of, that wasn't the only thing about the colt that reminded him of Nia.

Discord waved his paw around a little, shifting hundreds of pounds of dirt around, until the injured little thestral was revealed.

Discord hummed at the sight. Burned fur, lacerations across the body, broken wings, charred flesh, and quite a lot of blood as well. All in all, he held up quite well. Seventh Element or not, most creatures caught in that spell were lucky if they weren't turned into piles of ash.

Still, that wasn't what Discord was looking for. Rather, it was the innocuous little mark upon the colt's flank that drew his attention.

A simple white question mark, with a dot of blue flame.

It looked simple enough, if a bit abstract, but that wasn't why it interested Discord so.

No, the reason he was so interested in it, was because it was the _same symbol that Nocturnia once wore._

It had confused Discord at first. Why would royalty wear a necklace with such a... modest symbol? It was nothing more than magically coloured iron. It had no gems, no precious metals, nothing that would justify it being around the neck of royalty.

_"Why do you wear that silly thing?"_

_"Well, that's a funny question, Dissy. It's the royal crest, so of course I wear it!"_

_"But-but it's so simple! I doubt something like that is actually worthy enough for royalty such as yourself!"_

_"Hmph, just because it _looks_ simple, doesn't mean it's not worth it. I would've thought someone like you would've realized that."_

_"W-well then, why do you wear it?"_

_"Because, simple as it looks, it holds a meaning that has guided the Royal Family since the beginning of my race."_

_"And... what does it mean?"_

_"It means 'to persevere'. That, even when in the face of the unknown and insurmountable, I must stand strong. For if I waver, for even a moment, then the fire in my soul will go out."_

"... 'To persevere', huh?" he asked himself, idly rubbing the spot beneath his eye, letting the dirt fall gently back over the injured colt, minding his open wounds.

Five. That was the number of times where one of Emerald's attacks had actually connected.

Five! Astonishing! Not even Celestia or Luna could manage more than two _actual_ hits each. Magical ones didn't count since he was immune to them, and therefore didn't care if they hit.

The only other individual to lay that many hits against him had been, of course, Nocturnia. Though, she had hit him more often. Their first impressions on each other weren't the best ones, after all.

Thinking about it, that was probably why he'd chosen the spell he did. Nocturnia's pride would've killed her if she'd been knocked out by mere pain after a battle like that. But a spell designed to level a castle? Merely getting knocked out by a spell like that would've sated her pride, at least a little.

Perhaps he was wrong in assuming that Emerald held the same pride as his ancestor, but he didn't think so.

Sating the poor fool's pride was the least he could do, considering what's going to happen once he and his little friends imprison him once more.

Oh, Discord knew that he wouldn't be free for very long, not this time. If Emerald had been anything, _anything_, other than a thestral, then Discord would've readily imprisoned all seven of them at the bottom of the ocean, never to be seen again!

But alas, he cared more for his thestrals than he did for his revenge, so he would play his part regardless.

He hoped the poor colt was strong enough to face the truth of the Elements after his imprisonment. He'd seen the kind of things those Elements did to their Bearers, even during his many years residing within the Tree.

He scoffed.

And ponies called _him_ evil.

Oh well... there wasn't anything he could do for him. He could only pray that this little thestral was strong enough.

Hmm... he wondered... How were the thestrals doing, anyhow? Perhaps he could pop by for a little visit. Undetectable, of course. Wouldn't want to frighten his precious children, of course.

Unfortunately for Discord, his visiting plans were ruined when a copy of himself popped into existence before him.

"What in the blazes was that?!" Copy asked, waving his limbs around. Discord waved his concerns away,

"Nothing much. I was merely putting our little friend here out of commission. He was strikingly similar to Nia, and I felt this was only an appropriate response. Now, how are things on your end?" he asked,

"That's not-!" Copy began, only to shrug, "Eh, whatever. Those ponies seem to be blundering around as expected. I took away their wings and horns and placed a few rules for our little 'game'. I've even taken to influencing some of them a tad, to drive them apart if they _do _find the Elements. Though some took a bit of effort to 'convince'. Except Fluttershy, I had to force it upon her," Copy explained. Discord nodded,

"It would make sense that the older Elements and their Bearers would be a bit more resilient, and the oldest of them all _would_ be practically immune. Alright then, let's get back to it," he said, then snapped his talons, dispelling the copy. He paused for a moment, letting his copy's memories flow into his own, before he popped back over to the maze to see how the ponies were doing for himself.

* * *

Twilight grunted with every step, the weight of the boulder on her back beginning to really take its toll on her.

Part of her wondered why she was carrying a stupid boulder of all things, until it, oh so unhelpfully, reminded her why.

Her friends were acting strange. She could see it happening right in front of her. The way that Fluttershy-_sweet, gentle Fluttershy_-shoved the others around, smirking whenever one of them cried out. She could see how Pinkie Pie-_happy, joyful, always smiling Pinkie Pie_-growled when she heard someone start laughing at her. How Applejack-_honest to a fault, can't-lie-to-save-her-life Applejack_-kept dodging questions, always darting her eyes about shiftily. How Rarity-_generous, understanding Rarity_-kept sending her nasty glares, usually accompanied by a 'You'd better not be thinking about taking _my_ diamond, Twilight!' or two.

She just... didn't understand why this was happening.

Yes, the idea that Discord was free and causing havoc across the world and that they were the only ones in the entire world who even held a _chance_ of stopping him was stressful. Absurdly stressful, in fact, but...

Okay, so the way her friends were acting was a _little_ understandable. She, the bookworm who freaked out over every test she'd ever taken, understood that stress could make a pony act funny and do crazy things, but, this was crazy!

Well, on the bright side, Emerald didn't have to deal with this.

She and the others had just been locked into the maze, completely separated by Discord mind you, when she'd heard the sound of shattering glass and had looked up to find Emerald soaring through the sky.

It was... a little sad to find out that he still thought the Elements were somewhere else. The fact that Discord had gone so far as to take away their wings and horns, not to mention separate them, was proof that the Elements really were in the maze.

But, sad as it seemed, Twilight was still immensely glad that he'd fallen for one of Discord's tricks. He was injured already, and the last thing Twilight wanted was for him to get any more hurt. Now that he thought he'd figured out where they actually were, he was out of the picture and away from Discord, meaning that he was safe from any other of Discord's plans.

... Still, it _would_ have been nice to have at least one friend acting normally around here.

"Oh, wouldja look at that!" Applejack suddenly shouted, looking up into the sky, "Rainbow Dash is flyin' away! She's abandoning us!" she said, glaring at the sky.

Twilight scoffed, letting the boulder slide off of her back-_she took a moment to revel at the lack of weight on her back_-and shook her head,

"Now I _know_ that's a lie," she said, glancing up into the air, only for her jaw to drop as _Rainbow Dash flew away_, "_What?!_ Rainbow Dash! How could that be?!"

She didn't have time to further contemplate the _impossibility_ of _Rainbow Dash abandoning_ them, as the ground beneath them began to shake, and the sky was overcome by clouds.

Suddenly, the walls of the maze started to shake, before somehow getting sucked into the ground, taking every last inch of vegetation with them, leaving Twilight and the other four standing in the middle of a barren field of dirt.

"Well, it looks like _somebody_ broke the no wings, no magic rule!" Discord's voice echoed through the air, before he suddenly appeared through the cloud of kicked up dirt, looking rather severe as he snapped his claws.

A familiar presence returned to her as a weight suddenly reappeared on her head, and the feeling of her magic rushing back nearly caused her to wet herself from the sheer amount of sensations it brought back.

"Game over, ponies," Discord said, raising his claws to the sky as lightning danced through the air, "Looks like we're due for a big ol' storm of _chaos_! HahahahmhmHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Twilight's entire world practically fell away beneath her as those words rang through the air.

_How... but-but they were so close!_

"And just what're _you_ laughin' at?!" Pinkie suddenly barked, stalking angrily towards the spirit, while Twilight watched on, a small part of her beginning to wonder if this behavior was actually because of stress or not.

"Oh, nothing much," Discord said, smirking at the angry pink pony, lifting himself off of the ground while doing so, "It's just... you ponies are _quite_ entertaining!" he said, "Though, not quite as entertaining as your green friend, of course," he added, glancing off somewhere.

"Well quit it!" Pinkie snapped, "You better _think_ before you laugh at the _pink_... ie Pie!" she growled at him.

Twilight relaxed a little. At least she was still making jokes. That meant that not everything seemed to be going bad.

... Wait.

"Our green friend?" Twilight mumbled, "But that would mean-"

"Oh yeah?" Fluttershy suddenly piped up, "Well, ha. Ha."

"Quit it!"

"No. Ha. Ha. Hahahehehehaha."

"ARGH!"

Twilight stumbled back a little, the sight of the least temperamental ponies she'd ever met arguing like this more than a little jarring.

"Hey, uh, Rarity. 'Bout this diamond'o yers," Applejack said, "Twilight said we should, uh, split it six ways since we, uh, found it tagether." Rarity growled, and tackled the earth mare away,

"Stay back! He's mine! All mine!"

"Wha-girls!" Twilight cried, "Wh-why are you all acting like this?! We _need_ to stick together!"

"Hmhmhm... all too entertaining," Discord muttered. Twilight turned to find him lounging on a velvet seat that hadn't been there before, an upside-down book in claw.

Twilight stared at him for a moment, and turned back to her friends, before glowering at the spirit.

"Stop it Discord!" she demanded, approaching him, "You're not playing fair!"

"'Not playing fair'? Really?" Discord asked, peering over his sunglasses, "I'm your enemy, little pony. 'Playing fair' isn't something that enemies do for other enemies," he said, tossing his book aside as he rose from his seat, "Besides, I'm the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony. What were you expecting?" he asked.

Twilight huffed, and stomped her hoof,

"You said this was a game to you! That we _all_ had to play by the rules! How can we finish this 'game' if you take away the maze before we could reach the Elements at the center?!"

"Hmm?" Discord's brow raised, before a devilish smirk overtook his features, "Oh, you actually thought the Elements were _in_ the labyrinth?"

"Wha-? O-of course!" Twilight said, before shaking her head, "I know the Elements are-were in the labyrinth!"

"Really?" Discord asked, leaning back once more, "And... just _how_ exactly did you know? If I recall correctly, I never said anything about a labyrinth."

"But-but-!"

"But, but, but-" Discord mocked her, before chuckling, "Silly Twilight Sparkle. Your thestral friend had it right from the beginning," he said, causing Twilight's chest to grow cold, "I find it rather odd how you so easily dismissed his claims. But, then again, I suppose it's only natural for you ponies to ignore other species, isn't it?" he asked.

Twilight didn't hear that last part, her mind working too frantically to catch up.

_Emerald was right! Dear Celestia, how could I have been so _stupid_?! Of course he was right! He has a lot more experience in this kind of thing than I do! Why didn't I just listen to him!?_

A small, treacherous, part of her told her that it was because she didn't _want_ him to be right.

It reminded her that she wanted to do everything she could to keep him away from Discord. He'd been injured, after all. And she didn't want him to get hurt anymore. By disagreeing with him, she could, possibly, drive him away. Away from Discord and the danger he represented.

"Funny, isn't it? You wanted to protect him, didn't you?" Discord suddenly asked, looking at her, though his sunglasses prevented her from really getting a read on his expression, "You wanted him out of the picture, so that he'd be safe, yes?"

Twilight swallowed thickly, but found herself nodding.

"A shame then. He figured out where the Elements were, down to last detail. It really was quite brilliant how he managed to figure it out, all by himself," Discord's suddenly gave her a wicked grin, "I had to get rid of him, of course."

_Her world froze._

"Wh-what?"

"I got rid of him, you see. He was dangerous to my plans. He'd not only managed to injure me a number of times, but with a personality like his, he wouldn't have stopped chasing after you lot, wouldn't have stopped trying to help you. Not until he was dead, at least."

_D-dead?_

_Emerald was... dead?_

No... no, no-nonono, that-that _couldn't_ be!

**_But it was, wasn't it?_**

No... no, he-he couldn't be dead! He was _Emerald_ for Celestia's sake! S-sure Discord was powerful but-but surely Emerald couldn't actually be _k-killed_?

_But wasn't Discord too much for him? Hadn't he been broken and beaten to the ground within that short period of time before she had decided to go back for him?_

**_It would be just like him, wouldn't it? To fight an impossible battle, even if it meant dying? The danger didn't matter. Didn't she recall the hydra? The cockatrice? He'd sacrifice it all to protect them. To protect her._**

But... but he couldn't be _dead_.

He just... he just couldn't be.

_She hadn't told him. Hadn't confessed it to him._

**_Now she never would._**

"It would appear I've broken her," Discord muttered, waving his paw in front of her face, before straightening himself and shrugging, "Oh well, I suppose I'll simply have to find my entertainment elsewhere for now," he said, before snapping his talons and disappearing in a flash of light.

A flash of lightning lit up the sky, also breaking Twilight from her thoughts, just before a torrent of chocolate milk rain poured down over the five.

"Chocolate milk? I hate chocolate milk!"

Twilight shook her head and turned away from Pinkie.

Was there even any point in searching for the Elements anymore? Her friends were... different. She thought it might be stress, but was it really?

And Emerald...

She banished the thought from her head.

No. Emerald wasn't dead. He _couldn't_ be dead. Discord had fooled her once with the maze, and Twilight was _not_ going to let him fool her again!

He never actually said Emerald was dead. Only that he wouldn't stop until he _was_.

He had 'gotten rid' of him. For all Twilight knew, he just teleported Emerald to the other side of the planet, or tossed him in Tartarus, or something similar. Admittedly, Twilight had jumped to conclusions, just like when she spotted the hedge maze from inside. Her thoughts had run wild and come to a conclusion before she could bother to talk to the others about it, and it had cost them precious time, and now...

Twilight glanced over at her four remaining 'friends'.

They were acting strange now. Maybe... maybe this was how they really were and the stress of all this just brought it out?

Twilight knew there were times she would've been happy to just shout at them or tell them to leave her alone, but she could never bring herself to do that. Whenever she felt like that, she'd usually either bury herself in books or seek out Emerald.

Everything... everything would be fine. They just needed to find the Elements, and then everything would be back to normal. She was sure of it now.

So, she needed to think.

Where were the Elements of Harmony?

_It's more likely that '_back where you began_' is the more important part._

_Okay... so... 'back where you began'. I guess... where did we begin? I'm from Canterlot and we've managed to establish that it's not in Canterlot. Plus, Emerald left Canterlot earlier... Right, Emerald actually managed to figure the whole thing out, and he was very clearly leaving, but... to where?_

"Don't touch my gem!"

"_I'm_ touching your gem. Haha!"

"Why are you laughing?!"

Twilight groaned.

"Ugh, I just want to go home now..." she muttered, before perking up, "Home? Home. The library! Of course! That's where the girls and I first grouped up together! The Elements are in the library!" she smiled, and even clapped her hooves together, "Yes! Sweet Celestia, it's so _obvious_! No wonder Emerald figured it out so quickly!" she nodded to herself and turned to the girls, "Alright girls! We're heading back to Ponyville!"

* * *

_He stood petrified at the sight before him._

_A bright smile, even as she plunged knife into her eye._

_Again._

**_Again._**

_Again._

**_Again._**

_He couldn't move. Couldn't stop her._

_Blood, thick and red, ran through her coat, **dripdripdrip**dripping onto the floor._

_"Wh-what are you doing?!"_

**_*SHLICK*_**

**_*SHLICK*_**

**_*SHLICK*_**

**_*SHLICK*_**

_Limp, she fell to the ground, blade lodged through her once lively blue eye, blood pooling around her, staining his hooves red._

_The smile never left her face._

**_How Weak._**

It was dark.

He couldn't see.

Something was on top of him, pressing down against him.

He shifted slightly, and so did his confinement.

_Trapped. Stuck. Getoutgetoutgetoutgetoutoutoutout_-

The mound of dirt he'd been trapped beneath exploded outward, leaving Emerald to greedily suck in the fresh air around him.

For a moment, everything seemed fine.

And then his wounds let him know how much the world sucked right now.

"Argh... fucking..." he stretched a bit, hissing slightly as his wounds protested the movement, "What the fuck did he hit me with... and how the fuck am I still alive after that?" he asked himself.

Emerald shook his head and climbed out of his faux tomb, taking the time to look himself over.

His fur had been burned away in some spots, and he definitely had a few broken bones from the attack. Not only that, but there were various spots of flesh that had been charred black, leaving flaking bits of skin and dried blood to fall away. They were deep lacerations across his sides and his leg, but they seemed to have mostly clotted by now.

Knowing him, he'd probably re-open the wounds within the next hour.

Emerald groaned, and rubbed his face.

That was a dream he hadn't had in years now. He shivered slightly at the memory.

He still didn't know who Red Filly had been, and he'd never get the chance.

Her death was... unexpected. But it _had_ shown him his purpose.

_He didn't want any of the other prisoners to die. He knew what their suffering was like, so how could he leave them behind?_

He steadfastly ignored the ones who had died by his hooves. That minotaur, the griffon, the dragon.

He ignored the ones he'd killed himself. He'd spared them the pain of living after the Facility.

Besides... those Tests had made him stronger, and, at the time, it was either him or them.

Did he feel guilty? Yes. Did he regret it? No.

He shook his head. Now wasn't the time for him to be stuck in his head. He was injured, and Discord might still be out there.

Emerald quickly surveyed his surroundings.

He was still in the Everfree, that much he could tell. The general atmosphere and appearance of the trees suggested that he hadn't been moved since his... altercation with Discord.

The sky was the same, with both the sun and moon hanging above. That meant that, however long he'd been out, it _hadn't_ been long enough for Discord to be imprisoned once more, in stone or otherwise.

Then again... could Discord be imprisoned once again? After all...

_I won't allow a Seventh one to appear._

Was he telling the truth?

Was... was _he_ supposed to be an Element Bearer?

No... that was ridiculous. Emerald simply couldn't-

_I can no more destroy the Elements, and their Bearers, than they can destroy me._

... Dammit.

It made sense, in a way. If Discord really couldn't destroy the Elements and their Bearers, then it would explain why he hadn't been killed by Discord's last attack.

But... what if he was lying? What if-

_But I'm no liar, you see._

_I may twist and pull my words around, but outright _lying_ isn't as fun._

... Dammit. Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!

It just didn't make sense! _Seven_ Elements. _Seven_! What Element could he possibly be the Bearer of? Sarcasm? Stubbornness? Secrecy?

Well, Element or not, he still needed to help the girls. Who knows what Discord had gotten up to since he knocked him out.

But first... where the fuck were his goggles and spear?

* * *

"Finally! We're here!" Twilight shouted as they crossed the hill, "Ponyville should be just right over-! Oh sweet Celestia..." Twilight muttered, coming to a stop once... _Ponyville_ was in sight.

The sky was completely covered in pink clouds, though only half of them were raining, splitting Ponyville down the center. Large chunks of the ground had been torn and now levitated in the air, with the largest one holding an upside down Town Hall. The surrounding land had been given a multicoloured checkerboard pattern that hurt Twilight's eyes to look at.

Those deformed animals from earlier in the day were running around aimlessly, and dancing buffalo could be seen frolicking about as well.

Those most jarring thing, perhaps, was the complete lack of anyone she could see. Nobody was out and about on the streets, leaving them completely empty. It was a though Ponyville had been turned into some... ghost town.

"This is..."

"Chaotic?" a woefully familiar voice asked directly in her ear. Twilight yelped and jumped away, turning to find Discord smirking at her rather than the empty air that had been there moments before.

"Discord!" she snapped, glowering at him,

"Why, yes! It's me!" he said, spreading his arms out, "I'm so glad you noticed, Twilight Sparkle. Tell me, how do you like the few changes I made to your dear little Ponyville?" he asked, "Aren't they marvelous? And to think! This is only the beginning of it!" he said, disappearing from sight.

Twilight yelped once more as an arm wrapped around her stomach and hoisted her into the air,

"Just imagine! Ponyville: The Chaos Capital of the World!" Discord announced cheerily, before dropping her, "Doesn't it just fill you with excitement?"

"Not in the slightest," Twilight growled, dusting herself off from the impromptu drop. Discord only shrugged,

"Well, I suppose you'll just have to get used to it, won't you?" he asked, walking away, before disappearing once more.

Twilight glared at the spot Discord once occupied, but turned back to Ponyville after a moment.

"Ponyville: The Chaos Capital of the World?" she said, before scoffing, "Not if I have anything to say about it!"

"Don't worry," Fluttershy said, shoving passed her, "you won't."

Twilight's eye twitched.

* * *

It had taken them some time, but Twilight and the others had managed to get to the Golden Oaks Library with only a few issues.

Namely Fluttershy messing around with Rarity's 'diamond', and a few altercations between Applejack and Pinkie.

They were _really_ beginning to get on Twilight's last nerve.

"Okay girls!" Twilight announced loudly, "Can we all please please _please_ get inside pleeeaaase?"

"I absolutely refuse!" Applejack stated, immediately heading inside,

"With pleasure," was Fluttershy's response, though she did stop to trample one of the bushes by her door, irritating Twilight,

"I hate libraries!" Pinkie announced, also heading inside.

Twilight waited a moment, sighed, and turned to face Rarity, who was struggling with pushing her 'diamond'.

"Please just go inside, we need to hurry!" she moaned. Rarity growled at her, the sweat dripping down her face giving her a rather manic look,

"Nice try, Twilight, but I know your plan!" she declared, "The second that I go inside, you're going to have your little minion, Spike, come out and steal Tom!"

"Tom?"

"Aha! But I'm onto you, I know what you're planning! And it's not going to work!"

Twilight just stared at her for a moment, twitching, before groaning,

"You're not going inside without it, are you?" she asked, but didn't receive an answer, "Fine!" Twilight snapped, using her magic to drag the stupid boulder behind her.

She slammed it against and through the front door, not bothering to care about any sort of damages right now, ignoring Rarity's shrill screeching about how she better not have scratched Tom.

"Twilight!" Spike cried, jogging over to her, dripping water for some reason, "What the hays going on with everybody?" he asked, "Why're they all acting so... weird?" Twilight shook her head, gently slipping by him and over to the bookshelves,

"I don't want to talk about it, Spike," she said, "I need The Reference Guide To: The Elements of Harmony," she said.

"That thing?" Spike asked, and perked up, "Oh! I know exactly where it is!" he said, before darting into the next room.

"Hey Twilight, what's clueless and wet all over?" Fluttershy asked,

"What?" she asked, not even surprised when Fluttershy upturned a bucket of water onto her head,

"You!" she shouted, before slamming the metal bucket onto her head. Twilight stumbled slightly at the impact, but thankfully didn't suffer much injury.

It was a pretty light bucket, so it, thankfully, couldn't cause much damage.

Still annoyed her though.

"Here it is Twilight!" Spike said, running back into the room. Unfortunately, the poor drake was tripped by Fluttershy, who then took the book for herself.

Twilight, beginning to get angry, growled at her, tossing the bucket aside,

"Fluttershy, give me that book!"

"Keep away!" she shouted, before tossing the book aside, where it was caught by Applejack,

"Applejack, give me the book!" Twilight shouted,

"What book? I ain't got no book," she said, throwing it away.

"Pinkie!" Twilight yelled, only for the pink mare to scoff and turn away from her, throwing the book back over to Fluttershy. The shy-turned-cruel mare eagerly reached out for it, only for Spike to tackle her out of the air, leaving Twilight fully able to grab the book,

"Finally!" she groaned, only for a familiar blue aura to surround the book, and yank it away from her.

"Mine!" Rarity shouted, darting passed her,

"Wha-Rarity! Do you even know what you just took?!" Twilight demanded, chasing after the mare,

"No, but if you want it, I want it!"

"Argh! Give me that book!"

She continued to chase Rarity, darting around furniture and the other ponies for nearly a minute, until Rarity made a sharp turn, leaving Twilight stumbling after her, and causing her to blindly crash into 'Tom'.

Dazed, Twilight stumbled away, a strange warmth running down her muzzle. She managed to correct herself, and wiped at her nose, her hoof coming away covered in blood. She growled at the sight, and turned to face Applejack and Pinkie,

"Where is she?!" she asked, "Where's Rarity?!"

"Beats me," Applejack said smugly, not-so-subtly hiding the book Twilight was after under her hat.

"Lies!" Twilight snarled, jumping at the stronger mare. She shoved the earth pony down the ground, making a desperate grab for the book, only for Pinkie of all ponies to jump on her, pinning her to the ground.

She tossed the mare off of her, and kicked Applejack in the gut, allowing her to make a second dive for the book, finally grasping it in her hooves.

She panted and jumped away from the mares, huddling against the nearest bookshelf,

"Stay back!" she shouted, glaring at the four mares slowly advancing on her, "This is _my_ book, _and I'm gonna read it_!" she snarled, as Spike jumped in, standing between her and the girls.

She glared at them for a moment longer, then turned to the book, flicking it open.

"Finally, now I can- the Elements?!" she shouted. Rather than finding a passage about the Elements, like she'd expected, she instead opened the book to find that it had been completely _hollowed out_ and contained _the Elements of Harmony themselves_.

"I can't believe it, the Elements were here all along!" she gushed, her previously bad mood having evaporated, for the moment,

"That's awesome Twilight!" Spike agreed, smiling back at her. Twilight jumped to her hooves,

"Can you believe it girls?!" she asked, spinning around, "We found the Elements of Harmony, toge-_you don't even care, do you?!_" she snapped when she saw her friends lounging around, instead of celebrating with her.

""""No.""""

"Ugh!" Twilight groaned, falling onto her flanks, "I can't believe it. My friends... _have turned into complete jerks!_" she snapped. Her horn ignited, and nearly tore the Elements out of the reference book,

"Necklace," she snapped, forcefully placing Rarity's necklace on, before proceeding to do the same with the others, "necklace, necklace, necklace, weird tiara thing," she muttered placing the tiara containing the Element of Magic onto her head, "Alright everypony, let's get this over with," she snapped, beginning to stomp her way outside.

"Uh, Twilight?" Spike asked, "Aren't you missing-?"

"Nope!" Twilight cut him off, "We've got the liar, the grump, the hoarder, and the brute! That just about covers it!" she said, giving Spike a wide, and painfully fake, smile.

"But... what about Rainbow Dash?" he asked. Twilight stared at him for a moment, and sighed,

"Congrats Spike," she said, shoving the Element of Loyalty onto his neck, "you're the new Rainbow Dash," she concluded, making her way out the hole she'd made of the door.

"What?" he asked, "Me?! But-but what if she finds out I was impersonating her?!" he asked, rushing to catch up with her,

"Too bad," was Twilight's response, "Let's just get out there, defeat Discord, and then we'll never have to talk to each other ever again!"

There was a round of excited cheers behind her, further aggravating Twilight's already short fuse.

The sound of grinding stone behind her caused her pause for a moment, before she growled as her horn lit up,

"Move it Rarity!" she snapped, sending the massive boulder flying out through the wall, creating another large hole, before taking an aggravated step outside.

"Okay," she muttered, glancing over each of the girls, and Spike, "okay, we're all here, now where the _fuck_ is Discord?"

The sound of slow, sarcastic clapping met her ears, and she turned to find who else but the very draconequus she was looking for.

"Well, well, it would seem you little ponies _finally_ found your little Elements of Harmony. How terrifying," he drawled,

"Shut up, Discord!" Twilight snapped, "I figured out your stupid riddle, so just shut up and take it!"

Discord chuckled,

"Oh my, I never would've taken you for _that_ kind of mare," he teased, but Twilight's foul mood prevented her from feeling any embarrassment, thankfully, causing Discord to pout, "Oh, you're no fun. Fine," he said ignominiously, "you win, you've _clearly_ proven yourself superior," he snapped his talons, and put on a pair of sunglasses, "I'm prepared to be defeated, Twilight Sparkle. Go on, I accept my fate. Take the shot," he added, placing a target directly over his heart.

Twilight growled,

"Formation!" she snapped, having to take a deep breath to control her temper when her 'friends' groaned at her, lazily taking place around Discord, but she noticed one was missing, however, "Rainbow Dash!" she snapped, looking around for Spike, who nervously peeked out from behind 'Tom'.

"Hehe...?" he laughed, before swallowing and jogging over to the empty spot between herself and Applejack.

"Alright," Twilight said, "let's get this over with."

Using the Element on her head was... strange.

While she couldn't exactly recall all the details of what happened the first time she used it, she _did_ remember how strange it felt.

She could feel something within herself, a part of her she recognized as her magic, that was, yet was not, a part of her.

It felt infinitely strange to reach down within that part of her self-but-not.

_She could feel it resonate. She could feel it pulse within her like a second heartbeat. Every pulse was slow, tempered, and grew stronger. Like a burning star, she felt it fill her being with warmth, until it exploded out of her._

Twilight began to rise into the air, a magnificent aura beginning to surround her, as the very air became charged with magic.

_In that instant, she could feel so much more. She felt the waves of magic course through the air. She felt the individual heartbeats of her friends, the magic rushing through their very being. But most importantly, she could feel their emotions, brushing against her mind._

_**Disdain. Anger. Greed. Dishonesty.**_

The light faded, and Twilight fell to the ground, the grunts around her telling her that the other four had felt much the same.

"Ugh... what happened?" she muttered sluggishly, feeling her entire body pulse once in agony, before it faded away.

"Mine works fine," Applejack said, "yers must be broken."

"I hate the Elements of Harmony!" Pinkie snapped, frowning, while Fluttershy tore hers off,

"Garbage," she muttered, tossing the _priceless artifact_ to the side, which Rarity was all too happy to jump on.

"Mine!"

Sarcastic laughter broke her from her thoughts, and she looked up to find Discord languidly approaching her, a smug grin on his face,

"Wonderful job, Twilight Sparkle, just look at all that harmony in Equestria!" he mocked, gesturing to the chaotic landscape around them, "Truly, you are a gem. It would seem that I've won," he said, gently tapping Twilight on the nose, retracting rapidly when she growled at him, "Discord rules, Celestia drools," he added, turning around and walking away, laughing all the while.

"It's your fault that the Elements didn't work!" Pinkie snapped,

"And just _who_ are you talking to?!" Twilight hissed, narrowing her eyes at the annoying pink mare,

"You!" she said, then glanced at the other three, "_All_ of you! I'm outta here!" she growled, stomping off towards town.

"So am I," Applejack said, walking off as well, "I've got new, better friends waitin' for me back at the farm!"

"And _I'm_ sick you of looosers!" Fluttershy felt the need to add, flying away.

Rarity didn't even say anything, letting the sound of grinding rock tell of her departure.

"F-fine!" Twilight shouted after them, "Fine! I don't need any of you anyways!" she said, breathing heavily, "Leave! See if I care! With friends like you who needs-!" she choked for a moment, tears beginning to fall down her face, "e-enemies..."

What... what was even the point anymore?

Was this was friendship was? A brief period of time where she was happy, only for it all to come crashing down, leaving her with nothing but some... empty, hollow hole?

Sighing, Twilight turned around and headed back into her ho-... back into the library, as the sun slowly began to set.

* * *

His goggles had been destroyed in the blast, Emerald found. He knew this, because in his search for his spear, he noticed a strange powdery substance laying around the area. Given the various colours it held, he managed to determine the powder as all that remained of his Heavybolts.

He... wasn't sure how he felt about that.

On one hoof, they were a gift from Spitfire. On the other, he hardly used them, only placing them on when he was about to start flying.

In the end, he decided that he could care about them later.

It hadn't taken him much longer after that discovery to find his spear, which had thankfully escaped the devastation _mostly_ unscathed, though it was likely it wouldn't stay that way for much longer. The blade was chipped in a few places, and the shaft was slightly cracked, and he would _definitely_ be needing a new one later, but it would do for now. Assuming it didn't snap immediately when he _ran Discord through_ the next time he saw him.

Regardless, he'd spent long enough in this damned clearing, and was finally rushing towards town, ignoring the sharp pains in his chest, which were an unfortunate result of his cracked, likely broken, but he'd rather be optimistic right now, ribs.

He arrived back in Ponyville soon enough, but nearly tripped over himself in shock when he saw what became of the town. Checkerboard ground, earth torn asunder, buildings flying through the air, chocolate rain covering half the town, really!

"What a fucking mess..." he muttered. It was awful to see his... home in such a state, but it hammered home the fact that the girls had yet to find the Elements.

Dammit! Were they still up in Canterlot?!

Emerald shook his head. There was no time to be wondering where they were. Chances are, they were being hounded by Discord back in that maze of theirs. It was entirely likely that he'd done something and made the thing endless, or something, and had trapped them.

If that was the case, then he needed to bring the Elements to them, personally.

The idea left a bad taste in his mouth. He'd essentially be abandoning Ponyville to its fate until he got the girls their Elements.

_But what about his?_

He ignored the thought, and made a mad dash for the library. If he remembered correctly, the report stated that Sparky and the girls first found out about the Elements' location in a book titled The Reference Guide To: The Elements of Harmony, meaning that they were probably hidden in that same book. He just hoped that Discord hadn't-

He came to, yet another, screeching halt when the library came into sight.

It looked perfectly fine, untouched by the rampant chaos that surrounded it. Well, perfectly fine, aside from the two _giant fucking holes_ in the wall!

Dread overcame him for a moment, before he ran inside.

The place was a mess!

Books were strewn about the floor, and even one of the shelves had been knocked completely over! He looked around the room, finding some small signs of a struggle, a fight even, but there didn't seem to be any blood or signs of heavy injury, at least.

That calmed his nerves, slightly, but they shot right back up when a thought hit him.

_Discord wouldn't need to make a mess if he was looking for the Elements. That meant that someone else had been looking for them._

And judging by the hollowed out book he spotted laying on the ground, someone had ended up finding them.

Before his panicked heart rate could shoot up any further, a motion from upstairs caught his attention. Without thinking, he bolted up the stairs, and nearly slammed through the door at the top.

It was a fairly small room, with a purple, circular rug on the floor, a cuckoo clock hanging off the wall, and a large bed resting against the wall, with a small basket resting at the foot of it. There was a window off to the left, where a set of green curtains were pulled shut, partially hiding a star covered telescope from sight.

He was, admittedly, surprised at the sight of Sparky's bedroom. He'd figured there would be more bookshelves.

He'd only scanned the room for a moment, before his gaze settled and locked onto the curled form resting on the bed.

"Sparky?" he called, taking a few steps towards the purple ball, which twitched at the name, before it uncurled slightly, revealing a familiar head of striped hair,

"Emerald?" she asked, though she didn't turn to look at him. He nodded,

"Yeah, it's me," he said, frowning, "What happened? If you're here, then that means you lot realized the Elements are here. So why is Discord still running around?" he asked, walking forward. Unfortunately, his wounds were still a little resistant to his movement, and he ended up kicking a small trash bin he'd missed in his earlier scan, spilling its contents onto the floor,

"Shit, sorry, I'm a little-" he cut himself off when he caught sight of a golden tiara, with a star-like gem in the center.

The second his eyes landed on it, he felt a sudden warmth blossom into his chest. It was like a rush of fire suddenly began coursing through his veins, numbing the pain he felt from his wounds while also filling him with a rush of energy, as if he'd suddenly downed a gallon of caffeine.

_The Element of Magic._

"Wh-bu-Sparky!" he snapped, looking up at her, "Why is there an Element of Harmony in the trash?! What happened to you and your friends?!" he asked, striding over the trash on the floor until he was right beside her.

Sparky scoffed, and turned to look him in the eye,

"They are _not _my friends," she stated, with all the certainty of an executioner's axe. But it wasn't her words he'd focused on. No...

_It was her eyes._

Eyes once bright as a shining star, were now dull. A brilliant, gorgeous purple, faded into a melancholic gray.

Once filled with life, they now gazed back at him with all the brilliance of a fresh corpse.

"Sparky..." he breathed, feeling his heart ache within his chest the longer he stared at _those eyes_, "What happened?"

"I thought they were my friends," she began, turning away from him, her voice cold and bitter, like it should never be, "I thought they all cared about me, about each other, but I see it now. It was fake, wasn't it?" she asked, then scoffed before he could answer, "I should've known. I could never make any real friends back in Canterlot. I had a group I spent time with, but I wasn't _really_ their friend. Nopony liked 'Twicry Sparkle' anyways," she trailed off, her eyes beginning to fill with tears, "... they were right," she breathed quietly, "I'm just some... friendless _loser_," she whispered, burying her face in her pillow, "I'm just... I'm _worthless_."

_Those words..._

Without conscious thought, Emerald hopped onto the bed beside her, wrapping her with one of his wings, completely ignoring the pain it caused him. This was more important.

"You're not worthless, Twilight," he said before he could register his own words, "far from it. You're honestly one of the most valuable mares I've ever had the pleasure of meeting."

Sparky twitched, and turned away from him even further,

"You're just saying that..." she muttered, her voice muffled slightly by the bed. Emerald shook his head,

"No I'm not. I've met a lot of creatures in my life, and..." he swallowed the lump in his throat, "I can... I genuinely mean it when I say that you're probably one of the few I can't imagine life without. We might not have known each other for more than a year, but..." he trailed off, not knowing how to finish the sentence, instead, he opted for something else, "... You're important, Twilight. To your family. To your friends... To me."

Sparky only curled further into a ball, her ears folding themselves against her head.

Emerald frowned, but didn't move away.

She wasn't listening... no, she _was_ listening, and his words were having some effect. The image of her eyes flashed into his mind.

Discord was behind this. He'd done something to alter Sparky's personality, and, if her words were anything to go by, he'd done the same to the others. He wouldn't be able to change her back to normal like this. His words might be helping, but Discord's magic was obviously working to make sure the opposite was true.

_His magic made her remember her worst times in Canterlot. It made her hate herself, made her worthless in her own eyes._

A fire raged within his chest.

No, true as his words might have been, to someone who viewed themselves so lowly, artificially or not, the words of one individual, no matter how sincere, meant nothing.

In order to save Sparky, both from Discord and now herself, he needed the others.

In order to save one mare from Discord's influence, he needed to snap five others out of the same thing.

He chuckled to himself.

**_Challenge Accepted._**

* * *

He left the Golden Oaks Library after that, making sure to corner the hatchling and 'gently persuade' him to keep an eye on Sparky before he left, though he honestly doubted he had needed to.

After careful deliberation, he'd decided to hunt down Applejack first. Getting her back to normal would likely make it easier to find the others, and even help keep them in place should they prove... resistant to his efforts to return them to normal.

Besides, he didn't know how different they were. Sparky had a change of personality, so it was likely the others had as well, but the nature of these changes were still unknown to him. Applejack's straight-forward personality would make it easier to determine what sort of changes Discord had likely brought upon the group.

Sweet Apple Acres was just as much a mess as it had been earlier in the day, though it now sported quite a few holes in the ground as well, curiously enough.

Finding Applejack wasn't difficult once he arrived, as she was simply sitting outside the barn, eating... er reverse-eating some apples.

Discord's magic was just... freaky.

He arrived just in time to overhear a very curious conversation,

"-and so I _tried_ to fight Discord, but none'o mah so called _friends_ lifted a hoof ta help me!" she complained to Granny Smith, tossing aside the apple she was eating. Emerald decided to step forward,

"That's quite the interesting tale you've got there, Applejack. Mind telling it to me?" he asked, making his presence known, only for Mac's head to suddenly pop up from the ground, revealing the cause of the many holes, panting like a dog. Mac yipped and went to lick Emerald's face, only for a green hoof to slam into his jaw, sending him flying into the corn field while knocking him unconscious.

"Well, well, if it ain't Emerald!" the disdain in her voice quite evident, "Where were ya while I was off tryin' ta defeat Discord, eh?"

"Nowhere special," he said, taking note of her now gray eyes, thinking about how strange it was that no one else seemed to notice the difference, but, given the amount of changes Discord was making, he supposed it would be a bit much to ask them to notice such a small detail, "but you were in the middle of telling a story, right? Mind if I hear it?" he asked.

"Story?" she asked, "I wasn't tellin' no story!" she said, her eyes darting to the sides rapidly. Emerald narrowed his eyes,

"Oh, you weren't? My bad," he apologized, "but you mentioned fighting Discord alone, right? Where were the others?"

"Hay if I know!" she said, her eyes darting around once more, "They were jus' standin' around, watchin' me do mah thing!" her eyes kept darting around.

Emerald sighed.

So, it would seem that Applejack, the Element of Honesty, was now a pathological liar, with the world's most obvious tell to boot. It was only one clue, but, if he had to guess, then the other four would be similarly juxtaposed with their Elements.

A greedy Rarity.

A cruel Fluttershy.

An angry Pinkie Pie.

A disloyal Rainbow Dash.

Shame, he'd expected something a bit more... original from Discord. Oh well, it made this a bit easier.

"Now, I doubt that that's true, Applejack. You know the girls wouldn't just stand around like that. They're your friends, after all. So, why are you lying to me?"

Might as well test the waters to see how deep this went.

"Friends?! They ain't mah friends! An' I ain't lyin'!" she said, firmly stamping her hoof into the ground.

_Hmm... she seems rather firm in her little lies... But that's just Discord's magic talking, isn't it? That would mean that the real Applejack is still in there, somewhere. I just need to figure out how to bring her out... Hmm... I wonder..._

"Not your friends?" he asked, and smirked, "Ah, of course. They _did_ always hate you," he said. Applejack smirked,

"Yeah, they hated-wait, what?" she asked, her smirk falling immediately, the gray of her eyes flashing suddenly,

"Oh yes, don't you know?" he asked innocently, hiding his growing grin, "They absolutely _detested_ you. You said it yourself, they aren't your friends. What have they ever done for you?" he asked, "Did they ever decide to go out of their way to save your farm? Of course not!"

"W-but, y-yeah?"

"I mean... think about it," he said, beginning to circle her, "Think about everything you've ever done with them. Did it ever feel like you were friends?" Applejack's mouth opened and closed like a fish, seemingly having difficulty speaking,

"W-well... uh... n-no! O-of course not!"

"Right," Emerald gently agreed, "forget about your first meeting, forget about the _trust_ you all shared when you fearlessly faced down Nightmare Moon! Forget about the fear you held when your farm was nearly ripped from your hooves. Forget about how they stood up for you, how they helped you when they didn't _need_ to, but _wanted_ to. Forget about how much you cared for each other. Forget about the worry you felt when your ex-friends were in danger, and _desperately_ needed your help. _Forget it all._"

"Y-yeah!" she shakily agreed, "I jus'... I jus' need ta forget 'bout it... 'bout how... how much I cared fer 'em... how much I... how much I..." she fell to her flank, staring aimlessly at the ground.

Emerald frowned, and went to say something when a sudden surge of warmth rushed through him.

_It poured through his veins, sending a surge of energy rushing inwards. It was as though his blood had been lit on fire, burning wildly as it fought aside his growing fatigue._

He didn't have time to focus on the feeling, as Applejack's body began to glow brilliantly, traveling from the base of her tail to the top of her head, leaving her dull gray eyes sparkling green once more.

_That... that actually worked?_

"Ugh..." she groaned, placing a hoof against her head, "What in the hay happened?" she asked, beginning to look around.

"You were... indisposed for awhile," Emerald said, causing Applejack's head to whip around to him,

"Emerald?!" she asked, "What happened?!"

"Long story short, Discord fucked with your head. He turned you into a pathological liar." Applejack stared at him for a moment, before she growled,

"Why that schemin' little-Where is he?!"

"Now's not the time. You can have your revenge later, _after_ we fix the others."

"What?" she asked, "What did he do ta everypony?!"

"I told you, he fucked with your head, and turned you into a pathological liar. He's probably gone and done the same to the others."

"Ya mean everypony's a big liar now?" she asked, beginning to calm down. Emerald shook his head,

"No, I mean he's gone and turned everyone into an opposite of what they were. You became a liar, and Sparky's now a miserable little unicorn with self-esteem issues," he paused for a moment, "... _more_ self-esteem issues."

"Well then, let's get goin'!" Applejack said, jumping to her hooves, "We've got some friends ta save!"

"I know, that's why I helped you first," he said, beginning to walk off with her right behind him, "I figured you might be more effective at talking, or tying, the others up if they prove to be less than cooperative."

"Sounds good ta me," she said, nodding, before she paused, "Wait, _I'm_ the first one ya helped? What 'bout Twilight? I'd'a thought ya'll would'a fixed her right up befer anypony else." Emerald fidgeted slightly,

"... I tried," he admitted, "but with what Discord did to her, I doubt I can help her alone. So I need the rest of you to help me save her."

Applejack chuckled,

"Yeah, that sounds 'bout right."

* * *

After several minutes of careful deliberation-_arguing_-Emerald and Applejack came to a simple agreement.

She would head back to the library to see if she could snap Sparky out of her depressed state, while Emerald would hunt down the others and send them her way. This was mostly due to the fact that she, and the other girls, had spent more time with Sparky than he had, and so were more likely to possess _something_ that would, eventually, break her free from Discord's grasp.

The only condition Applejack had managed to force onto him was that he needed to save Fluttershy first.

He had no issue with that, and agreed easily.

And so, Emerald quickly made his way over to Fluttershy's cottage, wondering what exactly he'd end up encountering.

What he found... surprised and unsettled him a tad.

Fluttershy's cottage, usually surrounded by all manner of small, large, but generally harmless, animals was now completely isolated from all forms of life, save the lone pegasus hiding away inside.

The fact that the animals were avoiding _Fluttershy_, proved his initial theory that everyone was acting opposite of how they usually were.

That Fluttershy was now acting in a way to drive off a bunch of animals stirred his curiosity, and he hastily knocked.

"Fuck off!"

...

Not the response he was expecting.

"Fluttershy! It's Emerald, open the fucking door!"

There was silence on the other end, before a window above him opened, and he slid to the side to avoid the potted plant from colliding with his skull.

"I missed," a voice remarkably similar to Fluttershy's said, but the sheer amount of vitriol in it made it quite difficult to place it with the normally soft and meek pegasus. He glanced up to confirm that, yes, her eyes were gray just like the others, and, yes again, that there was a scowl marring her delicate features.

The sight of Fluttershy with a scowl stunned him for half a second, before he pushed it aside.

"Get out here, Fluttershy," he demanded,

"Hmm, no," was the easy response,

"Your friends need you."

"My friends? What, you mean you and those losers?" she asked, before frowning, "Aww, is _big bad Emerald_ having trouble?"

He stared at Fluttershy for a moment, and sighed. He could already tell where this was going,

"That's awfully mean for _you_ of all ponies to say, Fluttershy."

"Isn't it? I guess you'd rather have the _weak_ and _pathetic_ Fluttershy back, huh?" she asked, scowling at him, "Well too bad! I'm done being a fucking doormat!" she snarled, before dipping back inside, slamming the window shut behind her.

Emerald blinked, and turned back to the front door. He stared at it for a moment, pondering, before shrugging and kicked it hard enough to knock it off its hinges, ignoring the way his body protested at it.

He stepped inside, just in time to find Fluttershy walking down the stairs.

"Aw, did I hurt your feelings?" she asked, pouting at him, "I guess you're not so tough after all."

He stared at her for a moment, before grinning wickedly,

"Well, at least I'm not a pathetic bitch who has to resort to mocking someone to make herself feel better." Fluttershy stared at him for a moment, before scowling,

"What did you say to me, _freak_?"

"I called you a pathetic bitch, are you deaf too, _halfie_?" Emerald snarled, growing amused by the way she began to vibrate in anger, "What's wrong, do my words _hurt you_? A little too _cruel_ for your delicate little ears?"

"_You-_!"

"What?" he asked innocently, beginning to stalk forward, taking a rather shameful amount of sadistic pleasure at the way she backed away from him, not that he'd admit it to anyone, "Does it hurt when I say such mean things to you? Does it make you want to cry, halfie?" he quietly demanded, smirking at the way Fluttershy nearly yelped when her back hit the wall, even as she slowly began to curl into a ball, "Well... _who cares_? Who needs a kind word? Who needs a gentle smile? Who needs a sweet, soft, gentle heart, when it's _so much easier_ to hurt?"

"I-I-I don't-"

"Tell me, Fluttershy... _is this who you want to be_?"

"I-I-I-I don't-I-I can't-... No!"

_The warmth surged through him once more, filling him with strength as Fluttershy began to glow, her teal eyes shining like stars once it finally died down._

"O-oh... my..." Fluttershy murmured, gently rubbing her head, before she looked up and spotted him, "Emerald!" she yelped, "I-I had the most _awful_ dream!"

He nodded, giving the naturally shy mare a soft smile,

"It's alright, Fluttershy," he said, placing a hoof on her shoulder, "Everything's going to be fine now."

"I-it was terrible!" she continued, but in a calmer manner, "I-I was being so _mean_ to everypony!" she admitted, her eyes beginning to fill with tears at the mere thought, "It was horrible!" Emerald shook his head,

"It's okay, Fluttershy, you're not like that anymore."

"A-anymore?" she asked, before gasping, "Y-you mean, th-that wasn't a dream?!" Emerald shook his head,

"No, Fluttershy, it was real, _but_-" he cut in quickly when he saw the look on her face, "it wasn't you that was doing all that. It was Discord's magic that was making you act that way."

"D-Discord?" she asked, sounding confused, before her eyes widened, "O-oh! I remember! I saw a bunch of little butterflies and thought... oh! B-but that was Discord and he-he..." she frowned, and looked away, "He made me all mean..."

Emerald shook his head. As nice as it was to talk to the real Fluttershy again, they only had so much time.

"Fluttershy," he began seriously, his tone grabbing her attention immediately, "the others were affected by Discord as well. I've already managed to help Applejack, but I need you to head to the library to help her with Sparky."

"T-Twilight?" she asked, "B-but wouldn't you have already... y-you know, helped her?" she asked. Emerald squashed the urge to twitch, and shook his head,

"I tried, but Discord's magic is affecting her a lot worse than you and Applejack. She _needs_ you and the others," he implored. Fluttershy stared at him for a moment longer, before her expression hardened.

"O-okay!" she said, nodding firmly, "I-I'll go help Twilight and Applejack!" she added, before blinking, "Oh, but, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to hunt down the others," he said simply, narrowing his eyes, "There's not much else I'll be good for, not in my condition," he admitted.

After he managed to convince Fluttershy to head out to the library, rather than stay behind to treat some of his injuries, he rushed back into town.

Who to help next? Rarity's magic might be able to help the others if Sparky started getting antsy. Rainbow might be a good idea if she decides to pull a runner, but, considering her current condition, he doubted she'd be doing anything like that. On the other hoof, Pinkie just might be able to pull Sparky out of her funk by herself, or at least be a good contributor. Plus, Pinkie was closer than the other two.

Emerald nodded. Pinkie it is.

* * *

Unlike the area around it, Sugarcube Corner was surprisingly untouched.

This, of course, set Emerald on edge.

He snuck inside, making sure to hop up and prevent the bell from sounding, and began searching around. The bakery was completely empty, the lights were off, but there were signs of ponies having recently been there. Desserts and other food had been left on the counters, and there were even some puddles on the ground from where someone's fallen ice cream had melted. Despite this, he could make out the forms of five figures upstairs. Likely the Cakes and Pinkie.

Carefully, he snuck upstairs and, after determining what rooms the figures were all in, peeked his head in to the twin's room, where the four were.

What he found surprised him, though, to be fair, it probably shouldn't have.

Mrs. Cake was flopping around on her stomach, clapping her front two hooves together like a seal, while Mr. Cake was crawling along the walls and ceiling like some demented spider. The twins, at first, seemed normal, until Pound began hiccuping bubbles and Pumpkin burped fire.

He carefully closed the door, and prayed for his sanity.

Leaving that mess behind, he snuck over to Pinkie's room where, presumably, the Discorded mare was.

Dispensing with stealth, he opened the door, prepared to meet the sight of an angry pink mare, only to find her sitting on the bed, staring at the wall.

"Pinkie?" he asked, catching the mare's attention. She blinked and looked over to him, before gasping.

"Emerald!" she cheered, rushing over to envelop him in a crushing hug, causing him to stumble slightly,

"Wha-Pinkie?!" he snapped, stunned as the mare began nuzzling his cheek,

"I knew you were okay!" she suddenly said, breaking away from him, giving him a brief glimpse of her _still baby blue_ eyes. He blinked in confusion,

"You're... okay?" he asked, "But... didn't Discord...?"

"Hmm?" Pinkie tilted her head, before smiling, "Oh! You mean when Discord made me act all super angry and stuff?" she asked, receiving a bewildered nod, "Yeah, I stopped!"

"You... stopped? B-but... how?" Pinkie shrugged,

"I dunno! I just started thinking 'Well, if I don't like laughing or my friends, then what _do_ I like?' I started thinking of balloons, cupcakes, puppies, the Cakes, balloons, parties, birthday parties, candy-"

"I get it."

"-streamers, music, movies, surprise parties, chocolate, and a _whole bunch_ of other stuff! But then I started thinking 'Huh. Those things are all super fun, but are kinda boring if nopony is laughing.' Then I started thinking that if laughing isn't so bad, then maybe my friends weren't so bad either!" she smiled at him, "Then I started remembering a bunch of super amazing stuff! Like my first party with my family, my cutie mark, when I came to Ponyville, _and_ when I met the girls and you! So I started thinking 'Wow! All this stuff is really great! How come I don't like it anymore?' So I started liking it again! Then you walked in!"

Emerald blinked.

_... Okay? So Pinkie snapped herself out of it by mistake? That's... good. Very good, actually._

"That's great, Pinkie," he said, shaking away the rest of his surprise, before returning to his original purpose, "I need your help."

Pinkie blinked, and nodded,

"Sure! Whatcha need?"

"Discord's magic has made Sparky pretty sad, and I need you to head to the library to help the others cheer her back up. Think you can do that?" he asked. Pinkie nodded, a rather serious look on her usually smiling face,

"You got it! I'll have Twilight smiling faster than you can say 'cupcakes'!" she said, before turning right around and jumping out the window.

At this point, Emerald wasn't even surprised by that.

* * *

After that, he decided to hunt down Rarity.

The Carousel Boutique was as prim and proper as it had ever been, though the large gouge in the ground leading to the door had been a little odd. Considering that the gouge led all the way from her front door back to the library, it was even stranger.

Knocking on the door, only to have Rarity's familiar voice screech at him to leave her and Tom alone, was probably the fourth strangest thing he encountered that day alone.

He frowned, and, after checking to see if it was locked, pushed through the door, noting that there was no ringing from a bell.

The inside of the Boutique was _vastly_ different than usual. For starters, every single one of the ponyquinns had been tossed aside, some of them even missing entire limbs, and were strewn about the room. Fabrics also found themselves laying haphazardly throughout the room, over furniture, in the rafters, and even somehow knotted _into_ and_ through_ several of the shelves. He also spotted the bell laying on the floor near the door.

Of course, all of that paled in comparison to a massive, motherfucking _boulder_ sitting proudly on the stage, surrounded by several mirrors, with Rarity almost reverently polishing the stone with a rag.

"What. The. Fuck?" he couldn't help but vocalize his thoughts, the sight before him too surreal for anything else. Expectedly, his silent arrival and sudden announcement startled the snowy mare, who let out a rather impressive shriek as she whirled around, holding a hoof to her chest.

"Who is it?!" she hissed, her normally prim and proper speech marred by a strange, raspy quality, as her dead, gray eyes frantically darted over his form, "Emerald?! What are you doing here?!" she asked, before sneering, backing up until she was laying against the boulder, "You're here for Tom, aren't you?! Twilight put you up to this, didn't she?! I told her! Tom is _mine_! Nopony can have him but _me_!"

_... Dear Faust, she's fucked in the head..._

He tossed the unnecessary thought aside, even as true as it was.

Now, how to go about fixing this one? He didn't think talking would be anywhere near as effective as it had somehow ended up being with Applejack and Fluttershy.

... Destroy the rock? She obviously saw it as something valuable, so getting rid of its value _could_ snap her out of it.

Or cause her to snap, period.

Well, he doubted she could get crazier than she was right now, but he wasn't sure it was a risk he was willing to take.

... Talking it is.

"Relax, I'm not here for... Tom?" he said, before shaking his head, "I just came to see how everyone was doing. I've heard that Discord has been... interacting with you lot."

"Discord?" Rarity asked, before perking up, "Oh? You mean the thing that led me to my precious Tom?" she added, beginning to gently pet the boulder,

"He brought you to the rock?"

"Tom is not some filthy _rock_!" Rarity hissed, glaring at him, "He's a big, glorious _diamond_!"

_... Okay, so she sees the big fucker as a diamond... so he put a selective glamour over the thing... huh, maybe breaking it _is_ a good idea... It'll hurt like a bitch right now, but that should dispel the glamour... hopefully._

"Of course!" he said, bowing slightly in apology, "How could I have mistaken such a... _gem_ for likes of a mere rock?" he said diplomatically.

"It's fine!" Rarity said, not quite paying attention to him, "As long as you know how _beautiful_ he is!" she snapped her head back over to him once more, "But he's still _mine_!"

"Of course he is," Emerald said as she turned away from him once more, beginning to slowly stalk forward, "only someone like you can truly appreciate its... beauty."

"Yes! Yes!" Rarity gushed, beginning to hug the boulder, "I'm so glad you see things my way! Twilight tried to take him from me!" she growled, "Can you believe it?! A mare like _her_, trying to take away _my_ Tom?! Ha! A little bookworm like _her_ should stay where she belongs, with all her books, and leave _me _to all _my_ gems!"

Emerald twitched slightly, feeling a pulse of irrational anger, before he brushed it aside.

It was only Discord's magic talking. Hopefully.

He lunged forward, latched on to Rarity's tail, before dragging her away from the boulder, and tossed her off to the side, ignoring the way she screeched in pain and surprise.

"What are you doing?! GET AWAY FROM TOM!"

He obviously ignored her, lifting up a single hoof in preparation to shatter the boulder. He faltered for an instant, feeling his body protest at the movement. A blue glow surrounded him, but it fizzled out almost immediately, giving him the time needed to overcome the momentary pain, and slam his hoof down on the rock.

His hoof crashed into the stone once, causing a series of cracks to spiderweb across Tom's surface, twice, causing them to expand and grow deeper, before a third strike caused the stone to split into a hundred large shards of stone.

"_NOOOOOOO!_"

He jumped back as Rarity charged at him, or Tom as it turned out when she fell next to the broken stone.

"No, no no no no no! It's okay Tom! I-I can fix you!" she said, beginning to hyperventilate, "I-it's okay! M-momma's here! Y-you're g-going t-t-t-to be alright!" she picked up a few of the shards, and began weakly clacking them together, as if it would cause them to magically stick together, "C-come on! Just-just stick together!"

Emerald frowned as he watched the mare break down in front of him. As he'd thought, she was beginning to snap from the sudden removal of her forced fixation. What interested him most, however, was that she seemed to still see the remains as bits of diamond rather than stone.

Regardless of the circumstance, he _did_ feel a tad guilty. More so for her reaction than what he actually did to cause it.

With that in mind, he decided to approach her once more, placing his hoof on her shoulder once he was close enough. Strangely, she didn't seem to react to his touch, despite her state being his fault, scarcely even glancing at his hoof before she returned to her futile task.

"Rarity," he began, "that's not a diamond."

"O-of course it is!" she insisted, her hooves shaking as she continued to clack a pair of the shards together, though it was beginning to slow down, "O-of... of course..." she trailed off for a moment, pausing in her frantic attempts to repair the rock.

She went silent, and stared down at the rocks in her hooves and on the ground in front of her, and suddenly began to blink rapidly.

_The warmth surged within him once again. It roared and sang, stronger than ever before as it scorched away his pain, his fatigue, all in one encompassing burst._

Rarity lit up beside him, glowing with a brilliant white light, before it faded away. She blinked a few times, before turning her once-again-brilliant sapphire eyes onto him.

"You will never speak of this."

Emerald chuckled,

"Speak of what?" he asked, smirking at the mare beside him,

"Exactly. Now..." she trailed off for a moment, and glanced back at the stony debris sitting on her pristine little stage. Her eye twitched after a moment, and her horn lit up, coating every last shard of stone in her magic, before tossing it all, rather hastily, out the nearest open window, not even bothering to check where she'd thrown it.

"There!" she said perkily, gently clopping her hooves together, "Now that... _that_ is out of my shop, would you mind telling me what happened, Emerald?"

He quickly filled Rarity in on his discovery of the Element's location, his 'fight' with Discord, his arrival in town, and the discovery of Sparky's, and by extension their, condition, as well as how the others had been affected.

"Why that-that-_brute_!" Rarity snarled, staring angrily out the window, "How _dare_ he do _any_ of that to us! To force anypony to act so against themselves, why it's _despicable_!" she growled, before turning her gaze back unto him, the fury giving way to worry, "Oh, are you alright, Emerald?" she asked, eyeing his visible injuries, "Those wounds of yours look rather ghastly. I'm not sure you should even be walking like this!" Emerald rolled his eyes,

"My injuries aren't anything noteworthy, Rarity," he said, "Honestly, I've had worse in the past."

"That doesn't make me feel any better, Emerald!"

"It wasn't meant to," he snapped, before shaking his head, "Anyways, I still need to find Rainbow. You should head o-"

"Oh no!" Rarity snapped, silencing him with a hoof against his lips, "I know _exactly_ what you are trying to do, Emerald! You have done _enough_," she said firmly, "you don't need to prove that you're still useful, you silly colt," she added gently, "You're injured enough. Just find someplace safe and get some rest."

"And stand by while six civilians put themselves in unnecessary danger?" he asked. Rarity sighed,

"I understand that this might be a blow to your pride, darling, but-"

"Pride? My _pride_?" he asked, before laughing, "Ha! This isn't about _pride_, Rarity!" he snapped, causing her to recoil, "The six of you are the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony! The _six of you_! Together, I'm sure you'd all be fine facing Discord, but _alone_ or _divided_? Not a fucking chance!" he snarled, "If even _one of you_ isn't around, then we're all _fucked_! I am _not_ going to let you tell me to _stand aside_ when there's _nothing_ you can do _by yourself_! You _will_ head to the library, and you _will_ wait for Rainbow Dash to arrive. The five of you _will_ snap Sparky out of it, then, _and only then_, will I let you lot fight Discord! _Do. You. Understand?!_"

Rarity stared at him for a moment, before speaking.

"Y-yes...?"

"_What was that?_"

"Yes! I understand!" she yelped.

"Good. _Now go_."

* * *

Finding Rainbow Dash proved easier than anticipated.

Given that the other five had been lounging around places he had expected to find them, he had assumed Discord would spice things up by getting Rainbow Dash to leave Ponyville in its entirety, leaving Emerald with few to no clues to where she'd gone.

As it turns out, he found her laying on a small cloud not too far outside of her own cloud home.

In hindsight, he was grateful that she hadn't decided to lay around inside, as, with his current injuries, he wouldn't have been able to fly up to check.

Maybe he should have brought the others along...

No, too risky for his tastes.

"Rainbow Dash!" he called,

"Huh?" the blue mare spun around on her cloud, having to lean over the edge to spot him, "Oh, hey Emerald!" she returned rather happily. Her response was a tad confusing. She seemed... normal. Aside from the gray eyes, he would've thought she was the same pony she'd always been. Especially since she was lounging about instead of getting to work.

Then again, he could use some relaxation of his own after this whole fiasco.

"You realize that Discord is still roaming about, right? The girls need your help to stop him and fix Ponyville!"

"Ponyville, what?" Rainbow asked, before scoffing, "_Please_, have you seen this place? It's a total mess! Nah, I'm staying up here in Cloudsdale where everything's awesome!" she said, flopping onto her back without so much as a word.

_Ah... that's how she changed._

Like Rarity's change, Discord's magic tied Rainbow to that cloud, forcefully tricking her into thinking it was something important enough to stabilize the forced personality change.

Whether he did that because he needed to overcome the Element's protections, or if he just thought it was funny, was lost on Emerald. Regardless, that meant that there were several ways he could go about saving Rainbow.

First: He could destroy the cloud. He might not be able to fly right now, but a fireball might do the trick.

Second: Try and turn the Element's magic back on, like he did with Fluttershy and Applejack.

Third: Hope she fixes herself like Pinkie did.

He didn't think the third one was any good.

Well, might as well try talking first. Avoid straining himself as much as he could for now.

"So that's it? You're just going to leave Ponyville behind? You're just giving up on the place you've lived in for years?" he asked.

"Yep!" Rainbow replied, popping the 'p'.

"But what about when you first met your friends, huh? You stood by Fluttershy when she was getting bullied as a foal, right? Are you going to abandon her, too? Or what about when you first discovered the Elements? The six of you stood by each other, and fought off Nightmare Moon. Where's that loyalty now?"

"Dunno."

Emerald scowled.

"I see. But what about your Daring Do books? Remember when you thought your friends would abandon you for learning to enjoy reading? Or how about the Best Young Fliers Competition? Your Sonic Rainboom? It connected the sev-six of you from the very beginning! It gave you your destiny! Are you just tossing all of that aside? Is all that worth so little to you?"

"Guess so!"

His eye twitched.

_Alright... Plan B it is._

He growled, and felt his chest begin to burn. He felt the spark in the back of his throat ignite, flame beginning to spill from his maw, as his eyes practically burned with a bright sapphire light.

His chest swelled as he arched his back, before spitting a searing ball of blue fire into the air.

It zipped through the sky at astronomical speeds, searing the air as it passed, creating a sharp whistling sound that pierced the ears.

Rainbow perked up at the strange sound, and turned just in time to see the pony-sized ball of flame approach. She yelped in shock, rocketing off of the cloud in a panic, letting the ball of ignited gas pass harmlessly through the air she'd just occupied.

Well, almost harmlessly. The cloud she'd been resting on evaporated instantly in the presence of the all-consuming heat.

"CLOUDSDALE!" Rainbow screeched, hooves flying to the sides of her head as she stared at the empty air it had once occupied.

"So, are you ready to come back to Ponyville?" Emerald asked. Predictably, Rainbow turned to him, growling as she ground her teeth,

"_You destroyed Cloudsdale!_" she shrieked, practically vibrating in the air,

"Did I?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, "It looked like a regular cloud to me."

Rainbow let out a wordless scream as she pumped her wings and dive-bombed him. She shot through the sky, hooves outstretched and aimed for his unprotected face.

Her lithe body pierced through the air as her wings propelled her towards him, causing the wind to screech loudly in her ear. She closed in on him rapidly, bringing her hoof back to beat the ever-loving shit out of the bastard that _destroyed Clouds-_!

Despite his injured state, Emerald nimbly stepped aside, causing Rainbow to crash directly into the ground, having had absolutely zero time to react and correct herself before the impact.

The sky blue mare groaned for a moment, before a hoof roughly grabbed her by the mane, and yanked her up.

"Agh!" she growled, hooves flying up to her mane in an attempt to soothe the pain. It was for naught, however, as Emerald easily swung her around, until he brought her to a stop.

"Look," he said tiredly, but when Rainbow refused to listen, he growled and forced his exhaustion aside, "I said... **_look_**."

Rainbow stilled, her body suddenly tensing, instincts beginning to scream at her, and she resumed her struggles, only more frantically than before.

The part of her that _wasn't_ her instincts, however, immediately followed the order, her eyes locking onto a large, but still distinctly distant, formation in the sky.

"_That_ is Cloudsdale, not that dinky little cloud you were on."

"What are you-?! That's not-! That's not...! That's..."

Rainbow's body fell limp as she kept staring off into the distance, continuing to repeat herself.

"That's... that's... that's..."

"Discord _tricked_ you, _lied_ to you. He made you _abandon your friends_, Rainbow Dash. Tell me... _is that something you want to do?_"

"That's... that's... _that's impossible_!" she suddenly snarled, her body beginning to glow like the others.

_All at once, the warmth returned. It roared to life within his chest, his exhaustion burning away under its violent return._

He let go of Rainbow's mane, ignoring the way the mare began violently cursing Discord's name.

"Alright, before you go hunting Discord down," Emerald said, interrupting Rainbow's furious tirade, "we still need to help Sparky."

"Twilight?" Rainbow asked, before her eyes narrowed, "The girls. What did that jerk do to them?!" she demanded, earning a scoff from the thestral,

"The same thing he did to you," he snapped, "But now, Sparky's the only left we need to fix. She's at the library with the others, so-"

"Well what are we waiting for?!" Rainbow asked, "Let's go!" she said, before shooting off in a blur of rainbow colour.

Emerald sighed. How impatient.

Then again, he mused, he'd be a little impatient too.

He sighed, and pressed a hoof against his chest. He'd done it... he'd saved the other five, and they, in turn, would be able to do what he couldn't and help bring Sparky back to normal.

A small, almost ditzy, smile wormed its way onto his face.

She was going to be okay.

Sparky was going to be alright.

The thought left him giddy and eager to return.

* * *

He was more than a little nervous when he got back to the Golden Oaks Library. Sure, nothing dangerous, or even suspicious, had occurred on the trip back. To be honest, the lack of anything happening was, in and of itself, suspicious, but he was willing to let it slide in his excitement to see Sparky back to normal.

Obviously, this was the worst possible idea.

**Dodge.**

He vaulted away, not caring what direction he was going in, just in time for the ground to erupt beneath his previous position.

**"Hmm... that's twice now that you've done that. I didn't think much of it when you dodged that sword but... now this? Just how are you able to dodge something that hasn't happened yet?"**

Discord's voice echoed around him once more, uncaring of Emerald's growing anger, nor of the damaged spear he brandished.

"What the fuck are you-?!"

**Jump Back.**

He pushed himself off the ground violently, ignoring the harsh pains his body rewarded him with, just as a large spike of earth shot up in front of him.

**"This really is quite interesting. I wonder if-"**

"Discord!" a wonderfully familiar voice called, cutting off the draconequus mid-sentence, "Come out here! It's over!"

Emerald spun around, just in time to watch Sparky confidently strut out of the large hole in the library, the Element of Magic sitting prettily a top her head, with the other five, each wearing their own Elements, right behind her.

**"Oh. You're back already? Shame, I thought my spells would have lasted longer. Oh well, I suppose that's what I get for leaving this one alive."**

**Duck.**

_He felt it this time. A small, niggling feeling in the back of his skull, an instant before he moved. It felt..._ Familiar_ somehow._

This time, a large war-hammer passed through the space just above him, growling as he aggravated his wounds with the hasty maneuver.

_Strangely enough, he could still feel that... feeling, resting in the back of his mind. It was almost like it was... waiting for something._

"That's enough, Discord!" Sparky shouted,

"Yeah, show yourself you creep!" Rainbow snarled, looking around wildly.

**"Now, now, Rainbow Dash. Don't you think that's a tad harsh? If you really want me to come out-"**

There was a bright flash of light in front of them, before Discord appeared, lounging on a golden throne, a cup of chocolate milk in claw.

"-all you have to do is ask nicely."

"Discord-!" Sparky snarled, she and the mares behind her all glaring quite nastily at the draconequus, before he cut her off,

"Yes, yes, that _is_ my name. I'm glad we established that. Now, instead of making some grand speech, why don't you simply _get on with it,_" Discord said, leveling a piercing glare at the six mares, "Your little Elements can't stop me. Have you learned nothing?"

The only response the girls had to that, was to get into a half-circle formation, with Sparky sitting at the center.

"Oh we've learned something, Discord!" Sparky shouted, as a brilliant white glow began to surround them, "We've learned that even though friendship can be hard, there's nothing about that isn't worth fighting for!"

"Gag," Discord replied, inspecting his talons, "just use those silly Elements of yours already. You're little speeches are annoying."

Sparky's eye twitched, but it was ignored as the glow brightened exponentially.

Emerald went to shield his eyes, but stopped when he realized that the glow wasn't hurting him.

_The feeling withing him suddenly grew. He felt it surge and expand, forcing nearly every ounce of his attention on the spectacle before him._

The six mares suddenly began to float into the air, their manes and tails beginning to flow in an intangible wind. The Elements began emitting their own light, starting with Fluttershy's and moving down the other four, before the Element of Magic began to shine as well.

Sparky's eyes flew open the moment her Element began to glow, her once purple eyes completely overtaken by a blinding white light. All at once, the light condensed, before exploding outward in a familiar ring of rainbow light.

The light washed over Emerald's unprepared form in an instant.

_It was as though his entire body had been drenched in liquid ecstasy. He felt it wash through him, every ounce of pain and fatigue he'd felt suddenly vanishing as though they'd never existed. He could feel his skin begin to knit back together as the light poured through him. And as the feeling within his mind began to dance:_

_The World **Sang.**_

**_And Then It Stopped._**

Emerald stumbled suddenly, the warmth leaving him in an instant, leaving behind a cold empty hole in his heart.

Despite Emerald's current state, the Elements continued to glow, and a massive column of rainbow light erupted from the center of the six mares, piercing straight into the heavens, before curving and shooting straight towards Discord like the wrath of the gods.

Discord yawned and, with a wave of his claw, _extinguished the light._

The light surrounding the girls vanished, and they fell to the ground rather unceremoniously.

"Wh-what?!"

"What's happenin'?!"

"What the fuck did you do, Discord?!"

"This isn't good..."

"Yay, more chocolate rain!"

"Wh-what's going on!?" Sparky stammered, staring up at the spirit, "Th-the Elements didn't work?! Wh-why didn't they-?!"

"I told you," Discord interrupted, "Your Elements can't stop me. _Have you learned nothing?_"

Emerald stopped listening. After all, how could he?

_I won't allow a Seventh one to appear._

No... no, he... he couldn't have been...

No! Emerald _refused_ to believe that _he_ was supposed to be some... some _Seventh Element_!

Discord was _lying_! He must've put one of the mares under his influence again when they weren't watching, how else would he know where to find them?

He couldn't-_justcouldn't_-be an Element! He-he wasn't _worth_ that!

Emerald growled, and, thanks to his now partly healed injuries, managed to leap forward and take a swing at the distracted draconequus.

Unfortunately, Discord had either fantastic reflexes, or wasn't as distracted as he seemed, since he managed to catch Emerald's swing, before bodily tossing him back at the girls.

"Agh!" he grunted once he struck the ground, having landed on his still-mostly-broken wing.

"Emerald!" Sparky called, rushing over to him, "Are you alright? What were you thinking?!" He shook his head and pushed her off of him,

"Discord... he must've done something to you or the Elements," he said, standing back up, "that's why... that is why they're not working," he locked eyes with Sparky, "You _have_ to figure out what he did and _fix it_."

Sparky blinked rapidly at him, but was cut off before she could speak,

"What in the world are you talking about?" Rarity asked, advancing on him, "We _just_ snapped poor Twilight out of her little funk. How could Discord have possibly had the time to redo whatever it was his magic was doing?" she asked.

"Rarity's right, Discord ain't had the time ta do anythin'," Applejack supplied, rubbing her shoulder,

"Then what do you thinks wrong with the Elements?!" Emerald snapped, "What, you think they ran out of magic or something?!"

"No arguing!" Sparky said hotly "The last thing we need-"

**Move.**

"-is to-agh!"

Emerald immediately tackled Sparky to the ground, just barely avoiding the bolt of magic that zipped by her head, which collided with a nearby building, taking it down in one shot.

"There's that strange dodging of yours again. I wonder... how far does it go?"

Emerald glared venomously at the lounging draconequus, and turned to the mare beneath him, sapphire locking with amethyst.

"Figure out what's wrong with the Elements. I'll... try to stall for as long as I can."

And with that, he was off, ignoring the sounds of Sparky's protests behind him.

"Discord!" he snarled, launching himself at the spirit, spear pulled back ready to kill. Discord smirked and vanished the throne he sat on, beginning to float backward to avoid Emerald's strike.

"Ah, this again?" he asked, nimbly stepping away from a vertical slice, "You realize how badly this ended for you the last time, right?" Emerald growled and swung once more, watching as Discord ducked. He smirked, his hoof whipping out to strike against the spirit's cheek, sending the larger being flying away.

Emboldened by the lack of pain, Emerald charged after him.

Discord huffed and righted himself just as Emerald's spear flew towards his neck. Surprised by the thestral's increased speed, his tail flew out from behind him, and struck the colt's chest once again. Rather than get propelled away, Emerald had actually latched his remaining hoof onto the offending appendage.

Discord's eyes widened a fraction, before he felt the thestral pull on his tail, swinging him above his head and into the ground.

Emerald grinned maniacally as he continued pounding Discord's body onto the ground beside him, enjoying the rather comical sounds he made every time he hit the ground.

After a few more slams, he spun around, taking Discord with him, and threw the draconequus to the side, watching as he crashed through one of the nearby windows. Just as Emerald was about to charge and reengage, Discord shot out from the building, massive golf club in claw.

"Fore!"

He scarcely had time to brace himself, before he was smacked off, careening through the air. The world around him flipped and turned, and was violently brought to a stand-still when he felt himself collide with something. This was, unfortunately short-lived, as whatever he'd hit collapsed seconds later, taking him with it.

Emerald burst out of the debris, a furious scowl marring his face as he looked around for his opponent.

**Get Away.**

Moving rather frantically, Emerald tore through the nearest wall, just as a motherfucking _wrecking ball_ fell on top of the pile he'd just occupied. He didn't even have a second to breath as his ear flicked, and he turned just in time to see Discord charge straight at him.

"HOW-"

He blocked a punch aimed for his head, and returned with a vicious counter,

"-ARE-"

He was forced to duck a series of swords, rubber chickens, and a single pie, before he managed to lash out with his spear, catching the side of Discord's utterly _livid_ face, coating both of them in a shower of blood,

"-YOU-"

He managed to block a strike from Discord's suddenly flail-like tail, ignoring how one of the spikes gored straight through his leg,

"-DODGING-"

The wind was knocked out of him by blow to his stomach he hadn't seen coming, but managed to prevent a follow-up with a panicked swing of his spear,

"-MY-"

Discord caught the blade of Emerald's spear with his talon, and shattered it without issue, his claw reaching out and doing much the same to Emerald's uninjured leg,

"-ATTACKS?!"

A final blow struck Emerald the face, sending him tumbling head over tail before coming to a stop, hitting damn near everything in between him and his new resting point, which was right in front of the girls.

""""""EMERALD!""""""

He groaned, and tried to push himself to his hooves, but failed when both his broken one failed to hold his weight, and when the one with the hole in it failed to even respond.

"D-dammit...!"

A warm hoof appeared on his back, just as a second, purple, hoof entered his vision. He didn't have the strength to look up right now, but he figured that Sparky was giving him one of those 'I can't believe how fucking stupid you are!' mixed with 'How the fuck are you still alive?!' looks.

He'd gotten a lot of those in the past. He knew what they looked like.

"Oh sweet Celestia, Emerald! Are you ok-oh what am I saying, of course you're not!" Sparky nearly screeched. A second set of hooves gently grabbed the leg with the hole, though he only noticed because it happened to be in his line of sight.

The fact he could _see_ Fluttershy gently trying to wrap a bandage around his injury-_where'd she even get one?_-but not _feel_ it left him feeling rather cold.

Though, to be fair, that could just be the blood loss. His wounds had only just been healed-_partially at least_-before he got a brand new set.

"Ughhh... that, uh... yeah, that looks bad," he heard Rainbow mutter, followed by the sound of someone getting slapped, "Ow!"

"Rainbow Dash! Now is _not_ the time to joke around!" Rarity very nearly hissed.

"Did... you gals get those stupid Elements to work, yet?" he managed to ask,

"No!" Sparky replied hysterically, "None of us are acting any different, and we all remember everything! I even tried running a few diagnostic spells and-!"

"Yeah, we don't know what's wrong with 'em," Applejack interrupted hastily.

"I'm not surprised," Discord's voice interjected, the mares all jumping and turning to face him, though Emerald was _lucky_ enough that he happened to already be facing Discord's new position, "mortals aren't really meant to understand the Elements," he continued airily.

"Discord, what did you do?!" he heard Sparky ask venomously, "The Elements worked against Nightmare Moon, so why-?!"

"Why is it...?" Discord cut her off, "that you think _I_ had anything to do with your precious little Elements not working?" he asked, before throwing his arms out to the side, "I'm not responsible for _everything_, you know?"

"B-but then why?!" Sparky implored, seemingly forgetting just who she was asking. Discord chuckled darkly,

"Oh, well, if you _really_ want to know, why not try asking your injured friend? He knows why they're not working," Discord said slyly as he gestured to the downed thestral, throwing Emerald under the proverbial carriage.

"Emerald?" Sparky asked, appearing in his vision, looking confused, "What is he talking about?" Emerald grunted, tried, and failed, to stand, before sighing,

"Bastard... told me some stupid story... 'bout how he gets stronger with time... and that the Elements need a new one to... bolster their strength to overcome his... but it's... bullshit."

Fuck, breathing was hard right now.

"You mean... we need a _Seventh_ Element of Harmony?" Sparky asked, blinking in confusion, "B-but that's crazy! There's only six Elements of Harmony! How could there possibly be another one?!"

"''Pparently... they just... exist when someone... _right_ comes along..."

"But-but-that doesn't make any sense!" Sparky argued, "The Elements of Harmony are powerful magical artifacts. They can't just... just _appear_ whenever it's convenient!"

**Move.**

_His body didn't respond._

"That's completely and utterly illogical!" Sparky continued, unaware of the impending doom encroaching on her.

**_It happened in slow motion._**

_She continued her little rant, but he saw everything as Discord's arm raised, and bits of neon blue light suddenly shot to his claw, taking the form of a large, three pronged spear._

_He **couldn't**_ move_._

"After everything we've been through, there's just _something_ else?!"

_He watched that arm slowly pull back, crackling with magical energy, before throwing the weapon forward._

His body **_shrieked_** _at him, _every fiber of his being _screaming _**at him to** _**Just Move**._

"How are _we_ going to do anything, if there are things we don't know about just hiding around the corner?!"

**_He watched as it carved through the air, creeping closer and closer to the back of Sparky's head with every passing instant._**

**She Was Going To Die.**

**That Was-**

**-Completely-**

**-Utterly-**

**-_Unacceptable._**

* * *

Twilight couldn't help but huff at just how _irritating_ today was.

Everything had been going just _fine_! But then, out of nowhere, the entire world is suddenly engulfed in some weird magical phenomena that happened to be caused by some ancient evil that had, somehow, gotten free from its imprisonment, and now she and her friends had to deal with it because, _apparently_, they were the only ones on the planet who were able to do so!

Then they get to Canterlot only to find that their sole method of dealing with the ancient evil was stolen by said ancient evil, got chased by said evil after watching one of their two rulers forcibly turn evil, attack other ruler, only to start getting chased by an absurdly powerful creature, watch her crush get pulverized by aforementioned creature, and received some stupid riddle about how their weapons were hidden away 'back where they began'.

Then the whole issue with the maze thing, getting tricked into thinking her friends had all turned their backs on her-_and in hindsight that was absolutely stupid of her to think. Honestly, looking back, it was obvious that Discord was pulling the strings_-got corrupted by Discord's magic, which caused her to forcibly recalled the many years of isolation and bullying she'd held after being taken on as Princess Celestia's student, and sent her into a pretty big spiral of depression which was sort of hazy now. Got rescued by her friends, with a lot of help from Emerald if her friends were to be believed-_and she was inclined to think so_-and finally got to use their Elements on Discord.

Then the Elements didn't work. Brief panic ensued, before her crush once more stepped in and fought off Discord long enough for her and her friends to do some talking, minor soul searching, only to realize that they had no idea what had gone wrong, just in time for Emerald to return to them, once again, heavily injured. Possibly even more so than before.

And then the object of their frustration, through their injured friend, revealed that, _evidently_, there was _another_ Element. And wasn't _that_ just _peachy_? All that effort they went through, all that trouble, all that pain, only for them to be told that it was _meaningless_ because there _just so happened_ to be another Element of Harmony that _nobody had told them about!_

Why hadn't Princess Celestia mentioned it? Surely she, as one of the previous wielders, would have _some_ knowledge regarding a secret Seventh Element?

_Well, Twilight, the Elements of Harmony are powerful magical artifacts, and, admittedly, not much is known about what they do._

Right, of course. She probably didn't know, then. The way she described them painted the Elements as a mystery that can't be solved.

Though, from the sounds of it, Discord seemed strangely _in_ on the little mystery. How could he possibly have this kind of information, when not even the ponies who _used_ the things had any idea?

"This just doesn't make any sense!"

And now, she finished her miniature rant on just how _stupid_ this whole thing was. Admittedly, it had made her feel just a _bit_ better, now that all of that was off her chest.

Her friends were looking at her in horror, though. Which was strange, since she didn't _think_ she had been vulgar in her speech.

No, she hadn't actually muttered any sort of curse so... why were they all looking at her like that?

... Wait. They weren't looking _at_ her, but _behind_ her.

Odd. What could possibly be so-?

_A hoof grasped her shoulder, forcibly pulling her forward and onto the ground, when-_

***SQUELCH***

A quiet gasp.

The air was silent.

Then Emerald fell to the floor, the glowing blue spear having gored straight through his heart.

* * *

"_EMERALD!_"

Discord winced at the shrill cry, but didn't make a move to cover his ears.

_That was... unexpected. But, really, I suppose it shouldn't have been._

It was strange, watching this scene play before him. Watching as the life faded from the eyes of one of his dear thestrals. Watching as the purple unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, immediately realized what had happened, and was now clutching his dead body close to her chest.

_But of course... that's not a dead body. Not yet. After all, it was my magic that pierced his heart._

Since the stallion was obviously going to become the Seventh Element, that meant that his magic spear couldn't have possibly killed him. Oh, sure, his heart was useless, and, under normal circumstances, this would've been a quick, practically painless death.

_But Chaos had damaged Harmony. The Balance would be restored._

It had happened once, a long time ago. During his stint of freedom that would bring about the Third Element. He'd successfully killed the Bearer of Kindness, though it had been by mistake, he had never been a particularly bloodthirsty individual until he met Nia.

Ah yes, he'd mistakenly lopped off the poor fool's head. There had been quite a lot of blood, but, after some time had passed, the Elements had started glowing rather spectacularly, and, suddenly, he was back to normal.

Such blatant manipulation of reality, such obvious denial of the natural order, such total _dismissal_ of the laws that govern mortal life were, of course, within the capabilities of artifacts created to counter _him_.

Then again... that had been the death of an already active Element, whereas Emerald's Element was still dormant.

...

Th-that didn't mean he'd actually... _killed_ him... right?

Of-of course not! Such a small, insignificant detail surely wouldn't bother the Elements! After all, the colt just needed to... awaken his Element.

And no one had any idea just _what_ the Element would represent. So how could he possibly awaken it while dead?

_Shit._

* * *

"Emerald!" Twilight screamed, staring down at the-_stilldeadlifeless_-sleeping face of her dearest crush, "C-come on, Emerald! J-just wake up! Please!"

She held him close to her chest, shaking uncontrollably. She was-was just warming him up! He was getting awfully cold after all, and k-keeping him w-warm was the l-l-least she could do!

He just-he just needed to wake up, is all.

"Emerald!" she shouted into his ear, goodness, he really was a heavy sleeper, wasn't he? "C-come on, we-we need your help, you can't just keep s-sleeping like this, you know?!"

"... Twilight?"

"Please, just-just wake up!" she pleaded, ignoring the way her tears fell on to his sleeping face-_hewasdeaddeaddeaddead_-it would probably help wake him up, after all, "Please!"

"Twilight," a hoof suddenly landed on her shoulder, causing her to stiffen in surprise. She turned her head mechanically, coming face to face with Applejack, who was staring at her sadly.

"What?" she asked her friend, a tad impatiently. But she was sure Applejack would forgive her for her rudeness, since she _really_ needed to wake Emerald up.

"He's dead, sugarcube."

_She froze._

"Wh-what are you talking about, Applejack?!" Twilight asked, laughing hysterically, "Th-that's not funny you know! He's just-just sleeping is all!"

"Twilight," Applejack began, "I know it hurts havin' somebody close to ya die an' all-"

"He's not dead!"

"-but lyin' ta yerself ain't gonna fix what happened," she continued, not even acknowledging her interruption, "Believe me... I know."

Twilight just laughed, running a hoof through her increasingly frazzled mane.

"C-come on, Applejack! Q-quit playing around!"

"Twilight, darling," Rarity spoke up, approaching her from Applejack's right, her eyes filled with tears for some reason, "he's gone."

Twilight just stared at her two friends for a moment, before turning to face the other three, hoping that they could talk some sense into their _clearly out of their mind_ friends.

"P-Pinkie? F-Fluttershy? Ra-Rainbow Dash?"

But none of them acknowledged what she said. Fluttershy was holding one of her hooves up to her mouth, quite sobs leaving her as tears trailed down her face. Pinkie had plopped onto the ground, slack-jawed, with eyes that didn't seem to be staring at anything in particular. Rainbow Dash, however, was just staring at Emerald's sleeping form as if seeing him for the first time.

A set of orange hooves wrapped around her suddenly, but Twilight didn't fight them off, not even as a second set, white this time, joined the orange around her.

Eventually, a third, yellow, set joined, followed soon by pink and blue.

It was only when completely surrounded by her friends, immersed in their collective support, that she realized something.

**_Emerald was dead._**

* * *

**_A Spark was lit, weak and frail._**

* * *

"Emerald..." Twilight muttered, staring down at his lifeless face. She hiccuped, and gently wiped away some of the tears she dripped onto his face.

He was dead. Gone. Never to return.

He'd... he'd _saved_ her. It hadn't occurred to her at first, but now...

Her eyes drifted over to the hole left by the spear that was... had been aimed straight for her.

_He sacrificed himself for me... he saved my life..._

Twilight choked back another sob.

She clutched his body closer. Gone. Dead.

**Why?! Why him?! Why couldn't it be her?! He didn't deserve to die!**

He'd had such an awful life, he didn't _deserve_ this kind of end! He deserved happiness, love, friends, he deserved _everything but this_!

He... he deserved a good, long life. He deserved so much...

He was her friend. He'd been there for her when things had gotten tough. He'd stood by her side even when her friends hadn't. She'd felt so happy, so warm, so _safe_ with him.

Twilight sobbed once more, and curled herself up with Emerald's body, hoping beyond hope that things would _somehow_ turn out alright.

_She had loved him, and now... well, now he'd never know, and she would never know what might have been._

* * *

**_Magic Ignited the Spark._**

* * *

She remembered, back when she was a little filly, just a few months after Applebloom had been born, how her parents had died.

It had been a routine day at the farm, though there was a storm heading their way later on. Not that it mattered to the Apple Family. Come wind, rain, lightning, or snow, they'd be out in the field, working from sun up to sun down.

Well, her Ma and Pa had been out as usual, while Applejack helped Granny look after little Applebloom, and while Big Mac, well he was just Mac back then, worked on learning how all the farm's taxes worked.

Things had been fine. Just fine.

Then the storm ran outta control.

They didn't know it at the time, but the Everfree Forest's magic started interfering with the normal clouds, and everything just... spiraled out of control.

Some lightning here and there, and suddenly, their orchard was on fire. In the end, the bit of orchard that had caught fire hadn't been large, but in their rush to put it out before it hit the barn and house, her parents, Bright Macintosh and Buttercup, where killed in the fire.

The funeral had been a silent affair, free of Big Mac's usual chattering at the time. Out of everypony there, only Applebloom hadn't really known what was going on.

But time passed and the wounds healed, both the ones on her and the family, and the one on the orchard.

But after that day, she'd vowed that she'd take care of the farm just like her parents had, and grow up to be just like them.

Shame she'd been a bit of a liar back then, but that eventually got fixed, thankfully.

It had been quite some time since somebody's death had hit her so much.

Of all the pon-er-thestrals, Applejack had never really thought that the two of them were really close. Sure, they could work together, and got along well enough, but... she doubted she'd ever be as close to him as, say, Pinkie.

Still, he'd done a lot for her, her friends, and even the farm. He saved them from Flim and Flam, brought her to her senses during the Running of the Leaves, did it again during that ticket fiasco, and _again_ when they were getting their dresses for the Gala, helped her and Rarity see eye to eye for the first time in a _long_ time, gave her a right hard time an' threatened her pretty harsh when Twilight has having a hard time learning to work out, and just so much more.

He'd done so much and now... he was gone. Just like that.

No happy ending, no cheerful goodbye, no nothing.

He jumped right in front of the spear aimed for Twilight, and died. To protect her. To protect them.

It just... it wasn't _fair_. What did he do to deserve such a... such a cruddy ending?

A stallion like him shouldn't just.. die like that. He had so much more for him ta do in life!

What about Wisp? What about his family, huh?! What were they gonna do now that he was gone?!

No... it wasn't his fault, so why try and act like it was?

After everything was over, she'd be happy to take Wisp in herself. It was the least she could do for somebody like Emerald.

He'd have done the same for Applebloom if it came down to it, even if he'd never have mentioned it. He was just that good of a friend.

* * *

**_Honesty Coaxed the Ember._**

* * *

Rarity wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel.

Oh yes, Emerald was dead, and that was nothing short of a tragedy, but...

_Did she cry and mourn for him, or move on and stay strong, for her friends?_

She hadn't known him particularly well, merely some basic information that Twilight had gotten and shared with the group, but she knew more than enough to know that Emerald was a one-of-a-kind individual. A truly magnificent stallion, who deserved a better fate than this.

He was strong beyond measure, the fact that he would fight _Discord_ of all things to protect them, no matter how obviously futile it had turned out to be, was a testament to his strength. Not physical strength, but that of character.

Someone who would stand on broken hooves, if only he could shield them a moment longer. That was the kind of stallion Emerald... used to be.

He often spoke his mind, and had no qualms with insulting even his friends and family if he thought it would help them, like he did when she'd buckled down to make their Gala dresses and suit.

He was a stallion who viewed family as the most important thing, if his actions during their trip to Appleloosa and while Photo Finish's photo shoot were anything to go by. He'd stand before an army if only he could help and protect his family.

While his manners could be a tad lacking at times, Rarity was proud to have called him one of her dearest friends.

* * *

**_Generosity Fanned the Flame._**

* * *

Rainbow Dash had _not_ liked Emerald at first. It was sort of a combination of his just showing up outta nowhere, and getting kinda jealous when he started taking away her friend's attention.

But then he went and helped her realize that her friends weren't gonna judge her for something as stupid as liking books.

After that, she figured she'd give him a bit of a break, even if he still kinda got on her nerves.

Then he just had to go and keep being a good guy.

Honestly! No matter what happened, he was just there, helping out in some way. Running of the Leaves? Helped Twilight get over their teasing, and helped her get second. _Second!_ Tickets? Shouted at them to fuck off so Twilight could relax. The Gala dresses? Insulted the hay out of them until they came to their senses. Helped out Twilight with her new workout thing that she _totally_ messed up. Helped them save Rarity from those Mutts. Then went out of his way help out the buffalo. Hay, he even used some weird political thing to make it official if that whole 'Champion' thing meant anything.

She should probably ask him... what it... oh, right.

She can't. _'Cause he was dead._

Faustdammit! He sacrificed himself to save them! He didn't deserve to die like this!

Rainbow scolded herself. She should've been the one to push Twilight out of the way. She was Rainbow Freaking Dash! She could perform the Sonic Rainboom, something that nopony had been able to do for like, ever! She would've been fast enough to get Twilight out of the way and then _no one would have died_!

But no! No, she'd just stood there like an idiot! She hadn't even had time to so much as _think_ about moving, and he was already there!

He _died_ to save them. He... he...

Dammit!

He was a lot more loyal than she was, apparently...

Damn... he really earned her respect right there.

* * *

**_Loyalty Fueled the Fire._**

* * *

Fluttershy sobbed quietly to herself, even as she buried her head into the shoulder of one of the girls closest to her.

H-he was d-dead! Her cousin was d-dead!

She didn't like this. She _hated_ this. He didn't deserve to die, he should be alive!

He was so strong... he shouldn't have died to something like _this_.

He should be standing right now, looking tough by biting back at Discord with one of his funny little insults that was really meant to hide his nervousness.

That was just the kind of stallion he was. Always hiding something about himself beneath a mask. It wasn't a deep mask, as far as she could tell, but it was a mask nonetheless. But under that mask was a really nice stallion who just loved his family. And Fluttershy was lucky enough to a part of that family! He supported her in everything she did and helped assuage her fears, even the really silly ones!

She could see it in the way he interacted with everyone. That calm, distant exterior that melted away slightly whenever he talked to one of them. The cold, apathetic way of looking at problems, before solving them with relative ease, even if it meant causing others discomfort.

See it in the way he'd gently introduced himself as her cousin, how he happily started teaching her about the half of her family she'd never known, always remaining patient even when she'd asked a few too many questions at once.

She could see it in how he had raised Wisp, who turned out to be a smart, slightly cold, but easily flustered sweetheart who not-quite-secretly enjoyed being praised in any fashion.

She could even see it in how he treated his little bat, Bolero. Such a smart, but free-spirited critter. Like his master, Bolero enjoyed doing his own thing, but, when called for it, he'd come running back to help out no matter the task.

He had been a wonderful stallion, and someone she was glad to have called family.

_If only he could still be around..._

* * *

**_Kindness Stoked the Blaze._**

* * *

Pinkie... was lost.

She... she had no idea how to even _react_ to something like this. Laughing about it wouldn't help. Not even a cupcake or a dozen would make any of this feel even the slightest bit better!

Emerald would probably know how to deal with this. He was smart like that. Always thinking outside of the box.

But now he was... gone. Just... just _gone_.

It didn't make sense to Pinkie. He was so _strong_, how could he just... die?

He should be around to give that nice smile of his that said 'I'm really angry but pretending not to be right now', or one of those smiles that said 'I'm actually pretty happy but I'm toning it down because I'm not really sure how to show my emotions', or even that frown that said 'Something stupid just happened and I'm hoping it goes away so I don't have to deal with it'!

He was like that. Always hiding something behind a mask of some kind. It had taken some time for her to figure even a few of those out, but she had a lot of experience with ponies and donkeys and cows and a whole lot of different creatures, and knew how to pick up feelings and emotions from someone that doesn't really emote the same way she did!

But once she _did_ figure it out, she found a shy, well-meaning stallion who just wanted everything to turn out alright. Sure he was kinda mean and acted tough, but she knew he was... well, _was_ a big softy at heart.

... What was she gonna tell the Cakes? Or Wisp? Or... or anyone?

... Who was gonna put together the funeral? She could try, but... funerals weren't like parties. Well... they _kinda_ were, so...

...

She'd just to throw the best 'Goodbye!' party for Emerald later, then.

It was the least she could do.

...

She already missed him.

* * *

**_Laughter Fed the Inferno._**

* * *

**_A Sacrifice Made. An Element Awoken._**

* * *

_"Oh? So you're my cute little descendant, hmmm? I must say, it's nice to meet you!"_

_..._

_"Hmm... looks like ol' Dissy did a real number on you! Don't worry, it won't last long!"_

_..._

_"... You're probably wondering who I am. You probably won't remember this little meeting of ours, but... well, I'm your Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandma, Nocturnia! You should be honored, the Skies are the only ones who are descended from me! That _technically_ means your my heir, little buddy, isn't that exciting?!"_

_..._

_"Oh... right, you can't respond... Huh. Can you see me? Or even hear me? Hmm... maybe I'm just talking to myself here... Oh well, you're still the best conversation partner I've had in... well, a long time!"_

_..._

_"Well, whether you can hear me or not, I hope you don't mind letting this old gal talk for a bit, alright?"_

_..._

_"Great! Well, for starters, I've been keeping an eye on you, my cute little grandson, and I gotta say, I'm impressed! You've lived a pretty hard life, and you're still moving right along with it. You don't see that often, not in this day and age, at least. Still, you've got a fair share of issues, but those cute friends of yours seem to be prying them loose, bit by bit."_

_..._

_"Hmm... Oh! Try and make some time to head home, by the way! Seventeen years is quite some time to spend away from family, so go on! Go home and see them again! It's the least you could do for those poor parents of yours."_

_..._

_"Oh! Looks like time's almost up! Hmm, is there anything else before that? Ah, right... try to forgive Discord, dear. He's made a lot of mistakes, but I really think he just needs someone to care about him again. Besides, he's always cared about his family, and having a cute little grandson to dote on would be good for him, so be a dear and give that to him, yes?"_

_..._

_"Oh and, before I forget, make sure to ask out that cute purple unicorn of yours before it's too late!"_

* * *

Discord sighed to himself as he stared at the group of six still clutching around Emerald's body. It had been several minutes since he died and, quite frankly, Discord was beginning to worry.

_Was it possible? Had he been wrong about Emerald's destiny as the Seventh Element?_

It was possible. Unlikely, but possible. He didn't exactly have a large sample size to take from, based on his newly recovered memories. It had happened a total of six times, and, while they'd all had similarities, it was possible that there was some hidden quality about the Bearers that he was unable to find.

"Wha-?"

The startled exclamation from Twilight Sparkle broke him from his thoughts, and his attention refocused on the six mares. Twilight Sparkle, who had previously been the most distraught of the bunch, now bore a confused expression on her face as she stared down at Emerald's body.

She shuddered suddenly, something that the other five experienced moments after her, quite gasps leaving their lips as it happened.

_**Fear** ignited within his belly. Primal, uncontrolled, it tore through him, the old, forgotten feeling **beggingscreamingpleading** him to **run**. To **run **and **never look back**._

Discord swallowed and forced the **Fear** down. The last time he'd felt something like this was, of course, moments before each of his previous defeats, which meant...

He watched with bated breath as the Elements began to glow, with each of the mares connected to them rising into the air, quickly being surrounded by the individual glow of their respective Elements.

Twilight Sparkle was the last to rise into the air, looking around wildly as she did so, before her eyes were overtaken by a blinding white light. The air, so overwhelmingly saturated with magic, suddenly felt charged, and a fierce wind began to blow, forcing Discord to brace himself against his throne.

The still body of Emerald suddenly began rising into the air, unimpeded by the wind, and surrounded by a pure white glow. It hung in the air for an instant, before six beams of solid light shot from each of the six Elements towards it. An instant before hitting, they bent and began to coil around the front of the body, until they each began to pour into the gaping hole where his heart once beat.

His entire body suddenly began to shine, a heavenly white light completely consuming him, before forcing Discord's eyes closed.

"Agh!"

The light lasted several long moments, before he dared opened them once more.

**_Rainbow eyes glared into his skull, but were outshone by the glistening golden crown resting above them._**

Sitting perfectly a top the head of the _now living_ thestral, was a golden crown, fit with seven arches each ending in a fine point. Fixed to the top of all but the center point were six different gems, whose colours matched the Elements adorning the other six. However, set in the metal under the seventh, empty, point was a large green gem, cut into the shape of a familiar question mark, even bearing a sapphire version of its flaming dot beneath it.

"E-Emerald, is that you?"

The voice of one Twilight Sparkle filtered through the silence, sounding like a broken jumble of hopeful and disbelieving.

Emerald turned slightly, his eyes, a spiral of rainbow colours, locking with hers,

"Yeah, it's me, Sparky," he said, before turning back to Discord, a scowl on his face, "we can have our little reunion later, but we need to take down Discord first."

Discord smirked and, when he proved unable to contain it, he began chortling, before it turned into a full blow laugh.

"Ahahahahahaha!" his voice echoed through the air, a wicked grin overtaking his own features, "I knew it! I absolutely knew it!" he boasted, throwing his head back to laugh once more, "Of course it would be _now_ that it wakes up! Of _course_ the Element of-" he stopped abruptly, his gaze falling back onto Emerald, "... the Element of... _what_, exactly?" he asked, his voice having dropped to a whisper, "Tell me, what Element of Harmony do _you_ represent, Emerald Skies?"

A scowl was his only response.

"Figure it out on your own, asshole," he said, before glancing back at the girls, "now how the fuck do I use this thing?"

* * *

This... Element thing was surprisingly annoying.

The fact that he'd gotten a _crown_ of all things, rather than a necklace, was also annoying.

In fact, just about _everything_ about this, was annoying.

It didn't help that he had this... strange feeling that he'd... forgotten something. Something that had only just happened at that.

_Ah, right... try to forgive Discord, dear._

The words came to him, but they were naught but a jumbled mess of whispers and sounds he couldn't put together. Where had he heard them? From whom had he heard them? What were they even saying?

They were questions that he doubted he'd ever answer.

_Oh and, before I forget, make sure to ask out that cute purple unicorn of yours before it's too late!_

And considering how a bunch of messed up gibberish sent his heart to pounding like mad, he figured he didn't actually _want_ those questions answered too much.

Back to the Element thing. It was annoying. He didn't know how to actually fucking _use_ it. You'd think that a magical artifact that decided 'Yeah, you're gonna use me' would also come with some sort of instruction manual on how to _actually do that_.

It couldn't even just... pop the information into his head, like it had done with its own fucking name?

Honestly, the Element of _Sacrifice_? How fucking _on the nose_.

'_Oh, you gave your life to save them? Well, here's a fucking medal that tells everyone that you did exactly that!_'

Peh.

How was that something he represented? He couldn't have _at least_ got something interesting, like the Element of Strength, or the Element of Power, or _anything else_? No! He, apparently, represented _sacrifice_! You know, the stuff that you have to do in order to power dark rituals and shit? It made him sound like some damned necromancer or something.

Meh, at least he'd never have the use the thing after this. The Elements were meant to face Discord, and Discord alone. He just needed to use it this one time, and then he'd never have to see it_ again_.

Sparky just stared at him, her eyes filled with quite a few emotions he wasn't prepared to deal with, not after, seemingly, coming back from the dead. At least, he _assumed_ it was death. Discord did claim he couldn't actually kill him, so... Ugh, this was going to give him a headache.

Thankfully, Sparky didn't say anything. Instead, she walked up to him and took a place by his side.

"... Just... follow my lead?"

"Was that a question or an instruction?"

She ignored him, and began to glow.

_It happened once more. His body grew weightless as the mare beside him lit up, the Element of Magic radiating a soft glow as she slowly began to rise into the air._

_A boiling inferno began bubbling within his chest, however. He felt it scorch his insides, felt it press against his chest, threatening to burst free. He felt the air around him grow hot, and flames began pouring from his lips with every breath._

_The mares around him, all suspended within the air, glowed once more, a violent burst of rainbow energy erupting forth, but rather than diverge onto the form of their enemy, it instead crashed down upon him._

_His world glowed white, as the rainbow began seeping into his skin, turning that boiling, bubbling feeling earlier, into a living, roaring blaze that **demanded** to be set free!_

_Unwilling to fight his own body's desires, he breathed in..._

**_And a sea of rainbow fire spewed forth. It barreled towards the sitting draconequus, a spiraling, churning swarm of fire growing closer with every instant._**

**_The flames crashed into him, the rainbow flames eating away at his skin and bones, leaving behind nothing but cold stone in its wake._**

The flames suddenly shot into the air, the massive flaming column spiraling into the sky like a forming tornado, before exploding outwards. The fire washed over him like a warm breeze on a cool day, burning away every trace of Discord's magic, leaving behind the world as he'd always known it, untouched and uncorrupted.

And there, sitting at the center of a ring of rainbow fire, was a lone statue of Discord, looking oddly at peace with the world.

**_And then everything went black._**


	33. The Return of Harmony: Aftermath (1)

Sensation returned to him, slowly at first, but it was soon followed by a rush that hit him like a freight train.

He hissed through his teeth as the pulsing pain grew, before it faded away an instant later.

Dazed sapphire eyes cracked open, focusing-yet-not on the blurry white ceiling above. They wavered for a moment, before flickering to the sides, finding equally white walls surrounding them.

Emerald growled, and forced himself into a sitting position, his body feeling oddly restricted at the moment. He sighed once he managed, and glanced around again, now that his eyes had time to adjust.

His first assumption had proven correct. White ceiling, white walls; Definitely a hospital. Oddly enough, instead of having more than one bed, it seemed that he was the only patient in the room. He scanned the room ahead of him, before his eyes locked onto the door, which, while only a few shades darker than the walls, managed to stand out thanks to the symbol carved upon its surface.

The Royal Crest, a shimmering sun and moon, stared back at him.

He was in Canterlot then, and, judging by the fact he was the only patient in the room, he was in the Royal Branch of the Canterlot Medical Institution, stationed in the castle itself.

He frowned, and glanced down at himself, finding that he had, customary to most of his visits to _any_ medical facility, been almost entirely wrapped in bandages, which explained the strange, restricted feeling. Although, considering the nature of his injuries, he was a tad surprised he was wrapped in _bandages_ and not _casts_. He'd had plenty of broken bones, hadn't he? So where were the casts?

He shook his head, and tossed the thought aside.

He'd had a hole in his chest as well, after all, and _that_ certainly wasn't there anymore. A few broken bones were... less important, in comparison.

He glanced around once more, only this time, two things caught his attention.

Firstly, the gold, _motherfucking crown_ on his bedside desk, which was to his left.

_Why the fuck is this here?! Shouldn't it be with the other fucking Elements in that fucking case in the fucking vault?!_

He stared at the damned headpiece for a moment, his anger swelling, before it abruptly left him. He couldn't actually get angry at the thing. It had, after all, allowed him to help the girls defeat Discord. It had let him... _do_ something for them, rather than just... _be there_.

Actually, it might've done more than that. It was likely the Element's doing that helped him snap the others out of it, and _not_ him just talking to them. It would make a _lot_ more sense than some minor therapy snapping them out of their magically induced states. If it was even therapy.

He glanced at the crown once again, before reaching out and picking it up.

For moment, he did nothing. He waited for a few seconds, partly expecting something to happen now that he was in contact with the artifact. But, apart from a strange, hollow feeling-_possibly his stomach_-nothing felt different. With that in mind, he brought it close, and examined it.

It was... definitely a little gaudy. Not something he'd ever actually wear to an event. Made out of, seemingly solid, gold, encrusted with six multicoloured gems, and a single, well technically a pair, of stylized gems in the shape of his own cutie mark? That just screamed 'haughty' to him. Or maybe he was wrong. He never was good at eyeing jewelry more complicated than bracelets and rings.

Still, it looked more similar to what Blueblood would wear than anything he'd be caught with.

Well, gaudy or not, it was still a powerful magical artifact. One that chose _him_, of all creatures, no less. He sighed, and tossed it back onto the desk.

Having gotten a sense of where he was, he finally turned his attention to the second thing he noticed. His guest.

Sitting in a chair to his immediate right, was one Twilight Sparkle, whose head rested on her hooves, where she'd fallen asleep leaning over his bed.

He stared at her sleeping form for a moment, watching the way her body fell and rose with each breath, the way her ears twitched in her sleep, and even the way her nose whistled slightly as she slept.

A frown twisted onto her face for a moment, before it fell, replaced by a gentle smile.

Gently, he reached over and began to shake her awake.

"Hey... C'mon Sparky, it's time to wake up."

She twitched slightly, and her eyes slowly crept open. She yawned as she sat straight up, her hooves stretching into the air. She shook for a moment, before relaxing and her hooves fell back to her sides. She blinked blearily for a moment, before her gaze suddenly sharpened and locked onto him. They stared for a moment, before her eyes started to water. He smiled softly,

"Hey, Spar-ahg!"

He was rather abruptly cut off when Sparky lunged at him, wrapping her hooves around him frantically, as if afraid he'd disappear if she let go.

"You're okay!" she cried, "You're okay, you're okay, you're okay...!"

His smirk fell as Sparky's words became muffled due to her burying her face into his chest. He gently wrapped his hooves around the mare, stiffening only slightly when he felt his chest grow wet with tears.

"Yeah, Sparky. I'm okay."

* * *

It had taken nearly fifteen minutes for him to calm Sparky down, and by then they'd been surrounded by the others, who had flooded into the room sometime during her little breakdown.

Fluttershy sported a much happier smile than she normally did, though it still seemed a bit worried. Rainbow looked oddly conflicted, but still had a smile on her face. Applejack bore a strange mix of sad and happy expressions on her face, while Rarity seemed more interested in his and Sparky's current embrace than his physical condition. Pinkie, of course, was smiling one of the brightest smiles he'd seen from her yet. Honestly, if the room was even slightly better lit, he was sure the thing would've been quite blinding.

"Well, isn't this cute?" Rarity asked suddenly, breaking the silence rather spectacularly. Sparky, whose head had remained buried in his chest and therefore hadn't seen her friends enter, yelped and all but threw herself away from Emerald.

"O-oh! H-hey girls! Wh-when did you get here?!" Sparky asked, red as a beet. Emerald, however, didn't pay much attention to the rest of the conversation, his thoughts having derailed slightly when Sparky had pushed away.

_That feeling. That warmth he'd come to associate with her touch... wasn't there._

No... it was there, but it felt... diminished. Weaker. As if it was fading, almost.

He pushed the thought aside. It was probably related to him having just woke up.

"So?" Emerald asked, cutting into their conversation, "What happened when I passed out?" The girls all glanced at each other, before Sparky began to explain,

"Well, a few minutes after we defeated Discord, the moon started lowering," she said, pointing outside where the sun was high in the sky, alone, "The princesses showed up not long after."

"Yeah, you shoulda seen them!" Rainbow suddenly cut in, looking awed, "They were covered in some pretty nasty wounds!"

"They were awful!" Fluttershy agreed,

"Ghastly indeed," Rarity added.

"Right," Sparky continued, unfazed by the interruption, "After they showed up, they had some guards come down and bring all of us, and Discord's statue, back up here to Canterlot, where we were all checked in. That was three days ago." Emerald blinked,

"... Are you saying that I've been unconscious for _three days straight_?!" he snapped,

"That's right, darling," Rarity said calmly, "The Elements might have healed some of your injuries, but we know first-hoof how _exhausting_ using the Elements can be-" the others nodded along with her, "-and combined with the injuries you received, healed or not, well, it's no wonder you took so long to recover!"

"Rarity's right," Applejack said, "Ya took a real beatin' when ya fought Discord. Not ta mention the, uh..." she trailed off, her eyes locking onto his chest for a moment, before she looked away,

"The spear to my chest," Emerald supplied, deadpan, causing the girls to flinch.

"Uh... yeah, that."

The door behind them opened once more, and a nurse quickly poked her head in,

"Oh! You're awake!" she gasped, sounding perhaps a little too surprised for Emerald's liking, "I'll go get the princesses immediately!" and with that, her head disappeared and the door shut once more.

The room was silent for a moment, and just before they went back to talking, the door burst open once more, only a familiar red and white stallion came marching into the room.

"There you-ack!" Thorax's ear was pulled back by a familiar pink magical glow, just as Trixie came trotting up to him,

"What are you doing?!" she hissed quietly, her eyes darting over to him, "He's still-oh, you're awake!" she glanced at Thorax, before letting him go, "Nevermind then."

Thorax growled at Trixie, rubbing his ear furiously,

"Dammit, you crazy little-" he was, unfortunately, cut off once more when a small blue filly darted past him,

"Big Brother!" the little blur cheered, jumping onto the bed, earning an amused 'Oof' from the older stallion.

"Hey, Wisp," Emerald greeted, gently wrapping the little filly into a hug, "you alright?" he asked, peering down into the watery orange eyes of his little sister.

"I was terrified!" she admitted immediately, surprising Emerald a tad, "We were just having a nice field trip and then everything started acting all weird!" she cried, rubbing her face against his chest, knocking her glasses askew, "A-and then we all got separated from M-Miss Cheerilee. I even got chased by a weird talking cactus that wouldn't leave me alone!" she whined, tears trailing down her face. Emerald sighed fondly, and, after searching for a bit, snatched a few tissues from the nearby tissue box, and held them against her nose,

"Blow."

Emerald made a face as Wisp blew her nose, but didn't let it bother him, even as he threw away the now snotty tissue.

"It's okay, Wisp, everything's over now. I'm back, aren't I?"

"Mhmm... I missed you, Big Brother..." Wisp muttered, her voice muffled slightly. Emerald gently ran his hoof through her silvery mane,

"I missed you too, Little Sister."

""""Awwww..."""" was Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rarity, and Sparky's responses,

"Alright, alright, you can stop it now," was Thorax's, "Seriously, you're beginning to choke me with all the emotions you're putting out," he added, ignoring the glares he received, though Rarity's gaze was filled with something else as well, before he turned to Emerald, "Also, the heck is up with you two?" he asked, pointing at him and Sparky,

"Oh, shut up you little leech," Trixie said, walking off, dragging Thorax by the ear once more,

"Agh-fuck! Let go of my ear you devil bitch! You're so lucky we're family or I'd-!"

Whatever Thorax was going to say was cut off as the door shut once more.

Wisp giggled slightly, wiping away her tears as she stared at the door.

"Never a dull moment, eh?" Emerald asked himself. Sparky sighed,

"I wish," she said, "I could do with some peace and quiet after all of this."

"Oh absolutely!" Rarity interjected brightly, "Goodness! All this excitement is going to give me wrinkles, I tell you! My, I'll have to book an extra long session at the Spa once we're back in Ponyville!" she said, "Oh, you'll come along, won't you Fluttershy?" she asked, turning to the mare. Fluttershy started slightly, surprised at being addressed so suddenly, but eventually nodded,

"That sounds lovely, Rarity," she agreed softly. The unicorn mare nodded, and turned to the others,

"Well? How about it, everyone? A nice, long, relaxing trip to the Spa after all this? Hmm?"

"Hmm... I suppose I could do with a spell in the steam room," Applejack admitted.

"It _does_ sound nice..." Sparky trailed off, staring at him.

"I'm not entirely certain I'll have a choice in the matter," Emerald admitted, "If the twins hear about this they'll probably tie me up and drag me there if I try to avoid it after today."

The girls, including Wisp, laughed at that, but they were cut off when the door, once again, burst open. Only this time Gustave poked his head in, looking around nervously.

"Gus-?"

"That bloody nurse isn't here, is she?" he asked suddenly,

"No," Emerald replied automatically, hearing how serious he sounded and believing it to be important. Gustave nodded,

"Good," he said, disappearing for a moment, before he returned, this time lugging a cart into the room, where a single, covered dish sat, before it was hastily placed onto his lap, Gustave being careful to avoid Wisp, and the cover was torn off, revealing a plate of immaculately prepared alfredo, "That damned nurse of yours refused to let me in to serve you. Ha! As if I'd let any member of _my_ family eat the disgusting slop they call _food_ here!" Gustave added, "My food is a hundred times tastier than anything they could even _dream_ of preparing, and is just as healthy!" he boasted.

Emerald smirked, and chuckled at Gustave's attitude. He had always been like this, even back in the Facility.

"Thanks Gustave," Emerald said, gently scooping some of the noodles onto his fork, and into his mouth. As expected, the noodles practically exploded with flavour. The sauce was rich and creamy, and the noodles perfectly cooked, with naught even a single mistake to be found.

All in all, _way_ better than anything he could ever hope to cook.

"Delicious as always," he added once he swallowed, smiling a bit more genuinely.

"Wow! That looks nice!" Wisp said, smiling up at Gustave, "Could you teach me how to cook one day, Big Bro Gus?" she asked. Gustave laughed, and gently ruffled her mane,

"I'd love to, Whisper! You might even make a great sous chef!" he said, "I suppose Apple Berry is going to have some competition, then," he added, more to himself than anyone else. He suddenly clapped his talons together, "Well! As nice as it was to see your recovery, I'm afraid I need to head back to the kitchen to prepare for tomorrow!"

Emerald blinked, and quickly swallowed his latest bite,

"What's happening tomorrow?" he asked. Gustave froze in place, and turned back to look at him. His eyes searched his for a moment, before they narrowed as the griffon turned to the girls,

"You haven't told him yet?" he asked rather accusingly. Sparky looked away,

"I-I was... distracted..." she admitted,

"What the hay are you talking about?!" Rainbow added, "He just got up! Were you expecting us to just hit him with that right away?!"

"As a matter of fact, yes."

Emerald's eyes danced between the seven for a moment, before he shared a confused glance with Wisp, who seemed just as out of the loop as he was.

Despite this, he just let them keep at it, and continued eating his alfredo.

"Considering he won't have long to prepare himself, it would be best if he knew about it as soon as possible!"

"But he needs to rest first! We couldn't possibly have just sprung that on him the moment he woke up!" Rarity said, "He needed a little time to relax!"

Gustave sighed, aggravated,

"Whatever," he said, and turned back to Emerald, "Listen, Em, there's going to be a celebration tomorrow for Discord's defeat, and the awakening of a new Element-" his eyes darted over to the artifact in question for a moment, before returning to him, "-and all of you are expected to be out on that stage once everything starts. The Princesses wanted to hold it off until you were up, but they didn't have much choice. Since you're awake now, they'll definitely want you attending. Lucky you," he added, sarcastically.

Emerald nodded,

"Got it," he said, before throwing a slightly narrowed glare at the mares, "that _is_ the kind of information I'd like _as soon as possible_," he said, and nodded, "Thanks for telling me."

"No problem at all," Gustave said, "good luck." And with that, he left, though not without taking the cart and Emerald's empty plate with him.

"I gotta go too," Wisp said, "Big Sis Luna wanted my help with something!" she said cheerfully. Emerald smiled and, with another quick hug, bid her goodbye.

And with that, the seven of them were alone once more.

"How long until someone else barges in?" Emerald asked idly, glancing at the six mares. Pinkie 'Hmm'd, tapping a hoof against her chin,

"Weeeeelllll... I'd give it-!"

***WHAM***

"-that long!"

Emerald sighed at the sight of a sheepish looking Mother and a rather neutral looking Luna, and sighed a second time when the poor, abused door finally breathed its last, and fell to the floor, its hinges having broken at this final intrusion.

"Hmm... we need stronger doors, Tia," Luna noted without a hint of shame, not even glancing at it,

"Or, perhaps, you could open them _gently_, Lulu?" Mother implored.

"No, I am certain it's the door's fault," Luna retorted seriously, though it cracked slightly when her lips twitched upward. Mother only sighed, and turned to Emerald,

"It's good to see you're awake, Emerald," she said, gently striding into the room, Luna right behind, "I admit, I was beginning to worry when you didn't wake up yesterday," she added, her eyes darting over his bandaged form rapidly.

"Indeed. Were it not for her own wounds-" Luna grimaced guiltily at that, "-I doubt my sister would have left your side," Luna interjected, smirking at the way Mother stiffened, "'Beginning to worry' simply doesn't cover it."

"Right... as I was saying," Mother unsuccessfully diverted the subject, "How are you feeling?" Emerald shrugged,

"Fine. I don't feel any pain and, aside from some stiffness, it's as though I wasn't even injured in the first place." Mother nodded,

"I see. The doctor said as much while you were unconscious. I admit, I'm honestly surprised that the Elements healed your wounds," she said, glancing at the crown, "I wasn't even aware they could do that."

"Well," Sparky suddenly interjected, going into 'lecture mode', "the Elements did regrow Rarity's tail when we used them against Nightmare Moon-" Luna flinched slightly at the name, "-so that suggests that they're capable of cellular regeneration, at the very least. Healing some wounds isn't all that surprising," she said, before her eyes darted over to his chest, "... although, I'm not sure how they managed to... you know... _bringhimback_," she said hastily, as if the words refused to come out properly.

"I am confused as well," Luna said, and shook her head, "but it doesn't truly matter. The Elements are magical artifacts capable of reversing everything that Discord did. In the end, it only makes sense that they would reverse the death he caused," she said, and locked eyes with Emerald, "That is, of course, assuming Emerald was truly dead in the first place."

"Luna is right," Mother said, "the Elements have always been inexplicable, and there hasn't been any reason for that to change. All that matters is that Emerald managed to awaken the Seventh Element of Harmony, and that he's alive and healthy because of it," her face twisted for a moment, "... what is it the Element of, by the way?" she asked.

Emerald fidgeted,

"...ce"

"What?" Mother asked, raising an eyebrow at his quiet answer.

"...fice"

"Do speak up, Emerald," Luna said, before holding a hoof to her chest, "Perhaps the Element you represent is embarrassing, but understand that none here will judge you," she spared a glance at the other six, "Isn't that right?"

"Of course!" Sparky said, her eyes narrowed seriously, "You're our friend, Emerald! We'd never make fun of you for something like this! Right girls?"

""""Right!""""

"Eh, maybe."

"_Rainbow Dash!_"

"Okay, okay! Jeez..."

Emerald sighed once more.

"The Element of Sacrifice," he said, sending a distasteful glare at the crown, "I'm the Bearer of the Element of Sacrifice. Happy?"

"Sacrifice...?" Mother murmured, holding her chin with a hoof, "I see..." she said, dropping it back to the ground as she looked up at him, a small smile on her face, "Yes... I can certainly understand why you would represent _that_."

"I agree," Luna said, surprising him, "you always were rather selfless in that regard. Sacrificing your time, energy, and all manner of things for others. I suppose the ultimate sacrifice, that of your life, _would_ be the... 'final nail in the coffin', I believe is the term."

"... Luna, I'm not sure that particular phrase is appropriate right now," Mother gently admonished. Luna just looked at Mother in confusion, and went to say something, before it died in her throat,

"Ah... I see. My apologies, I didn't mean to..." she trailed off, before sighing, "I don't think my extra lessons are paying off as much as I thought they were..."

Emerald shook his head,

"It's fine. But what was this I heard about a celebration?" he asked. Mother nodded,

"Ah, that. Well, it's simply that. A celebration for the defeat of a great foe, as well as the arrival of a new Element of Harmony," she said, tilted her head, and added, almost as an afterthought, "it will also be the long awaited reveal of the Champion's identity."

""_What?!_""

Emerald blinked. Only one of those had been him.

His eyes darted over to Sparky, who looked strangely... afraid?

"Th-the Champion? They're-they're _here_?!" she asked, her voice quivering. Mother stared at Sparky for a moment, glanced at him, then looked back at her,

"... Yes, Twilight. The Champion is currently in the building. Is... there something troubling you?"

"N-no!" Sparky practically shouted, before her ears flattened against her head, and she looked appalled, "Er-I-I mean, no, of course there isn't a problem!" she said, plastering a false smile onto her face, "J-just, um... c-can I not be around when they are?" she asked quietly.

Mother blinked, and shared a look with Luna.

"... Are you frightened of the idea of meeting with the Champion, Twilight Sparkle?" Luna asked, "I admit, he is not the... easiest individual to be around, sometimes, but he is a good one."

_Bitch._

"... Uh... what are you talking about?" Rainbow suddenly asked, looking confused, "Is this... Champion thing important, 'cuz I thought..." she trailed off, looking at Emerald.

"The Champion is the Title given to Equestria's most skilled and capable fighter," Mother explained, "It comes with many responsibilities and just as many privileges. The Champion is the second highest authority in Equestria, topped only by my sister and myself. It is the Champion's duty to fend off the greatest of Equestria's foes when able, and to protect its citizens with their life... There's more to it, but that is essentially what being the Champion boils down to," she kept her gaze on Sparky the whole time she spoke, watching as the suddenly timid mare flinched a few times, "... Twilight, does the idea of meeting the Champion truly scare you?"

Sparky shook for a moment, before sighing,

"... Yes," she admitted sheepishly, "It's just... Shining Armor told me about the Title system and all the different kinds of guards. It's just... after hearing all that and discovering that there's someone genuinely considering _the best_ in _all_ of those fields?" she said, looking away, embarrassed, "It's... intimidating, the thought that there's someone actually capable of that. I can't help but imagine just... a mountain of a pony, strong enough to turn boulders to dust, or something like that."

"Well..." Mother began, "You're not _wrong_. He is quite strong," she added, before her gaze fell onto him once more, "but he is the kind of individual who wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice himself for the sake of another. He's the kind of individual who would fight an impossible battle, so long as it meant helping someone. He is, in the end, a stubborn, big-hearted stallion with far too little pride in himself, and, perhaps, too few visits to the therapist, wouldn't you agree, Emerald?"

Emerald twitched slightly,

"... I can't really argue with you on this, can I? Not with _that_ thing right there, at least," he remarked, glaring at the crown. Sparky, however, just stared at their exchange for a moment, before her eyes widened, and she pointed a shaky hoof at him,

"Y-_you're_ the Champion?!" she asked, her voice rising in pitch. Emerald smirked lamely, and waved his hooves a little,

"Surprise?"

"The Champion?" Rarity asked, her eyes beginning to sparkle, "The second highest..." she suddenly gasped, "Oh my! I designed clothing for one of the most important ponies-sorry thestrals-" she amended immediately, "-in _all_ of Equestria, and I didn't even know it?!"

"That explains why the buffalo agreed with you..." Rainbow muttered, before sighing, "Oh shit... I've been a real asshole to someone who's basically freakin' _royalty_..."

"Don't even get fucking started, the lot of you," Emerald snapped, "You don't treat Sparky any different because she's the Princess' prized student, so _don't you fucking dare_ treat _me_ any different either!"

"B-but you're the _Champion_!" Sparky suddenly protested, "You just said you were a regular _guard_!" her eyes widened, "Wh-why are you living in a small town like Ponyville?! I-is there some sort of monster roaming in the Everfree?! Or-or some sort of rogue magic users?! Or-?!"

"I'm there for _you_, Sparky!" Emerald snapped, feeling a cold pit form in his stomach, but he couldn't stop himself, not now, "_I'm_ in Ponyville because the _Bearers of the Elements of Harmony_ are in Ponyville!" he said, licking his suddenly dry lips, and steadfastly turning away, "Th-that's why I'm in Ponyville. It's not for the Everfree... it's not for the town. It's for _you six_," he said, "... That's why I got work at Sugarcube Corner. That's why I tried befriending you lot... I had to get close to you to keep you all safe."

Emerald's hoof clenched itself, even as he forcibly kept himself from shaking.

_Dammit... they know. Theyknowtheyknowtheyknow!_

He swallowed heavily, and turned back to them, locking eyes with each one of them, except, of course, Sparky.

"You... wait, you _lied_ to us?!" Rainbow asked, her voice scratchier than usual, "You were just... _pretending_ to be our friend?!"

Emerald didn't speak, both because his throat felt choked up, and because he didn't trust himself.

"No," Sparky suddenly said, her voice cutting the silence like a knife, "I don't believe you."

Emerald was stunned for a moment, before he shook his head free,

"Wh-what do you mean you don't believe me?" he asked, "I was ordered to-!" Sparky shook her head, and cut him off,

"Is that why you helped the Apples keep their farm?" she asked. Emerald sputtered for a moment, before he shook his head,

"Well, no. They were going to lose their farm, and I couldn't just-"

"Is that why you helped me during the Running of the Leaves?"

"N-no. You were obviously having issues with how they treated you, so I wanted to-"

"How about when you helped me with my Gala tickets?"

"Well, you were obviously very stressed, and your friends weren't-"

"How about when you helped Rarity by making us see that our dress designs were awful?"

"Why would I just stand around when-"

"How about when you fought the hydra to give me, Applejack, Pinkie, and Fluttershy time to escape?"

"You were in danger-"

"The cockatrice?

"I-I just wanted-"

"Or how about when you _gave your life to save mine_?"

Emerald swallowed thickly and looked away, feeling the way his heart beat painfully within his chest.

"... No," he finally said, his voice choking slightly, "I-I just wanted you... all of you to be safe... I didn't... I-I..." he swallowed once more, and shook his head, valiantly fighting away the tears-_that didn't exist, dammit!_-before looking back up at them, ignoring their wide-eyed gazes, "I-I c-can't just... just _stand_ by! I-I wanted to help! I just-just wanted to-to-!"

He broke down.

His words ceased to be words, instead coming out as nothing more than incomprehensible gibberish. He tried, and _tried_ to speak, but all that came out were these pathetic, wordless _sobs_.

He continued to sob, even as he felt a pair of warm, familiar hooves wrap around him. The fading warmth returned once more, but... it felt more complete this time.

"You're our friend, Emerald," Sparky said, her breath tickling his ear, "Even if it started out differently, you're important to us now," she whispered, "I-I don't know... I-I honestly can't imagine life without you, s-so..." the hug became tighter, and he found himself actively returning the damn thing, "_please_ don't go..."

And so, he continued to cry, embraced by one Twilight Sparkle. Perhaps his closest friend in the world.

* * *

After that embarrassing display was over with, which had taken nearly ten minutes, Emerald was finally out of the bed and bandages, and was now actively pretending he didn't just break down sobbing.

He didn't sob, _dammit_!

Mother then took the opportunity to tell them about the celebration.

"After a large breach of security like this, it's best to show Equestria that we're still strong. The fact that the threat was dealt with within the same day will only help bolster the public's sense of safety," she said, "Introducing the Champion, who has remained secret for quite some time now-" she added cheekily, "-will surely help ease any lingering doubts about the nation's security. Besides, it's high time your Championship was announced."

Emerald twitched, and crossed his legs,

"Fine. But I won't pretend I'll like it." Mother nodded,

"I'll keep that in mind while we install your statue in the Statue Garden, the day after tomorrow."

"You're getting a _statue_?!" Rainbow Dash asked, staring at him with a slack jaw, "That's _awesome_!"

"Maybe to you," Emerald muttered, "now I'll have a bunch of ponies I've never met... _know_ me," he said, and shuddered at the thought. Mother giggled at his reaction, and continued her explanation,

"Well, the celebration will consist of a small parade, a minor air show, a musical performance, followed by a speech prepared by myself and Luna, in which the seven of you will appear. Now, I hate to burden you all with anything, especially after such trying events," she said, her eyes flickering over each of them, though they lingered on both him and Sparky noticeably longer, "But, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you all for your assistance in preparing the festivities."

"Do you not trust the other guards to do a good enough job, or something?" Emerald asked snarkily, smirking rather pettily at Mother's grimace.

"Frankly, no. I intend on speaking with the Guard Captains about increasing their training."

His smirk fell.

The seven of them all shared a glance, before turning back to Mother, where Sparky spoke up,

"What do you need, Princess?"

Emerald blinked, slightly surprised by the question. Well, not the question, but more that Sparky hadn't immediately agreed to help out. Mother, however, didn't seem as surprised,

"I'm afraid I'll have to ask that Applejack assist with building the floats," the mare puffed up slightly at the mention, "that Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy work with the Wonderbolts for the airshow," Rainbow practically began vibrating with glee, while Fluttershy just sat there, looking surprised, "I'll need Rarity to design outfits for the performers. Pinkie, I'd like if you helped with preparing the food, and, Twilight, I'll need your help scheduling everything properly."

Emerald blinked,

"And... me?"

"_You_ will be resting," Mother stated, rather firmly, "In fact," she added, looking strangely smug, "I've contacted a special group to _ensure_ that you relax, and avoid anything stressful, who will be accompanying you all day."

Emerald blanched.

"_What?_" he asked, "You're assigning me... a _foalsitter_?!"

"A group of foalsitters," Mother corrected idly, smirking, "a group I'm certain you'll like, as well."

While Emerald was busy processing that, Sparky spoke up,

"Um... is this really necessary, Princess Celestia?" she asked, drawing the shocked attention of everyone but Emerald and Mother, "It's just..." her eyes flickered over to Emerald, "a-are you sure we should be s-separated so quickly?" Mother stared at her for a moment, before her features softened considerably,

"You're worried about him, Twilight. I understand that," Mother said, ignoring Sparky's embarrassed sputter, "that is precisely why I've contacted the group in question to look after him for today. There's no other group of individuals I'd trust more with his well-being than them," she said, seriously, "Not even the six of you," she added, further cementing that fact.

The door behind Mother opened suddenly, and a white coated unicorn with an inky black mane done up in curls poked her head in.

"Your Highness?" she called, peering at them over her oval glasses, "Prince Blueblood-" Rarity growled at the name, but it went ignored, "-is requesting an audience in the throne room about his... float for tomorrow's parade," the mare spoke, looking disgruntled. Mother sighed,

"Of course. Thank you for letting me know, Print," she said, nodding at the mare, who disappeared behind the door. Mother turned back to them, "I'm afraid I have something I must attend to," she said, standing up, "I'll see you all soon," she added, regally turning and exiting the room.

"Well," Luna spoke up for the first time in a while, standing as well, "I'll head out with her. Knowing our nephew, my sister will need someone willing to throw the fool out of the room, before the guards take it upon themselves._ Again._"

Once Luna was out the door, the mare, Print, walked back in.

"Hello everypony, my name is Fine Print," she said formally, her bright green magic adjusting her glasses while her equally green eyes scanned the clipboard she held in front of her, "I'm here to help organize the celebration for tomorrow," she added, giving them all a quick smile, "I'm also here to tell you who's currently in charge of each operation, and where you'll find them," she added, "Now, Miss Applejack, you'll have to report to-" she grimaced, "-Mr. Steeled Hoof down in the forge. He needs help moving all the metal and wood out near the training grounds, before beginning assembly," she paused for a moment, then added, "I apologize for his attitude in advance. Miss Pinkie," she continued without missing a beat, "Chef Gustave is down in the kitchen, and should be expecting you. Miss Rarity, Miss Shores is waiting in the auditorium. Misses Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, the Wonderbolts are over in Canterlot Theater. If any of you need help finding these places, any of the guards will be happy to have the excuse to take a small break and show you around," she finished with a brilliant smile.

The seven of them just stared at her for a moment, before Emerald turned to Applejack, and broke the silence.

"You poor fuck."

* * *

After Print left, the girls talked for a minute, with Applejack in particular asking Emerald about Steeled, the answers she received not at all easing her worries, before most of them had left, some more worried than the others.

That left him and Sparky alone in the room, much to his confusion.

"Don't you have a schedule to organize, Sparky?" he asked. She nodded,

"Well, yes, but I can do that pretty much anywhere!" she said brightly, not-so-subtly inching closer to him. He was about to respond, when the door opened once more,

"Oh, I completely forgot!" Fine Print said, looking embarrassed, "Miss Twilight, I'll need you to come with me for our rounds around the castle!"

Sparky just blinked at the mare,

"U-uh... b-but I was going to..." she trailed off, pointing slightly at Emerald. Print just shook her head,

"I'm sorry if I ruined whatever plans you had with your coltfriend, but we really must be going!" she said, her horn lighting up as she began, gently, dragging Sparky away.

Emerald watched, slightly amused, as Sparky stared at him, a pleading look in her eyes, before the door closed, cutting them off. Emerald didn't even have time to sigh before the door was, once more, slammed open.

_Honestly, at this rate, it's going to break a second time..._

"Finally!" Thorax said, walking into the room, "I've been waiting for almost an hour now! C'mon!" he added angrily, turning right back around. Emerald frowned,

"Can't," he said, "Evidently, I've got a group of foalsitters today, and-"

"Yeah, I know," Thorax cut him off, looking at him as though he was an idiot, "_we_ are your foalsitters."

"'We'?" Emerald asked, brow raising, "Who, exactly, is 'we'?"

"Aside from Gustave, Spitfire, and Sapphire? Everyone."

"E-every...?"

"Yeah, _everyone_."

"Y-you mean...?"

Thorax chuckled, and glanced at him,

"What? Did you think that princess of yours would trust you to anyone else?" he asked. Emerald stared at him for a moment, before chuckling, and began to followed after him,

"You know, I don't know what I was thinking," he said, paused, then asked, "Is that why you barged in earlier? To take me to everyone?"

"Yeah. Felt your Emotions stir up again and went to grab you, but Trixie is a fuckin' bitch and didn't believe me," he said, pouting slightly. They passed through a few halls in relative silence, until they reached the main doors.

"Thorax," Emerald said suddenly, "what did you mean earlier when you said 'the heck is up with you two?'?"

"Eh?" Thorax turned to him, pausing as he opened the door, "Oh, I just noticed the Affection between you two practically vanished," he said casually, stunning Emerald, "I mean, it's still there an-" he paused, "judging by the look on your face, and the Shock I'm getting from you, you don't know why," he concluded, narrowing his eyes at Emerald, "... That would explain why I'm not getting any Anger, Guilt, or anything that'd hint at a fight between you two," he said, and frowned, "That's... odd. I don't think I've ever heard of something like this happening before," he said, before his voice dropped, "Well, I suppose it's possible you both just fell out of Love... but so suddenly, and at the same time...?"

Emerald's mind began to whirl.

A drop in his affection for Sparky? Was that... was that why that warmth from before was weaker?

Wait... he said they _both_ had dropped levels in their affection. Did that mean... Sparky f-felt the same?

No... no it's gone now, evidently. But... why? Nothing had happened between him and Sparky recently. In fact, he thought, if anything, they'd been getting closer than ever these past few months.

So... what changed?

Before he could continue his thoughts, Thorax spoke up,

"Alright, we've wasted enough time standing around. Let's head out. The others are waiting."

The mention of the 'others' broke his concentration, and Emerald found his attention almost unwillingly latch onto it.

* * *

Applejack wasn't sure how she was going to deal with this Steeled Hoof guy.

On one hoof, Emerald had flat out told her that he wasn't the easiest stallion to get along with. Even mentioned how Steeled tended to be pretty aggressive and seemed to have a few screws loose _and_ made more than a few racist comments to him over the years.

Applejack stared down the long stairway that the friendly guard she'd asked had led her to. Apparently it led down into the forge where she'd find Steeled.

Applejack sighed. If anyone was able to get on the nerves of somebody like Emerald, then she had a feeling she'd be in for a rough time the rest of the day.

Finally working up the nerve, she headed down, feeling only slightly unnerved when it got loads darker. The only light down here were the torches lining the walls.

Eventually, Applejack came to a massive metal door. She stared at it for a moment, unsure, before she shrugged to herself, and knocked. She flinched back at how at how _loud_ it was, but she didn't get much time to think on it, since the door swung right open.

"Who the fuck is interruptin' me?!" an older stallion bellowed, leaning out the door with a sneer on his face.

He was a lot older than her, but still plenty younger than Granny Smith. He didn't have a hair on his gray head, and his copper eyes glared right into her skull.

"Uhh..." she began intelligently, before shaking it off, "Howdy, uh, sir. I'm-" she tried to explain, only for the stallion, who Applejack assumed was Steeled, to cut her off.

"Got lost!" he spat, "I ain't got time for some lost filly! I'm waiting for the stupid colt the princess assigned me to carry shit!" he sneered, almost slamming the door, but stopped and glared at her again, "You see him, tell him to get his lazy ass down here! Name's supposed to be Applesmack or something stupid."

Applejack's eye twitched at the way he butchered her name, and stopped the door from slamming with a hoof. Steeled glowered at her, and tried closing the door, but after years of hard labor, Applejack was able to keep him from closing it on her.

It took more effort than she'd like to admit, but her front legs never were her specialty.

"_Mah_ name is Applejack, _sir_," she growled, and wouldn't her Granny whoop her butt if she ever took that tone with her, but this stallion definitely deserved it, "_I'm_ the one the Princess sent ta help."

Steeled paused for a moment, then glanced her up and down, before scoffing,

"Please, what's a little filly like you supposed to do? Cheer me on? Ha!" he laughed, "Come back with an actual stallion!" he snapped, pulled back the door, before roughly slamming it.

Applejack stared at the door for a moment, grinding her teeth together.

"Welp, guess Emerald wasn't kiddin' 'round 'bout this guy," she said to herself, turning back to the stairs, "-guess I'll have ta-"

The sound of the door screeching open behind her startled her, but it was Steeled's voice that got her to stop.

"Did you just say 'Emerald'?" Steeled asked, sounding strangely calm. Applejack blinked, recalled Emerald's earlier words, and scowled at him,

"Yeah, I know 'im. He's a friend'a mine," she said, her scowl deepened, "Is there a problem with that?"

Steeled stared at her for moment, before jerkin' his head,

"Come in."

He left the door open as he turned around, though Applejack was a little too stunned to really notice.

_What in tarnation...?_

Applejack stared after the older stallion for a moment, before following after him.

"So," Steeled began once she entered, "this is the shit we need to bring up to the guards outside. I dunno why the Princess has you helpin' me when we got plenty of guards that ain't doing shit," he said, gesturing to a massive pile by the door.

The thing was huge! Dozens of little buckets filled with metal bits, big wooden beams stacked on top of one another, a couple of crates almost as big as she was, and a bunch of smaller little bundles. All this stuff would take hours to drag up all them stairs!

"I don't know why they had to bring that wood down here for me to work on it," Steeled muttered loudly, "I coulda used my smaller tools outside. Woulda taken longer, but... Eh, whatever," he shrugged, "Alright, get your lazy ass in gear and help me carry this shit."

Applejack scowled at his tone, but forced her irritation down. She had an uncle just like this, and Granny had made sure to teach her to deal with this kinda attitude.

Didn't mean she enjoyed it, any.

She trotted over to the pile and, figuring it would be smarter, stared picking up some of the smaller things first. She'd managed to get two of the buckets on her back when Steeled spoke up again.

"So, you know that brat?" he asked, pulling one bucket on his own back. Applejack paused for a moment, before she nodded,

"Eeyup," she muttered, making her way up the stairs, having ta take it slow so she didn't spill nothing, "he's been in Ponyville fer a while now. Ended up a good friend'o mine."

"Peh," Steeled scoffed behind her, "bet he's just lazing around on his ass, like all the other guards 'round here."

Applejack felt a rush of hot anger in her chest, but pushed it aside.

If this stallion was anything like her Uncle Bruised Apple, then he wasn't gonna listen to anything good she had to say about her friend or otherwise.

* * *

Pinkie was very excited, and why wouldn't she be? She got to make yummy desserts for a _bunch_ of ponies!

Hmm... then again, they _were_ the same ponies who didn't like her performance during the Grand Galloping Gala...

Oh well! She'd just have to knock their socks off with her cupcakes!

Unless they weren't wearing socks, then she'd just surprise them, of course.

Pinkie happily bounced her way down to the kitchen, not even bothering to ask any of the guards around. She was certain she'd find it eventually, it was where all the ingredients were after all!

And, just like she'd expected, she found herself standing outside the humongous doors to the kitchen, where she could already hear tons of pots and pans moving around like it was a parade in there!

"Dammit, Wellspring, I _told_ you, I want these floors _clean_!"

She had opened the door to find that nice griffon, Gustave, angrily berating one of the workers, a colt a bit younger than she was, his golden coat and brown mane tucked underneath a janitor's uniform.

"If you can't do your job, then _get out of my kitchen_!" Pinkie frowned slightly at what was happening in front of her, and decided to stop it,

"Hi!" she called cheerfully, bringing Gustave's attention onto her, allowing the colt, Wellspring, to dart away freely.

"Hello?" Gustave greeted, before sighing, "Ah, you must be Miss Pinkie Pie, the pony the Princess has asked to help me with cooking for tomorrow," he mused, "I would've thought she'd send me Applejack, given the Apple Family's history with baked goods." Pinkie shrugged,

"Yep, that's me!" she said, "And sorry, but Applejack went to help somepony named Steeled Hoof!" she explained. She tilted her head, confused when Gustave groaned, and palmed his face,

"That poor mare..." he muttered, "Hopefully Steeled can curb that awful attitude for _at least_ tonight. Though I doubt it," he added, before shaking his head, "Regardless, you'll be helping me prepare the dessert table for tomorrow." Pinkie squee'd, clapping her hooves together,

"That's amazing! I'm really good at making stuff like pies, cupcakes, cakes, cookies, cakes, brownies, scones, cakes, and-!"

"I get it," Gustave cut her off, "You're an experienced baker. That's good. Now-"

"So, whatcha need?!" she asked, cutting him off. Gustave frowned, his neck twitching,

"I'd like it if you got started on making two large cakes. Say, six layers, approximately two ponies in length at the bottom. Cake ovens are over there," he pointed off to the side, where a set of large ovens sat, "and the custom cake pans are just above them. Flour, milk, eggs, and other such are over there," he pointed to a series of large cabinets, "Once you've got them cooking, make some buttercream frosting, colour it pink, and I'll have someone else ice the cake. Can you do that?"

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie chirped, saluting him, before she paused, sticking her tongue out in thought, "Umm, what recipe should I use for the cakes?"

Gustave sighed, and smacked his forehead,

"Right, of course you'll need the recipe," he muttered, before he shook his head, "It's a royal recipe, I assumed you'd already know it. My apologies. Come along, I'll help."

Pinkie nodded, skipping over to their work station while Gustave gathered the ingredients.

He really was a nice griffon, she could see why Emerald seemed so fond of him!

The thought of Emerald, however, ended up sullying her cheerful mood. She really hoped he was doing okay with his foalsitters. It was a shame that she and the girls couldn't look after him. After all, they were friends! Even if he had been silly and kept secrets from them, that didn't change the kind of friend he'd been!

"Alright, here's everything we'll need," Gustave muttered, appearing beside her, completely laden with ingredients. Pinkie's eyes widened at the sheer amount of things he began piling on the counter. Whole bags of flour and sugar, entire cartons of eggs, whole jugs of milk, it was insane!

Ooh, this was gonna be so much fun!

* * *

Fluttershy trailed behind Rainbow Dash, trying her best to steer clear of the excited mare's flailing as they flew towards the Theater, ignoring the slight drizzle that was pouring over Canterlot.

"Can you believe it, Shy?! I get to work with the _Wonderbolts_, and I'm not even on the team yet!" Fluttershy nodded,

"Y-yes! I'm sure it's quit exciting!" she gushed softly, rubbing her hooves together nervously, "I just hope me being there isn't too much trouble..."

"Eh, I'm sure you'll be fine, Shy," Rainbow said as they began to descend in front of the Theater, her excitement increasing with every second, "Oh, yeah! We're here! C'mon Shy, the Wonderbolts are waiting for us!" she squealed, darting into the building.

Fluttershy stared after her long time friend for a moment, before sighing fondly. Rainbow Dash had hardly changed from back when they were fillies.

No... no, she was _definitely_ a lot more reckless than back then.

Back then, her parents were able to reign her in, not because they were keeping her from being reckless, but because Rainbow had wanted to avoid their overbearing enthusiasm for everything she did as much as she could. But now that she's out on her own and doesn't have to deal with them, her old restraints, few as they were, practically disappeared.

Having stalled long enough, Fluttershy made her way into the, admittedly imposing, Theater, finding Rainbow Dash waiting there, impatiently tapping her hoof.

"Finally! I was beginning to think you'd chic-"

"Soarin, I swear, if you suggest going to get some pie _one more time_, I'll break your other leg!"

Fluttershy 'Eep!'d in surprise at the loud, angry yell, even as Rainbow immediately whirled around, facing the door the yell came from.

"Ohmygoshohmygosh, the Wonderbolts are on the other side of this door!" she squealed, before coughing, "Er, uh... C-c'mon Shy," she muttered, walking confidently into the room, with the more timid mare right behind her.

They found a group of uniformed ponies surrounding a table, with the recognizable form of Spitfire at the head, angrily snarling at another pony, whose leg was currently in a cast.

The pony with the cast, who she guessed was Soarin, was chuckling rather sheepishly at Spitfire,

"Hehe... uh, are you sure, Captain?" he asked, sounding hopeful. Spitfire's eyes twitched, and she turned to the mare on her right, a white mare with a dark blue and very curly mane,

"High, what did I just say to him?" she asked. The mare, High, giggled,

"That you'd break his other leg if he asked one more time, of course!" she said, almost too cheerfully, smiling a wide, toothy smile over at the blue stallion, who paled at the sight of it.

"Haha!" another mare laughed, this one having a coat a few shades lighter than her own, and a two tone blue and white mane pulled back over her head, "You look like you've just seen a ghost, Soarin!" she cackled, only to be on the receiving end of a heavy whack to the back of the head, courtesy of Spitfire, "Ow! What the hay?!"

"Shut your trap, Misty. You're not exactly in the clear either, since it was _your_ fault this idiot broke his leg. _Again_," she growled, cowing the mare. A teal pegasus mare sighed, and turned to the silver male next to her,

"I feel like I'm surrounded by idiots, Silver," she said, causing the stallion to laugh,

"We're _all_ idiots, Fleetfoot," Silver said, throwing a hoof around her, bringing her into a one legged hug, that she didn't seem to appreciate, "We're still on the team, aren't we?" She shoved him off,

"Whatever."

Spitfire nearly rounded on to the two, but she ended up spotting herself and Rainbow Dash before she could speak further,

"Oh, hey, how long have you two just been standing there?" she asked, her orange eyes locking onto theirs. Fluttershy fidgeted,

"O-oh, um... n-not that long..." she muttered,

"Yeah, just a minute!" Rainbow agreed enthusiastically. Spitfire clicked her tongue,

"'Kay? Anywho... are you two who the Princess sent us?" she asked,

"Totally!" Rainbow confirmed instantly, looking eager, "Do you need another flier, since Soarin broke his hoof?" she asked, nearly vibrating in place. Spitfire scoffed,

"Nah, we're good. This is sort of a last minute routine, and we're not even the focus of the show. It might not be up to our usual standards-"

"You can say that again..."

"-but one less member isn't gonna ruin the whole thing." Rainbow Dash deflated,

"Oh... so, uh... what _did_ you need?" she asked. Spitfire shrugged,

"We already got our routine figured out, now we just need to practice," she said, then sighed, "Unfortunately, the skies aren't ideal, and Soarin here has the most experience with weather control, believe it or not," she muttered, gesturing to herself and the other four, "We can all bust a couple stray clouds, but anything more than that and we're fucked. You'd think weather management would be a skill we'd have to learn, but, evidently not!" she added, in a cheerfully sarcastic voice, "All we're really trained for is _avoiding_ bad weather. With Soarin benched, we can't clear the sky to practice."

"I can do that, easy!" Rainbow boasted, immediately puffing up, "I'm the captain of the weather team back in Ponyville!" she added. Spitfire nodded,

"That's pretty cool. Think you can clear a stretch of the sky for us?" she asked, "Nothing too big, but-and she's gone," Spitfire noted, watching as Rainbow Dash darted out the door, not bothering to wait for her to finish.

That left Fluttershy alone with six total strangers.

She was not okay with this.

"Hehe, she kinda reminds of myself back when I started," Silver said, causing Fleetfoot to elbow him in the side,

"_Please_, you were _way_ worse than that," she said,

"I was not."

"You definitely were."

"Was not."

"Were too."

"Was not!"

"Were too!"

"I was _not_!"

"You were _too_!"

"Alright, while those two pretend they _aren't_ going to fuck later," Spitfire began, ignoring the way the two kept shouting at each other, she turned to Fluttershy, "You're Fluttershy, right?" she asked. She started,

"Y-you know me...?" Fluttershy asked timidly. Spitfire nodded, taking a quick stroll around the table, until she was closer,

"Yeah, the Princess mentioned you. I _think_ Em mentioned you at one point, but I forget," she admitted, before plopping down next to her, her eyes narrowing, "... Yeah, I can _definitely_ see the resemblance between you two," she said suddenly, "Your ears and eyes are similar shapes, and your heads and legs are about the same size," her eyes narrowed further, before she chuckled, "Damn, that's actually kinda eerie. I can only imagine what his _actual_ sister looks like if you two look as similar as you do." Fluttershy blinked,

"His... 'actual' sister...?" she muttered to herself, not intending for Spitfire to hear.

Unfortunately for Fluttershy, she forgot that Spitfire was only a foot away from her, and she was used to having to speak up slightly around ponies by now.

"His blood sister, I mean," Spitfire clarified, thinking Fluttershy had actually asked her, "I love my new family to death, but I know what it's like to have a real sister compared to a... well, whatever me and the others are."

"Y-you had a sister?" Fluttershy asked, surprised. She'd never heard about such a thing!

Well... not that she paid much attention to the Wonderbolts, but she was sure Rainbow Dash would've mentioned something like that at least once, if not many times. Spitfire chuckled,

"Yep. She was a little spoiled brat of a unicorn too. But I loved her. She was a bit younger than me, _maybe _your age, and a _real_ smarty pants, you know? She even got into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, if you can believe it!" she boasted, seeming genuinely proud of that fact, before the smile on her face suddenly faded, "She disappeared some time after... well, the Facility happened. Apparently she vanished into thin air when she was seven, and not even the Princess knows where she went."

Fluttershy held back a gasp at that.

Her sister disappeared?! That was awful! She could scarcely imagine what would happen to any of her critters if they just up and disappeared. Seeing any of them die was hard enough, but disappearing without knowing what happened would be so much worse! She couldn't hope to comprehend how bad that must feel for the one in question to be family!

Oh! But, why would the Princess know? Or, not know, in this case...

She asked as much, and Spitfire gave her a hollow laugh,

"Well, I did say my sister was a spoiled brat, but a smart one. Well, she was closer to being a genius if I'm being honest. She managed to pass some kind of test, and the Princess herself made her into her student when she was _five_, two years before I was shipped off to.. you know where. She disappeared several months after I did, and no one knows where she went."

Fluttershy blinked, processing the information.

It was awful, yes, but, for some reason, the only thing that really stood out to her was that this sister of hers had been Princess Celestia's student.

But, wasn't _Twilight_ the Princess's student?

"I'm not gonna lie, I'm actually kinda jealous of you, Fluttershy," she said. Fluttershy blinked at those words, her previous train of thought practically vanishing in a puff of smoke as their meaning hit home.

She was _jealous_? Of _her_?

But-but-but-she was a super famous pony that a lot of ponies liked! Fluttershy was just... just her! Shy old Fluttershy, who stayed at home all day taking care of the animals! Plus, they just met! Wh-what could she possibly be jealous _of_?!

Her thoughts must've shown on her face, since Spitfire answered,

"I mean... you're _actually_ related to him, you know?" she asked, "And well, you know what kind of stallion he is, don't you?"

_A silent gasp, a final breath, a dying light bloodeverywherehewasdyingdying**dying**_-

"Yes," Fluttershy said, looking down at the ground, "... Yes I do."

* * *

This was her chance! If she could show Spitfire, the _Captain_ of the _Wonderbolts_ that she was worth having around, then she was practically _guaranteed_ a spot on the team!

Not only that, but she got to meet even more members of the Wonderbolts!

High Winds, one of the most popular members of the Wonderbolts, especially for male fans. She was well known for her perfectly executed turns, being able to take even abnormally sharp ones with ease even the other Wonderbolts couldn't match. Very nice mare, but there were some old rumors about her having illicit relationships with fans, but those ended up dying out when they were proven false.

Misty Fly, famous for her prowess at navigating in even extremely harsh conditions. There were plenty of rumors about how she used to be an agent for some secret organization, but nobody's ever found proof, and she always pushes those off.

Fleetfoot, one of the fastest fliers on the team. Also known for her prickly personality. Apparently she's pretty secretive of her personal life, _especially_ her romantic life, though Rainbow never really cared for _that_ kind of Wonderbolt info. Too personal for her tastes. Still, it made it her more popular as the 'mysterious beauty'.

Silver Zoom, known for his scary good eyesight. Apparently he used to be a farmer over in Trottingham, before a recruiter came by and saw him practicing at night in secret. The only Wonderbolt who's completely, 100% confident at night shows.

Soarin, the male version of High Winds, in terms of popularity for the female fan-base. Known to have a massive sweet tooth and his love of pie. Not to mention that he also enjoys entertaining fans more than the others. He is the Wonderbolt that fans most often see at any form of event that Wonderbolts attend. Charity, publicity, you name it, and Soarin was almost always there. However, because of his constant exposure, it was revealed that he wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, though his genuine personality tended to more than make up for it.

And lastly, Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts. Known to be the youngest Wonderbolt Captain yet, and for being much stricter than her recent predecessors. In comparison to what the fans know about the others, not much was known about Spitfire, other than a heavy dislike of dark and cramped spaces, as well as hospitals. No one knows why, though, given what Emerald has told them, Rainbow had a feeling she could guess.

With all that in mind, Rainbow couldn't help but laugh to herself as she darted out of the room, though she did send Fluttershy a silent apology in her head for leaving her alone with a bunch of strangers.

Eh, she was sure Fluttershy would forgive her. This was her _chance_ after all!

Besides, Fluttershy was a good friend, and practically her sister at this point. Rainbow could admit that she was lucky to have her around. If she didn't, who knows how her life would have turned out by now.

The same went for all of her friends. Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie, Twilight, hay, even Emerald.

She frowned suddenly, the thought of Emerald sending a sour spike through her mind.

He'd been lying to them the whole time. He'd been _pretending_ to be their friend, just so he could do his damn job! It wasn't fair! He just waltzed into their lives, becomes their friend, and he didn't even feel _guilty_! How could Twilight and the others have just forgiven him so damn easily?!

Rainbow Dash huffed angrily, but it quickly left her.

She knew why. She _knew_ why. After all, she'd forgiven him too.

Even if it had been fake at first, he couldn't have faked those injuries. Couldn't have faked the look on his face.

_Couldn't have faked the spear to his heart._

Rainbow wasn't afraid to admit it, to herself at least, but she respected Emerald. She respected the _shit_ out of him, even. How could she not when he gave his life to save one of her friends? Sure it turned out alright in the end, but there was no way any of them could've known how that would turn out.

Besides, the way he'd broke down when he'd been called out had made her feel bad for doubting him, even a little bit.

Rainbow sighed, and forced those thoughts out of her head.

_This isn't the time, Rainbow Dash! You gotta find a good spot for the Wonderbolts, or you'll never get to join!_

It didn't take her long to find a good spot to clear, not with her awesome speed of course. It wasn't too far away from the Theater, but she absolutely had to make sure that everything was perfect for the Wonderbolts to practice their routines.

She nearly squealed at the thought. She was going to get to _watch_ the Wonderbolts train! This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, as a proud, but kinda secret, member of the Wonderbolts Fan Club, she couldn't _possibly_ let this chance go to waste, _even_ if it didn't result in her joining the team!

With all that in mind, she got to work, clearing out a massive section of the sky for the Wonderbolts to train.

* * *

Rarity marveled at the absolutely _exquisite_ decor the auditorium bore. Stunning lights along the ceiling, marvelous oak flooring, and gorgeous marble walls, oh! Goodness, she'd never gotten a look at it all during the Heath's Warming Play, but now that it was empty, she had to admit, it was grand!

Oh, and the stage! The _stage_! Magnificently crafted from a dark wood she couldn't recognize, outstanding red velvet curtains that absolutely _dwarfed_ even the castle's large doors!

Though, one couldn't forget the ponies currently dancing on stage either!

A light purple mare with a neon orange mane and tail, both puffed up to a degree not even Pinkie could replicate, a bright pink mare with a two-tone blue mane and tail, as well as her exact opposite standing next to her, a bright blue mare with a deep lavender mane, and, of course, the one and only Pony of Pop, Sapphire Shores herself!

Their dancing was wonderful! Every motion fluid and seamlessly flowing into the next! Even the most abrupt of motions only passed as they fell into a wave of careful steps and spins.

Truly a level of beauty and coordination that must have taken _years_ to build, and it was displayed right in front of her!

She quietly walked towards the stage, intending on waiting for them to finish, but her silent approach was noticed almost immediately by the pop-star.

"Well, look who it is!" Sapphire Shores announced, "Rari-ty, my favourite designer! What are you doin' out here?" she asked, all the while never breaking from her routine.

"Oh, well, hello again Miss Shores!" Rarity chirped politely, beating down some of the nervousness that had sprung up upon her notice, "Princess Celestia has asked me to come along and prepare your outfits for the show," she explained. Sapphire perked up, her movements gradually slowing down,

"Did she now?" she asked, smiling, "We-e-ell! I'm definitely lookin' forward to tryin' out some more of your designs! How 'bout you girls?" she called, spinning to face the four other dancers, who all chirped up in response,

"Yeah!"

"Definitely!"

""Totally!""

"Ha ha!" Sapphire laughed, spinning right around, only to forcibly stop herself by slamming all four of her hooves onto the stage, just as the four behind her all came to a sudden stop, each holding a different pose, "Looks like you've got some excited fans, and I'm one of 'em!" she cheered.

The sudden praise caused Rarity to flush bright red, something that Sapphire noticed all too easily,

"Oh my, can't handle a bit of praise, huh?" she asked with a smile, gently hopping off the stage, "Funny, you struck me as the kind who can just soak that ri-i-ight up!" she teased with a wink. Rarity brushed it aside with a dainty laugh, though she wasn't quite able to rid herself of the redness in her cheeks.

"W-well, I suppose it's best if we begin taking all your measurements," she said, changing the subject, perhaps a tad too abruptly. Using her magic, she reached into the saddlebags that a guard had been kind enough to retrieve for her, and pulled out a length of measuring tape, as well as a notepad and pencil, "N-now, I recall Miss Shores' measurements, but I'll the rest of you to please step up so we may began. How about you, Miss... erm...?" she trailed off, unable to recall a name. Sapphire, however, suddenly gasped,

"Woo! I must be out of tune, 'cause I forgot to introduce all of you!" she said, "So, Rarity, meet the girls!" she chirped, patting the purple mare, "This here is Lavender Swirl!" she pointed to the blue and purple mare, "That one is Grapevine, and the twins over there are Berry Blue-" the blue one, "-and Cherry Berry," the pink one, "Girls! You know Rarity!" she added. Lavender laughed,

"Well, of course we do!"

"Yeah, you wouldn't shut up about her!" Grapevine added,

"It was super annoying," Cherry said,

"Totally," Berry agreed.

"Honestly, the only other pony you've mentioned more than her is that weird brother of yours," Lavender added, causing Rarity to go stiff,

"Hey now, Emerald isn't _weird_," Sapphire defended with a smile, "He's just a tad... focused."

"Didn't you say, last time, that he was practically obsessed with his job?" Grapevine asked,

"We-e-e-ll... he's been getting better."

Cherry Berry just sighed, and shook her head,

"I don't get how you can think so highly of him, " she admitted, frowning, "Honestly, it sounds like he has more than a few screws loose up here," she added, tapping the side of her head,

"Totally," her sister agreed.

Rarity grit her teeth to keep herself from saying anything.

Then she had to actively bite her lip to prevent herself from speaking, even drawing a minuscule amount of blood in the process. Perhaps it was an extreme reaction, perhaps she shouldn't be allowing this to get under her skin as much as it was.

But, in truth, she couldn't help it. She always had a bit of a hard time hearing someone badmouth one of her dear friends, even the ones who took it without a grimace, such as Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and even Pinkie!

But recent events had her emotions on high alert, enough that she'd felt rather drained as a result. Why, not even seeing that stallion again, the one who'd been kind enough to save her from that cake during the Gala, had managed to stir up more than a vague sense of admiration. She hadn't even able to thank him properly because of it!

But now that she'd had some proper rest, whilst also riding on the slight high she'd received upon realizing one of her friends had not, in fact, _died_, she couldn't hope to stop the red hot anger course through her chest like an erupting volcano.

She performed a remarkable job all the same. Regrettably, however, she couldn't help the strained smile she gave them.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you all," Rarity said, using her magic to give the measuring tape a slight snap, taking a tad too much pleasure at the way they all flinched, "Now, why don't we get started?"

* * *

Twilight did _not_ want to be here.

"Hmm, tell me, what do you think of these fireworks?"

There were so many more things she'd rather be doing right about now.

"Oh my! These guards certainly know how to get a crowd going!"

Like spending time with Emerald.

How was he doing, anyways? She knew that he was being watched-_for his health of course!_-but why couldn't _she_ be the one watching him?

Twilight honestly didn't believe it was fair that she wasn't allowed to look after him. What if he-_gothurtwasstabbed**died**_-got bored? There was a lot of things they could do together!

They could head to the library and read together for the day! Just calmly sitting around, reading together would be nice, wouldn't it? There'd be no way he could-_gethurtbleed**die**_-possibly get bored doing that!

She fidgeted, ignoring the sound of Fine Print calling her name.

She didn't understand how the Princess could possibly trust him with somepony other than her! Wh-what if they hurt him? You never know what could happen, after all! H-he was the Champion, wasn't he? S-so didn't that imply that there would be ponies out there wanting to hurt him?

Wh-what if he was in danger _right now_?!

She-she needed to see him, _needed_ to make sure-!

"Twilight!"

She was startled out of her thoughts by the loud shout in her ear, courtesy of Fine Print, who looked rather ticked,

"Huh, what?" she asked intelligently, causing the official looking mare to huff,

"Weren't you listening?!" she asked. Twilight blinked, and regarded the white mare for moment,

"... No?" she ventured uncertainly, causing Fine to let out an aggravated sigh, bringing a hoof to her temple,

"Ugh, I was told that you were a very professional pony, Miss Sparkle," Fine began, "so what's wrong, then?" Twilight blinked, before chuckling nervously.

_Keep it cool, Twilight. We don't want to worry anypony._

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong! Wh-why would you say that?!" she stammered instead.

_You had one job!_

Fine Print just deadpanned at her, before sighing once again,

"It's about your coltfriend, isn't it?" she asked, causing Twilight to stammer,

"Wha-bu-no! E-Emerald has nothing to do with anything!" she denied, only causing Fine to sigh a third time,

"Miss Sparkle, you are a _horrible_ liar," she said, staring at her almost disdainfully. Fine then huffed, adjusted her glasses, and flipped her clipboard around for her to see, "We still have a lot of things to get through on this list. The sooner we finish, the sooner you get to head back to your coltfriend, understand?" she asked.

She turned back towards their current inspection, which was the fireworks display, tended to by several guards, only to find that her clipboard had vanished.

"Wha-where is my-?"

"Hurry up, Miss Print!" Twilight's voice called, causing her to look up, finding the lavender mare several feet away, holding her clipboard, "We have a lot to do, and not a lot of time to do it!"

* * *

"Alright, we're here," Thorax announced rather blithely, stepping into the clearing at the center of the Hedge Maze, with Emerald following right behind, almost hesitantly.

Not that he could be blamed. He was, after all, about to see the rest of his family after nearly seven years without a damned word from either side. All things considered, he'd have to be insane to not be worried at the prospect of seeing them all again.

With that in mind, Emerald didn't quite restrain himself as he usually would, instead allowing his jaw to drop slightly at the sight of the _absolutely packed_ graveyard.

Ponies and non-ponies of dozens of different colours milled about the area, speaking to each other rather animatedly. There were smiles abound on nearly everyone's faces, but there were just _so many_ ponies!

Definitely more than the twenty-seven that had escaped alongside him, Gustave, Thorax, Will, and Little Strongheart, whom were the only non-ponies in their group. Evidently, they had guests.

Speaking of, Emerald could plainly see the towering form of Iron Will, who was happily, and loudly, laughing with a group of familiar ponies. Emerald smirked for a moment, eyeing the blue minotaur, before a distant memory played in his head, and he found himself glancing at his iron gray horns for a moment.

Emerald bit his lips, and threw aside the memory.

"Hey!" Thorax suddenly shouted, causing the noise filled yard to fall silent, before he jerked his head back, right at Emerald, "The guest of honor is here, ya know? What are you all just standing around for?"

Emerald had only a moment to process the sudden betrayal, before he was approached by a familiar blue mare,

"Well then," Trixie began, "nice to see you made it. We've been waiting, you know? Though," she added, "I'm not too sure if I like the circumstances," she muttered, giving him a scolding look, before it faded as a group of foals he didn't recognize surrounded her, all chattering happily. Emerald gave her a lame chuckle, before his hoof was grabbed and forced into a rapid shake,

"Oh my gosh, Emerald!" a bright pink earth mare chattered, flipping her long, curled red mane out of her sea-foam eyes, "It's, like, totally amazing that you're here!"

"U-uh, right, Blossom Heart, nice to see you too," he stammered, giving the earth mare a nervous grin, "Uh, how've you been?"

"Great! I run a flower shop in town, you should visit!" she gushed, gesturing to the mark on her flank, which was a small flower stalk that ended in a heart shaped flower of some kind.

"Hey, he's gotta say hi to everyone!" a yellow pegasus filly around Wisp's age chirped hotly, before she was forced to blow her long, orange mane out of her blue eyes, "I wanna give him somma my candy, so don't hog all his attention!" she accused, pointing a tiny hoof at Blossom. The older mare only stuck her tongue out at the filly,

"Oh _hush_, Butterscotch!"

"It's nice to see them acting all happy, don't you think?" a voice asked right beside his ear, causing him to turn to a royal purple unicorn, whose short yellow mane was cut into a bob-cut, with a horn peering through her bangs, "Much better than back then, right?" she asked. He nodded,

"Anything would be better than the Facility, Night Pulse," he said, causing her to nod,

"I suppose that's true."

"So, what have you been up to?"

"I'm a trainee for the Night Guard," she said, smiling brightly, her bright yellow eyes gleaming with delight, "I heard you joined the Guard as well?" she asked eagerly, "My specialty is scouting," she added, pointing at her mark, which was a series of four pink circles around each other, like some sort of sonar. He was about to answer, before a small figure suddenly slammed into his leg, squealing happily,

"Em!" the young male voice cheered, urging him to glance down, finding a short teenage colt, with an acid green coat and vibrant pink mane and tail, each styled into wild curls, baring a hoofful of melon seeds on his flank.

"Melon Seed," he greeted, smirking, "Did you get taller by any chance?" he asked, smirking as Melon's eyes lit up,

"You noticed?!" he asked, stunned, a wide grin splitting his face, "I knew it! I _told_ Pumpkin Seed I'd gotten taller, but she didn't believe me!"

"That's because you're still a shrimp!" a squeaky voice piped up, just as a tall, lanky mare a head shorter than himself, baring a dark orange coat and a lighter orange mane and tail, strolled up to them, looking down at the shorter colt with a scowl, her mark of a pumpkin shaped seed gleaming proudly in the light.

"I'm not a shrimp!" Melon defended hotly, "You're just insanely tall!"

"I am not!"

"You're younger than me!"

While those two were arguing with each other over their respective heights, another pair of ponies, a set of pegasus twins, walked over to him.

The male of the duo bore a black coat with a vibrant yellow mane, while his sister was the opposite, sporting a banana yellow coat and a coal black mane and tail, and their cutie marks were equally opposite, with the male holding a black thundercloud, and the female a white rain cloud.

"Well well well-"

"-lookee who it is-"

"-our dear friend, Emerald!"

"Who'd've thought we'd see you again?"

"After all this time to boot!"

His eye twitched at their little game, but he smiled at them nonetheless,

"Light Breeze, Dark Breeze, I see you two are finally getting along," he remarked, eyebrow raised. Dark smiled, her teeth practically sparkling in the light,

"Well, what can we say?"

"We had a few friends knock some sense into us," Light finished, wrapping a hoof around his sister and pulling her into a rather rough hug.

"Yeah, Blossom kicked our rears."

"Now we're selling flowers by the bucket!"

"It's about time you two grew up a little," Night stated plainly.

"Hah! You _would_ say that, Pulse!" a male voice interjected from behind both of them, with Night yelping in surprise as a brown hoof wrapped itself around her neck, pulling her into an unwelcome hug with a brown earth stallion, whose darker brown mane puffed out wildly, "You always were too serious, even after we left!"

Night growled, and shoved the stallion away,

"Shut it, Coco Butter!" she snapped, "I'd rather be serious than _out of a job_!" she snarled, causing Coco to hold his hooves up in surrender,

"Woah! Easy now!"

"Easy?! How can I be easy when you fail to pull in your half of the rent every month?! Your mark is a cookie, go work at a bakery, dammit!"

While Emerald was watching their interaction, far more amused by it than he probably should be, a hoof gently pat his leg.

He turned around, finding a pure white pegasus, with a set of vacant blue eyes hiding behind her straight silvery mane, which was long enough to drag across the ground, staring at him.

"It's nice to see you again, Misty Rose," Emerald greeted softly. She didn't respond for a moment, only giving him a gentle smile several seconds after he'd spoken,

"It's nice to see you too," she said slowly, her voice barely above a whisper, "... You can just call me Misty, okay?" He smiled, and nodded,

"Of course, Misty," he said, causing her to beam after a few seconds, "So, how have you been?" he asked tentatively.

"Oh, I've been okay. My therapist says I can go out into the Gardens again next week," she said happily, smiling distantly. Emerald was silent for a moment, before he smiled back,

"That's nice, Misty," he said, not entirely certain of what else to say to that. She smiled at him, before a pony, one whom he didn't recognize, approached them, and whispered into Misty's ear.

Her jaw loosened a bit, her eyes going distant, before she nodded slowly,

"Oh, my therapist says I should get home now to rest. I've had a lot of excitement today," she said, "He's worried I might not be able to handle any more. Okay?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

Emerald just smiled and nodded,

"Of course, get all the rest you need, Misty. It was nice seeing you." Misty smiled at him, and waved goodbye to the group with one of her wings, revealing her completely blank flank.

"Bye bye," she murmured happily, with the stallion, her therapist evidently, gently guiding her back through the maze.

Emerald's worried gaze lingered on her for a moment, but was snapped out of it when a heavy blow struck his back,

"Hah! Good to see you're up'n about, Emerald!" the booming voice of Iron Will blasted apart his previous thoughts,

"Will," he grunted, turning to face the behemoth of a creature, "long time no see." Iron Will laughed, placing his hands against his hips,

"Ha! Long time is right! You've been keepin' Iron Will waiting!" the oversized goat said, flexing his arms,

"What?" Emerald asked, his expression twisting. What the fuck was he even looking at?

Iron Will paused, and actually turned a faint red,

"Oh, uh... Sorry 'bout that. I've got a job as a traveling self-help guru, helpin' ponies be a little more assertive," he admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, "That's, uh... that's the character I put on for my speeches, hehe?" Emerald nodded,

"Right...I believe someone mentioned that to me once... well, the self-help guru part... the... 'character' part, not as much," he muttered, "So, uh... where are you headed?" he asked lamely. Iron Will perked up,

"Oh! Well, I've been thinking 'bout this little town not far from here, called Ponyville!" he said, earning a snort from the thestral, "Since that's where that whole 'Discord' fiasco went down, I thought the ponies there might need some help toughening themselves back up!" he said eagerly. Emerald snickered,

"Yeah, I guess that's true," he supplied, smirking, "Uh... good luck, then?"

"Ha! Iron Will doesn't need luck! He's got himself to back himself up!" he boasted, before coughing into his hand, "... might need to work on some new phrases," he muttered, before shaking his head, glancing around, "Anyways, you've still got a lot of ponies to say hey too, so I won't keep you any longer. It's been awhile since I've been in Canterlot, so I might as well take a quick look around anyways," he said gracefully, for someone of his size at least, backing away, only to almost trip over the still arguing Melon Seed. Iron grumbled for a moment as he stood back up, before gracefully, or trying to be at least, making his way out of the maze.

Emerald chuckled, though another pair of chuckles coming up behind him caused him to pause and turn around.

He found a pair of unicorns, both sporting a light blue coat, though the male of the two had a long, bright green mane while the female had a short, lighter, almost white, blue.

"Bright Spot, Dusty, nice to see you two... so strangely close together as well," he noted, his eyes immediately honing in on the pair of golden bands around their hooves. Dusty giggled, a hoof flying to cover her mouth,

"I know! Isn't it _wonderful_?" she said, leaning into Bright's side, "We got married two years ago!"

"And had a foal almost _four _years ago," Bright added, pointing to one of the foals crowding Trixie with a smile, "Our little Sunny Day is a little ray of sunshine, but Faust she is hyper!" he moaned, though it was clearly full of affection despite that, "I should know, since I take care of her while Dusty heads to work," he added, almost as an afterthought.

"Ah, but you couldn't keep it tucked between your legs, huh?" Emerald asked, causing the two of them to go red, and chuckle nervously.

"Ah... um... S-Sunny! Why don't you come over and say hi to another one of your uncles?!" Bright called, almost frantically. One of the foals with Trixie, a unicorn filly with a white coat, blue eyes, and a bright orange mane glanced over at them, before scurrying to her hooves and running over to them.

Once little Sunny arrived, she parked in front of Emerald, nearly tipping over due to her attempt at a sudden stop, and peered up at him with her big blue eyes.

"Hi!" she chirped, lunging at him to wrap a hoof around his leg. Emerald chuckled and wrapped his other hoof around her.

Hyper indeed.

However, he scarcely got his own greeting out, when she let go of him and ran back over to Trixie, which only got Emerald to chuckle when he noticed the dismayed expressions on Bright and Dusty's faces.

"Oh dear..."

"I guess somebody needs more lessons on being polite..."

A quiet giggle announced yet another pony's arrival, and an old pegasus mare, perhaps around Granny Smith's age, if not a little younger, waddled up to them, her faded white mane done up in a loose bun, and her aged bronze coat showing signs of wear and tear.

She took a few moments before arriving in front of them, taking a moment to peer over her half-moon glasses with a smile,

"Now now, she's only a little filly. She'll learn on her own time, I'd imagine," the old mare said,

"Amber Rock," Emerald greeted warmly, gazing at the familiar form of their Auntie Amber, who had been the one to teach him Equish all those years ago. She scoffed at him, waving a hoof,

"Now now, none of that! I'm your Auntie Amber, remember?" she asked, her still lively orange eyes twinkling at him. He smiled, and nodded,

"Of course, Auntie Amber."

"Now then, let's have a look at you!" Auntie Amber said, reaching out a hoof, "C'mere you!" she demanded, a command Emerald was fully willing to follow. He approached her and she, in a fashion oddly similar to the one Granny Smith had done upon first meeting her, began scanning him. "Ooh, I just knew you'd turn out to be a looker!" she gushed, giving his chest a hard tap, "Aha! With muscles like this, you must be fending off those city mares with a stick!" she praised warmly, causing Emerald to flush, and rub the back of his head with a hoof.

"I... wouldn't say that, Auntie," he said, his mind drifting back to a familiar shade of purple.

_For an instant, his heart was alight with a pervasive warmth, seeping into his blood and coursing through his very being._

"Oh?~" Auntie Amber sang in that strange way that all elderly ponies seem to, "Does that mean you've already got a mare for yourself?" she asked. Emerald stiffened, Thorax's words from earlier coming to mind.

_The warmth **died**._

"I... no, Auntie. No I don't." Auntie Amber's eyes narrowed at him, before she giggled,

"If that's what you think, little one. On another topic, I must say, your Equish is superb!" she gushed, "And even that nice accent of yours is practically gone!" Emerald nodded,

"I suppose I had a good set of teachers."

"Haha! Your darn right you did!" she said, laughing loudly, "I might be old, but I've always been an excellent teacher!" Emerald shook his head and sighed, turning away from his laughing Auntie, only to nearly jump back when he found a small earth filly, bearing a bright yellow coat and a soft white mane and tail, both _very _poofy, and a set of wide green eyes being held up to his face by a pair of bright crimson hooves.

He blinked, and stared at the foal, who couldn't be more than a year old, if even that. She stared back at him, chewing idly on her back hoof, before she let go and laughed a little, now holding out her hooves to him.

There was an older, feminine giggle from behind the filly, before he suddenly found a small one year old cheerfully sitting on his head a moment later.

He grimaced slightly, carefully balancing the shifting foal, who was now very happily giggling at her new perch.

"Aw, isn't that cuuuute?!~" the foal's mother giggled, clapping the aforementioned crimson hooves together, "Cotton Tail likes you, Emerald!"

He spared a half-hearted glare at the mare, who merely flipped her sky blue mane out of her pink eyes,

"What?" she asked innocently,

"As nice as it is to see you again, Red Sky, please get-Cotton Tail, was it?-_off of my head._"

Red pouted, and deftly snatched up the filly, cradling her in her hooves while tickling her stomach,

"It's okay, Cotton, Uncle Emerald is just pretending to be mean!"

"I'm... not sure that's the case, Sky," an unfamiliar stallion muttered, approaching them cautiously. He bit his lip, and brushed down his dark blue fur, and even started cautiously twirling his vibrant yellow mane with his magic, all the while refusing to meet Emerald's gaze with his equally dark blue eyes, "He seems... kinda intense, don't you think?"

Red scoffed, and stuck her tongue out at the stallion,

"Don't be such a wimp, River!" she admonished, gently rocking Cotton in her hooves, "You say that about every single pony you ever meet that _doesn't_ have a smile on their face!"

Emerald shook his head and, after a quick glance around, slipped through the crowd around him.

He loved his family. Absolutely adored each and every single one of them, and couldn't wait to meet them all again...

But right now, he needed to be alone. He needed to _think_. Thorax's earlier statement about his and Sparky's... affections having diminished was still haunting him. Auntie Amber's comment only made things worse, as well.

As much as he loved and missed his family, he _needed_ to think, _needed_ to calm down and _think this through_.

**_Something was wrong, after all._**

* * *

Applejack grunted as she laid down her final bucket on the far-too-soft-for-her-own-good grass, and very nearly had to keep herself from following right along with it.

She'd been wrong about how hard it would be to get all them supplies outside. What she'd thought would only take a few hours ended up taking only two, since Steeled was surprisingly tough for an old grouch. Didn't mean it was any easier, though.

Now that that was done, all they had to do was get started on building everything. Now _that_ wasn't going to be easy.

Now, normally, a little bit of hard work like this wouldn't get her in such a foul mood, but, usually, she was working with her family or her friends. This time? This time she got this old feller who can't seem ta keep his opinions to himself!

"Bunch of lazy little shits," Steeled muttered, almost slamming down his own bucket, glaring off towards the barracks, where Applejack could see a few of the guards training, or some such, "look at 'em, with their fancy little weapons that _I slaved over_, and they can't even repay the favour? Peh," Steeled spat.

Applejack was wrong about Steeled. He wasn't anything like her Uncle Bruised. Oh no, Uncle Bruised was stubborn and didn't like others, but he wasn't anywhere _near_ as petty as Steeled Hoof was being!

Fer example: Steeled didn't like others 'cause they didn't seem to help him when he wanted them to, but he was too darn prideful to ask for help in the first place, and then he blamed _them_ for not helping!

And that was just the guards around the castle.

But Applejack couldn't help but wonder...

What did he think of Emerald? He made it pretty clear he didn't like him, but if it wasn't for her mentioning him, then Steeled wouldn't have let her help him carry his things outside. It just didn't make any sense to her. Not one bit.

She'd thought about asking him, once or twice, but always thought better of it at the last second.

Speaking of asking him things...

"So, why'd we hafta bring all this out here?" she asked, "Ya said somethin' 'bout getting 'em ta the guards, an' this don't look like a good place ta build anythin' like a float, so..." she trailed off when she noticed the sour look on his face,

"Well, them little shits aren't going to do any helping," he growled, glaring off towards the training guards, "So we'll have to move all this ourselves before gettin' started."

Applejack blinked,

"Whaddya mean they ain't helpin'?" she asked, frowning, "Ya didn't even ask." Steeled huffed,

"Look at 'em," he snarled, waving a hoof at them, "they're just playing around with those weapons! Bet they don't even know how to properly use the fuckin' things!" Applejack glanced over at them, specifically the one using a sword against a training dummy.

"Looks like they know how ta use 'em ta me," she said, raising a brow at Steeled, who only scoffed,

"Pah! As if some _mare_ like you would know anything about weaponry," he snarled, and Applejack only just managed to keep herself from bucking the old goat halfway across the field,

"An' _you_ do?" she couldn't help but ask in return, "'Bout usin' 'em, I mean," she added quickly.

"'Course I do!" he snapped, as if offended at the idea of her not knowing, "I used to be a Guard, and a damn good one! I was the best of my unit, back in the day!" he suddenly boasted, and glared over at them, "And now look at 'em! Lazing around, barely trainin', no motivation, it makes me sick! I was a proud Veteran of the Knight Class, and what kind of chumps come after me? _That!_" he sneered, pointing a hoof at them viciously.

Veteran? Like her Grandpappy? Was that one of those fancy Titles, like the one that Emerald had?

She didn't know how to respond to Steeled's... attitude. It was mostly 'cause she didn't really know how important these Title things were, in the grand scheme of things.

She should probably ask Twilight about them. Or Emerald, since he actually _has_ one.

Though, if Steeled was such a big shot, assuming he ain't lying or anything, then what was he doing working as a blacksmith? He might be a tad old, but he managed to move a ton of that stuff up the stairs without her help, so he wasn't too weak or nothing.

"So, uh... why're you a blacksmith, then?" she decided to ask. Who knows, maybe if he told her, he'd lighten up a tad? Granny Smith was always a lot happier after telling one of her stories.

"Some bullshit 'bout 'not having a good attitude'. Peh!"

_Why ain't I surprised?_

"Oh great, the vampires're comin' out," Steeled suddenly snarled. Applejack looked up, confused, and turned to the training field again.

She stared, wide-eyed at the group that had come out of the castle, watching as they laughed and talked with each other.

For a moment, she wasn't sure what she was seeing, but, eventually, she realized.

Thestrals.

But... there was something... different about them.

They had the fangs, the ears, the wings, heck, they were even pretty thin, just like Emerald.

But... still. There was just something about them that felt off.

Suddenly, it hit her.

They were acting just like ponies.

Now, she didn't fancy herself as racist or anything, but she was always distinctly aware that Emerald was a different species when she talked to him. She had to, or she'd forget he was wearing that disguise of his, and she didn't want to offend him again.

She felt plum awful about it every time. She'd say something about ponies, and he'd just say something like 'I'm not a pony', and it would feel like her guts were getting twisted and pulled out every single time he'd said it.

But looking at them now, just walking around like it's nothing, no disguises, no armour, no nothing, and she was just struck by how... _normal_ they looked.

Why, if Steeled hadn't said anything, she might've just looked right past them, without even noticing that they weren't ponies.

But that got another thought working through her head

Why was Emerald wearing that disguise in the first place? Sure, Ponyville might of been a tad skittish at first, but that was mostly 'cause of the Everfree and all the freaky critters roaming around in it. Here these thestrals were, minding their own business without nary a second glance from the other guards, and yet, he was walking around keeping himself hidden.

Why would he need to do something like that?

A quick glance at Steeled Hoof was all the answer she needed, in the end.

_There were just some ponies who wouldn't accept him, is all._

Applejack shook her head. Even if other ponies weren't gonna accept him, she and her friends would be more than happy to!

Though, Applejack had to admit, sometimes it didn't really feel like they were friends.

She frowned at the random thought, before tossing it aside. Sure, they had their differences, and didn't always get along, but they'd been through thick and thin together. And that was how it was always gonna be!

* * *

Pinkie stared up at the massive cake in front of her, idly wondering if she could sneak a few bites without anybody noticing.

"Don't even think about it," Gustave suddenly snapped, pointing the icing covered spatula at her. Pinkie giggled,

"About what?" she asked innocently.

"Eating the cake," he said, "I used to see that look pretty often, and always before some of our stock would go missing. Now that I'm Head Chef, that kind of shit isn't going to fly here, so don't."

"Don't be silly, Mr. Chef!" Pinkie said, "I'm an earth pony, I can't fly!"

Gustave sighed, pausing the spreading for a moment,

"I honestly can't tell if you're being a smart ass or if you genuinely think I meant it like that," he muttered, "and believe me, that's not a good thing."

Pinkie only giggled at Gustave's response, before she was once more distracted by how _absolutely massive_ the cake was!

It was _amazing!_ Six amazing layers of sugary goodness, and the best part? Even the smallest one was taller than her! Ah, a sugar lover's paradise!

Pinkie could even feel herself beginning to drool at the mere _thought_ of tasting something so amazing!

But another thing that was really great, was that she got to help make it! It was always amazing to see something that she baked turn into something that could be so super-yummy, and the smiles that nearly everybody got when they ate them only made everything better!

"You sure you don't want me to help?" Pinkie asked, for maybe the fifth time, "I can start on the second one!"

She'd been super excited when Gustave had left and came back with the frosting, and she'd been more than happy to help ice the whole thing! But, for some reason, he didn't want her to 'ruin another one of his cakes'.

Which was funny, since she'd _never_ ruin a perfectly good cake!

"I'm sure, Miss Pinkie," he said quickly, causing the party mare to pout.

"Well... okay! You want me to do anything else?" she asked eagerly. Maybe he needed more goodies? Ooh! Maybe she could try making that special recipe the Cakes showed her for the National Dessert Competition in a few months?!

Gosh, what was it called again? The 'MMMM', or something?

Hmm... no, the Cakes really wanted to make it for the competition, and it _would_ be pretty rude to make it without their permission.

But there were still plenty of other things she could make, like pies, cookies, cupcakes, more cakes, scones-!

"That won't be necessary, Miss Pinkie," Gustave said, glaring down into the bowl of icing, "Though, it _is_ time we begin on the second one," he said, almost begrudgingly. Pinkie saluted,

"I'll be right on it, Mr. Chef, sir!" she chirped, before zipping over to the counter, where the ingredients were laying, before excitedly beginning to make some more.

While she was happily throwing everything together, Gustave started chuckling.

"My my, how you've managed to become such good friends with Emerald, I'll never know," he said. Pinkie, having heard that, spoke up,

"Why?" she asked. Why wouldn't they be friends?

"You two are so vastly different," he said, "and if that wasn't enough, I recall him absolutely loathing the last pony he met with a personality vastly similar to yours," he started humming to himself, "hmmm... I wonder what makes you so different from them. What is it about you that he finds charming enough to befriend, that the other simply didn't have?" he asked.

He didn't see it, since she was turned away from him, but Pinkie couldn't help but frown.

_She felt a doozy coming on._

* * *

Fluttershy was... surprised.

When Rainbow had left and Spitfire had decided to engage her in conversation, she'd expected the orange mare to quickly grow bored after their talk broke away from Emerald, but the stunt mare seemed interested in her life.

"Oh, you take care of animals?"

"Wow, must be tough living so close to the Everfree. What kind of animals do you find 'round there?"

"You take care of _how many_ animals?! On a daily basis?!"

What surprised Fluttershy the most, however, was that Spitfire didn't seem to be faking any of it.

She might not be an expert on ponies, but Spitfire appeared to be genuinely interested in her. And she honestly found herself feeling the same.

"Oh my, I can't imagine how scary all those stunts must be!"

"I couldn't possibly imagine flying in front of all those ponies..."

"I don't think I could ever lead ponies the way you could..."

It was nice. It wasn't often that she met somebody who wanted to listen to her, rather than the other way around.

That wasn't to say she didn't like it, oh no! She loved listening to her friends talk to her. It meant that they trusted her to listen to their problems and whatever advice she was able to give, and, in return, they were happy to help her whenever she had any problems herself.

But, she was really the only one in their group who was interested in animals. Aside from their own pets, none of her friends were keen on learning more about animals. Well, except maybe Twilight, but that was less for fun and more because she liked learning and knowing things.

Still, they were her friends, and she'd even managed to get them all on her own, for the most part!

She didn't need someone to hold her hoof and tell her what to say. She just... stayed herself, and everything worked out.

Although... it was a bit odd, sometimes. They were all just so _different!_ Sometimes it felt like their friendship was just hanging by a thread, but it always seemed to snap right back together just before it could break.

She supposed that was just a testament to how strong their friendship was, if it could survive the same things that nearly broke it.

Her most recent talk with Spitfire was sadly interrupted when Rainbow Dash finally returned soaking wet and covered in bits of cloud.

"Hey everybody, I'm back, and I've cleared a pretty good spot!"

* * *

Rainbow couldn't help but puff her chest out in pride.

Yeah, clearing the sky had taken a bit longer than she'd thought it would, but she guessed that it made sense, since Canterlot probably got a different kind of cloud than Ponyville, thank to its higher altitude.

Still, she wasn't captain of the Ponyville Weather Team for nothing! What might've taken a less experienced pegasus a few hours, took her only thirty minutes!

"Nice, and in half the time Soarin usually takes," Spitfire praised, standing from where she'd been sitting by Fluttershy, lazily stretching her back, "Alright, let's take a look at it, see if that was time well spent at least."

Rainbow let out a _totally cool_ squee, and eagerly jumped back out the window,

"Awesome! C'mon!"

As expected, it didn't take the group long before they arrived at Rainbow's cleared spot, and she couldn't help but beam proudly at the look of surprise on the Wonderbolt's faces.

"Damn, you did all this in forty five minutes?" Silver asked, looking around in surprise.

"Thirty," she corrected, "The rest was trying to find a good spot with flat ground and plenty of grass," she said proudly.

And why wouldn't she be? She'd managed to clear nearly an acre's worth of sky all by herself, something that usually took _at least_ three ponies an hour.

Of course she'd never admit that those fifteen minutes were _actually_ used to catch her breath while also trying not to die of overexertion. Finding the spot had actually taken her less than a minute.

"Wow, I gotta say, I'm impressed," Spitfire said, looking around with a calm eye, "I wasn't expecting you to clear this much. I also didn't _need _this much, but more space is better than less," she admitted. She landed a moment later, looking over the sizable field sitting pretty underneath the now open sky, "This isn't bad. In an ideal situation, we'd be practicing above the clouds, but Canterlot's altitude makes that too hard, so some soft enough ground ought to be good enough, and it doesn't get much softer until after some rain, which is now gone, of course," she said, before turning back to Rainbow, "Nice work, rookie. You just might be Wonderbolt material. You ever think of tryin' out? We've got plenty of room in the Academy, you know? After that, it's not too far from the Reserves."

Rainbow Dash did _not_ go red in the face.

She most certainly did _not_ nearly burst out squealing.

And she definitely did _not_ have to fight the urge to rush over to Spitfire and hug the life out of one of her greatest idols.

All that she _did_ do, was calmly smile, and nod.

"_Really_?! I've always wanted to join the Wonderbolts! You guys are awesome!"

That... sounded a lot cooler in her head...

Silver laughed, while High Winds giggled a bit in the background.

"It's nice to see such an energetic fan," High Winds said, smiling brightly, "Usually it's just a bunch of big crowds. It's always been better to have one-on-one interactions," she added.

"Pfft, isn't that why you had those nasty rumors circulating about you three years ago?" Misty Fly said. High Winds turned to her, sporting a large, cheerful smile, which caused Misty to go a weird shade of white,

"Hmm? What was that, Misty?"

"Hehe, n-nothing!"

"Hmm, if you say so."

Rainbow didn't pay much attention to that little by-play, since Spitfire continued speaking,

"If you are thinking of tryin' out, which I'm guessing you are," she added jokingly, "then you should know that you'll be facing some _pretty_ stiff competition, more than you'd expect. We've been getting some good cadets lately who are going through the Academy's training program, so you're gonna have to really work your ass off. Think you can do that?" she asked. Rainbow nodded,

"Totally! 'Hard Work' is my middle name!" Rainbow boasted, proudly puffing out her chest. Spitfire laughed, causing Rainbow to deflate slightly,

"Glad to hear it!" she said, smiling brightly, though it was quickly wiped away when she narrowed her eyes, "Hmm... since you'll be tryin' out sometime, why not show me what you can do now?" she asked, and pointed at the waiting members, "Why don't you take Soarin's normal spot for our warm up?" she offered, "We might not need another pony for our show, but the warm-up's free game. We can even consider it the Academy's preliminary test, if you want. So, are you up for it?"

"YES!"

"Something tells me you're excited about this."

After some more ribbing, Rainbow finally got into place next to Fleetfoot, nearly shivering with excitement, and, maybe, some nerves too.

Oh, this was gonna be awesome! She'd _totally_ impress the Wonderbolts, and they'd _have_ to let her into the Academy! And once she was there, Wonderbolt City, here she'd come!

Damn, if only her other friends were around to see this! Fluttershy was great support, if a tad quiet, but if _everyone_ was here, then that would be radical!

Hmm... then again, maybe not. Rarity had zero _real_ interest in anything flight related-_she didn't even make flight-safe clothing, for hay's sake!_-and that one time at the Best Young Fliers Competition didn't count, since that was more about how her butterfly wings _looked_ than how they _performed_. Applejack was pretty much the same, though she appreciated her weather working a lot more than the others. Pinkie would be excited, but more because she was one step closer to her dream, than actually because she was flying with famous ponies. Twilight would be happy for her, no doubt, but her interest in wings extended to Emerald and Emerald alone, if that one time she caught her ogling him while he was unconscious yesterday meant anything.

Honestly, that pony thought she was subtle. And that was coming from _her_!

She had zero problems admitting that-_to herself_-since the one, and pretty much only, time she'd tried getting a date, which was shortly after she dropped out of flight school.

Dear Celestia, she hoped she never saw him again. Not after _that_ mess.

Thinking about it, her friends really had zero interest in some of the things she did, but they were always supportive despite that.

Rainbow laughed to herself.

Faust, she was lucky to have them, huh?

* * *

Rarity hummed a song to herself as she sewed, the only other sound being that of Sapphire and her group's hooves against the wooden stage. The outfits were coming along nicely. A nice, pretty set of black, skintight outfits, each one embroidered in different colours around the legs and neck to accentuate their wearers colour scheme. Blue for Sapphire, orange for Lavender, blue and pink for Berry and Cherry, and bright yellow for Grapevine, each in wonderful looking swirls.

She didn't truly need anything that would take away from their performance, nor did she want to make something that would obstruct their movements either, so she went with this, perhaps too simple, design.

It wasn't her best work, by far, but they would serve nicely.

A few more moments passed under her machine, before she sighed, cleaned some things up, and held Sapphire's outfit into the air, admiring the way the light practically vanished upon touching the dark fabric, yet glowed when striking the blue.

"My my! That's _just_ the kinda thing I expect from a pony as tal-en-ted as you, Rarity!"

The booming voice of Sapphire startled Rarity into the air, while also breaking her concentration, causing the outfit to fall to the floor in a crumpled heap.

Once she landed back onto the floor, she held a hoof to her chest in an attempt at steadying her heart, and whirled to face Sapphire with a severe expression on her face, momentarily forgetting whom she was with.

Sapphire, for her part, just gave her a sheepish laugh,

"Sorry?"

Rarity's glare remained for a moment, before it fell,

"No, no, it's quite alright. I suppose that's merely what happens when I allow myself to get caught up in my work," she said, before suddenly recalling whom she was talking with, "O-oh, but there's no need to worry!" she quickly added, her eyes darting from side-to-side, "U-um, if I may ask, what is it that you needed?"

Sapphire smiled at her,

"Oh, nothin'! Our practice is f-i-i-in-ished! I just thought I'd come take a look at you work, and I must say, your work is fan-tas-tic!"

"Oh!" Rarity blushed, "Well, thank you Miss Shores, I always appreciate compliments," she said honestly, before glancing down at the outfit, frowning, "Though, I'm not sure I believe these are worth such praise. They are by far not my best work," she admitted, "I only have so many materials here." Sapphire just scoffed at her,

"Nonsense! Your work is am-a-zing! Don't you let anybody tell you otherwise," she gently threatened, wagging a hoof at the designer, "got it?"

Rarity stared for a moment, before tittering,

"Of course, Miss Shores," she said, only for Sapphire to cut her off,

"Ah ah ah! That's Sapphire to you, missy!" Rarity stiffened slightly, and swallowed the lump in her throat,

"N-now, I couldn't possibly-" a noise from Sapphire prevented her from continuing, especially as the pop-star's eyes began to narrow in warning. Eventually, Rarity conceded, "Very well... Sapphire."

As expected, Sapphire beamed at her,

"Now that's more like it!"

Rarity laughed a tad more, and, using her magic to drag them into the air, revealed each of the new outfits,

"Oh my! You're a real quick worker, huh?" she asked, eyes darting over each outfit hungrily,

"Well, only the best for my customers," Rarity said, smiling sagely, "After all, how could I possibly give anybody something if I don't give it my all?" she asked. Sapphire laughed, gently rubbing the fabric of one of the outfits,

"I certainly agree! My audience deserves only the-very-best!" she cheered, "If I ain't singing my heart out every show, then I'm not doing it right!" she claimed, before turning back to the stage, "Hey girls, Rarity here has got our outfits ready!" she called, and glanced back Rarity, "You don't mind, do you?"

Rarity shook her head and, after gently folding each one, presented the outfits to the approaching mares,

"Not at all!"

She watched with a poorly veiled smile on her face as each of the mares took their designated outfit, each one marveling at the feel of the fabric and beauty of the, highly simplified, designs. Even if it wasn't her best, it still warmed her heart to see someone, anyone, appreciate her work.

Rarity practically glowed as she watched them.

This. _This_ was the kind of thing she _lived_ for. The art of creation. The beauty of making something for someone else, and the magic that came with them _liking_ it.

This simple thing made her feel _alive_ each and every time she experienced it, and it never. Got. Old.

And it only ever got better when she was experiencing that same thing with her wonderful friends!

Although... things weren't always so easy. She, unfortunately, remembered the time where they hadn't appreciated her dresses for them. Oh she remembered that time all too vividly, and most often in her nightmares.

But still, once they'd finally seen the error of their ways, the amount of adoration they'd put into those outfits had nearly caused her heart to burst!

It was proof, really, that friends truly made everything there was in this world better than it had ever been before. Even if, at times, they can be the greatest of nightmares, that didn't change that they also brought with them the greatest dreams of all.

* * *

Twilight hastily checked another thing off of the list, scarcely paying any attention whatsoever to what she was actually checking off, while also bidding a half-hearted goodbye to the group she'd just 'inspected'.

While normally she'd be putting her all into making sure something like this was going according to schedule, it was more important to her that they finished as soon as they possibly could so that she could go looking for Emerald.

-_bloodydyingcoldhewasn'tbreathingbreathing**breathing**_-

He was probably getting pretty fed up with whoever had been assigned to look after him by now.

"Miss Twilight!" Fine Print snapped at her once again, "Please hold on a moment!"

Twilight was, unwillingly, brought to a stop by a green glow completely suffusing her person, halting her movements in place.

Fine Print appeared by her side, looking visibly drained and huffing like she'd just run a marathon, her horn's aura flickering like a broken light,

"My-*huff*-word! What in the wo-*huff*-world has gotten into you!" she sputtered, her magic finally fading away.

Twilight stared at the slightly older mare, feeling a rush of guilt hit her chest.

"I-I'm sorry, Miss Print," she apologized lamely, biting her lip in embarrassment while looking at anything other than the mare in question, "I just... I really..." she trailed off, unable to defend herself.

Fine Print stared at her for a moment, and, once she finally caught her breath, she sighed.

"It's... alright, Miss Sparkle," she said gently, placing a hoof on Twilight's shoulder, unsubtly taking the clipboard away from her, not that she was bothered in the first place, "I know what it's like to have my significant other suffer an... accident, and not be allowed near him for a time," she admitted, "So I can... _sympathize_ with what you're going through, but this is no way to act," she said.

Twilight flinched at that, and looked away,

"I-I know..." she muttered. And she really did.

But she was just so _worried_! Every second that went by without him in her sight kept filling her with this cold dread, deep within her chest. It kept building and building and _building_-!

-_notmovingnotbreathingnosoundnoheatnolifedeaddead**dead**_-

_She didn't know how long she could stand it!_

"You must really care about him, huh?" Fine Print suddenly asked, startling Twilight out of her spiraling thoughts.

"Huh?"

Fine Print chuckled, and adjusted her glasses, smiling almost fondly,

"That look on your face... I know _that_ look. I saw it in the mirror, once," she muttered, her bright eyes twinkling softly, "... alright," she finally said. Twilight blinked,

"Wha-?"

"Go on," Fine Print said, suddenly giving her a small push, which caused Twilight to stumble slightly, "you really want to go to him, right?" she asked, earning a confused nod from Twilight, at which Fine smiled, "Then go ahead! I can finish the inspection on my own, you know?" she added, before she scoffed, "Though, with how deep in your head you were, I imagine I would've had to even if you _did_ stay."

Twilight just stared at her for a moment, not comprehending,

"Y-you want me to...? A-are you sure...?" Fine sighed, and regarded her with narrowed eyes,

"Don't you have a coltfriend to go to? Why are you wasting time talking to me?"

Twilight stared for a bit longer, before her face lit up like a star,

"Th-thank you! I-I'm sorry that I couldn't-but-thank you!" she stammered out, before spinning around and darting down the street.

_Emerald, here she comes!_

Unbeknownst to her, Fine Print sighed behind her.

"Honestly, that filly..." she muttered, glancing down at the clipboard, which was filled with scratchy, manic looking hornwriting.

_'Is he okay?'_

_'What if he's hurt?'_

_'Where is he?'_

"Whoever that colt is, he better treasure that filly," she muttered to herself, gently erasing them, "because she _definitely_ treasures him."

* * *

For a moment, he thought he'd managed to escape, but a small tug on his tail quickly killed the thought.

Sighing inwardly, Emerald turned around, coming to find Butterscotch standing right behind him, a great big smile on her face,

"Oh, hello Butterscotch," he greeted warmly,

"Hi Emerald!" she chirped, thrusting out a small package in her hooves at him, "Here! I made you some candy when I heard I was gonna get to visit you again!" she said. He paused for a moment, glancing at the carefully wrapped box, finding himself staring at his own reflection in the golden foil, before gently accepting it,

"Thank you, Butterscotch," he breathed softly, staring at it almost in wonder.

After all this time, she had still thought to make him something?

"It's a bunch of chocolates I made!" she gushed, breaking him from his thoughts, "I'm really good at making candies, especially butterscotch, but chocolates are my favourite! They're caramel!" Emerald stared, and chuckled a tad,

"Well, I look forward to trying them later," he said. She tilted her head,

"You're not gonna try 'em now?"

"Well, no. I don't want to spoil my dinner, after all," he reasoned. She 'hmm'd for a moment, before nodding,

"Right! My parents say the same thing!"

"Your parents?" he couldn't help but ask, raising an eyebrow, "But I thought..." he trailed off, not wanting to bring up the memory, but he was surprised by Butterscotch's laughter.

"Yeah, I know! I can't believe my real mom and dad didn't want me, but these really nice ponies adopted me a few years ago, they're over there, see?!" she squealed, turning and pointing at a pair of ponies huddling by the wall.

They didn't seem to notice for a moment, but the male eventually elbowed the female, and they both gave a rather sheepish wave.

Emerald scanned them for a moment, and committed them to memory, making a note to check for their records.

... Just in case.

"Well, they look like good ponies," he said instead, smiling when Butterscotch started rapidly nodding,

"They really are!"

Their little talk was interrupted, however, when a familiar little buffalo approached them,

"Um, excuse me?" Little Strongheart asked timidly,

"Strongheart, nice to see you," Emerald greeted, "How're things with the Appleloosans?"

"Oh! They're doing great!" Strongheart chirped, "And our tribe is much happier than I've ever seen them!" she added excitedly, "We even found the one who faked that deed!"

"You did?"

"Mhmm, turns out it was a pony in a very well made buffalo costume that stole the deed and sold it to the Appleloosans!"

"That's... less impressive than what I'd imagined," he admitted.

"I thought the same."

"Your tribe?" Butterscotch suddenly asked, tilting her head, prompting Strongheart to turn to her,

"Yes, my tribe! It's a group of buffalo like myself, who-!"

Emerald smiled at the interaction, but rather than wait for their attention to divert back to him, he stealthily crept away.

Well, he tried, at least. He was one of the more recognizable members of their group-if not flat out the most recognizable-so even as he wormed his way past talking individuals, he was almost immediately brought into conversations by those he was passing.

"Emerald, you're looking great!" one stallion greeted him, practically jumping and wrapping his hooves around his neck. The sound of twinkling magic invaded his ears, before he was bombarded by a third hoof wrapping around his torso,

"Yay, you're here!" a younger male voice echoed,. Emerald struggled for a moment, and managed to pull away, eyeing his attackers.

One of them was a tall pegasus with a gray-ish white coat, a long crimson mane and tail, and a pair of bright silver eyes, which matched the mark of a snowflake in the center of a solar corona.

The other was a younger unicorn colt, with a dark red coat and a short, vibrant scarlet mane and tail, with his bangs hanging just above his bright yellow eyes. He was sitting down in front of him, his front right hoof clenched in front of his chest, contrasting the empty spot where his front left hoof used to be.

"Winter Sun, Fire Hoof, it's nice to see you two again," Emerald remarked once again. Winter laughed,

"Isn't it?" he asked, spreading his hooves, "I mean, you get to see _me_ again!" he boasted. Fire Hoof scoffed, and punched the older colt with his only hoof,

"Agh!"

"You really need to quit acting like that," Fire said, his voice surprisingly deep for someone only four years older than Wisp, "Honestly, this is why you can't keep a mare." Winter flinched back, as if struck,

"What?! Blasphemy!"

Emerald sighed, shaking his head,

"Well, you two certainly are lively," he muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Fire sighed,

"Yeah, I'm sorry for his behavior. But after we got a place of our own over near Trottingham, he's been _obsessed_ with getting a marefriend. Shame he can't _keep one_," Fire said, growling the last part at Winter, who merely looked affronted,

"I told you, _blasphemy!_ I can so keep a mare! It's not _my_ fault they can't keep up with me!"

"Whatever you say, Mr. One Pump."

"Wh-wha-_how do you know about that?!_"

"We live in the same house, moron!"

"_That was one time!_"

"Yeah, one time _every time_!"

Emerald was not comfortable being here anymore.

It must have shown on his face, since Fire Hoof sighed, apologized, then proceeded to drag Winter away with his magic.

Emerald stared after them for a moment, before groaning into his hooves.

_Why me?_

"Having trouble?" a wonderfully familiar voice mocked, causing Emerald to sigh once again,

"Hello to you to, Trixie," he groaned, rubbing his temples as he turned to the blue magician, now devoid of the trail of foals following after her, who smirked at the exasperated look on his face, "What can I do for you?" Trixie laughed,

"Wow, you really look worn out," she noted, "Have you talked to everyone already?" she asked, only to laugh when he shook his head,

"No, there are still a few faces I haven't seen," he replied, eyes closed, "Murky Waters, Dusk Wing, Hot Streak, Quick Step, Lemon Pop, Jet Stream, Scented Oil, and Starlight are the only ponies I haven't seen yet."

Trixie nodded at the names, but paused once Starlight's came up,

"Yeah... you might not see Starlight for a bit," Trixie said, a tad evasively, "She's... well, to be frank, I think she's avoiding you right now." Emerald's head snapped up, fixing her with a heavy gaze,

"_What?_" Trixie shrugged,

"Yeah, it's weird. I've seen her slink away from you a couple times. It _looked_ like she wanted to talk to you, but lost her nerve and skittered off," she admitted, narrowing her eyes, "Then again... she hasn't talked to _me_ either..."

"You think she's avoiding all of us? Thorax and Iron as well?"

"Not sure, but it's likely," she said, glancing off to the side, "Oh, hey Jet! You said hi to Emerald yet?" she called, prompting Emerald to follow her gaze.

A black pegasus stallion with a dark gray mane and tail, styled into strange looking upward spikes, was just standing there, his charcoal eyes glancing away from them, almost looking embarrassed.

"Oh, uh, hey, Trixie," Jet Stream muttered with a chuckle, finally approaching them, "Uh, yeah, actually. Er-wait, no-I mean I haven't talked to him but-you see I was plann-_I came over to say hi!_" he spat out quickly, his dark face turning an even darker shade, which got a laugh out of Trixie and the others surrounding them,

"Aw, poor Jet, he's getting all flustered!" Emerald heard Blossom giggle,

"Yeah, he's in front of his cruuuuuuush!" he heard Coco Butter murmur, though it was followed by the sound of a smack, "Ow!"

"Knock it off."

Emerald eyed Jet for a moment, taking in the way his eyes traveled everywhere but where Trixie was, and nearly sighed.

"So, Jet," Emerald said, deciding to throw the embarrassed fool a line, hiding a frown when he almost desperately took it, giving him his full attention, "What have you been doing these past six years?"

"Uh, well, I've, uh..." his eyes flickered over to Trixie, "Well, you see I've been, uh, practicin'!" Emerald nodded,

"Nice... you gonna tell me what for, or do I need to guess?" Jet went a brighter shade,

"Oh! Sorry, I've been practicin' for the Wonderbolts!" he gushed, the blush fading, "I know that Spitfire managed to get in, and I want to be just like that!"

"So, you're a stunt flier?" Emerald asked, earning a nod from him,

"Yeah! My goal is to aim for the Wonderbolts Reserves' top spot!"

"The... Reserves?" Emerald asked, that didn't make much sense, "If you want to be in the Wonderbolts, why are you aiming for the Reserves?" he asked, confused. Jet just shrugged,

"I doubt I'd get into the Wonderbolts proper, just like that. Their rosters completely full, and I'd need one of the current members to quit, and that isn't happening anytime soon, so, I'm going for the Reserves!"

"Pretty smart idea, all things considered," Trixie praised, smirking at the way Jet suddenly turned into a blubbering mess,

"Y-you really think so?!"

"Sure, why not?"

A loud laugh from behind him got him to turn, finding a bright yellow earth pony, with a bright_er_ yellow mane and tail styled into a set of strange drill-like pigtails, and dark yellow eyes smiling up a storm. Her cutie mark appeared to be a slice of lemon on a popsicle stick. Beside her was a pegasus mare with a dazed expression, a light blue coat almost hidden under the absolute mess of a seaweed green mane she had, which fell to the floor in large, almost stringy-looking, clumps, leaving only a single grass green eye peering through. Her cutie mark, which was a green and black marsh, was the only real part of her visible.

"He's really got it bad," the mass of hair spoke, "Don't you think, Lemon Pop?"

"You got that right, Murky!" Lemon cheered, letting out another laugh, when it faded into a happy sigh, "Wow, it's great to see everyone again, especially _you_, Emerald," Lemon purred, advancing slightly on him, her hips swaying slightly.

Emerald stiffened, and carefully began sliding away,

"Oh... So you haven't forgotten me, Pop?" he asked, shivering slightly when she closed the distance between them, almost teasingly pressing her chest against his,

"Oh, how could I forget a stallion like _you_?" she nearly moaned, only for a yelp to leap from her throat when she was pulled away by Murky,

"Down girl," Murky's dazed voice whispered as she stepped over the yellow mare, her absurdly long mane and tail obscuring her entire body as she passed.

Emerald relaxed slightly when Murky got close, and looked down, making eye contact with the only visible part of her face, the lone eye,

"Thank you for the help, Murky," he said, smiling slightly.

"It wasn't any trouble," she said, her tone hinting at a smile, "I know Lemon's always been... forward with stallions," she said, diplomatically, "so I came prepared to defend everyone's innocence. Especially yours."

Emerald's smile faded, replaced by a much more strained version,

"My... innocence?"

"Your V-card."

"My...?"

"Your virginity."

"..."

"Your-"

"I get it."

Murky nodded,

"Cool, I was just makin' sure."

Emerald stared at her for a moment, before sighing,

"Right... thanks," he muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Lemon huffed, and stood back up,

"Oh come _on_, Murky! You can't keep blocking a lonely mare's advances like that," she scolded. Murky's eye blinked, and, with a tilt of her head, she turned to face Lemon,

"... Didn't you bring home four stallions and a mare in the same day last week?" Lemon sputtered,

"I did _not_!"

"Then what was all that sticky stuff you were covered in?"

"... Ice cream."

"Yeah, even though neither of us were at the shop, and neither of us ever bring the product home. Honestly, running an ice cream joint should really cool your-"

Emerald walked off before he could hear anything else.

He was uncomfortable again.

Thankfully, he was provided with a distraction when a red coated teenage colt bolted in front of him, his white streaked red mane waving erratically in a way that suggested he hardly took care of it. Even the horn peeking out from it looked poorly cared for.

"Emerald!" he cheered excitedly, giving the older male a wide, almost manic looking, grin, "I've been waiting to talk to you all day!" he added, pointing a hoof at him dramatically. Emerald only blinked, before quirking an eyebrow at him,

"That so, Hot Streak?" he asked, staring down at the younger male, unimpressed. He had a feeling he knew what the boy wanted to talk about.

"Yeah! I wanted to ask if you could shoot fireballs!"

_Figures._

Emerald sighed, but nodded,

"Yes, Hot Streak, I can breathe fireballs," he admitted, frowning when Streak's smile grew wider, now looking almost painful in its size,

"Will you?!"

"No."

He smirked at the way the brat's face fell. Honestly, one might think he'd just killed the colt's puppy.

"Wha-why?!" he demanded, pouting. Emerald huffed,

"Not only am I not going to be breathing _any_ fire near the grave, I don't see a reason to indulge your inner pyromaniac," he said, then muttered, "Though, I'm not too sure it's inner and not outer anymore..."

Hot Streak pouted further at him, before stomping off, his cheeks puffed.

Emerald sighed. At least he wasn't throwing a tantrum.

_Again._

* * *

Applejack grumbled to herself, the nails she held between her lips acting as a muffler for the string of curses she wanted to start muttering.

About twenty minutes ago, right after they'd moved the float parts closer to the castle gates, Steeled had just up and left her right before they got to actually building the floats, muttering something about 'gettin' back to _real_ work'.

So now here she was, busy building a bunch of floats from the plans he'd left behind, without so much as a thank you!

Applejack calmly sighed through the nails, but an angry slam of her hammer betrayed her thoughts.

_Why that no good...!_

He hadn't even had the kindness to send anybody around to come and help her in his stead! And he was making such a big deal about the guards not having anything to do, too! It wasn't right for somebody to just up and do that kind of thing.

"Hey there, you alright little missy?" a loud, booming voice asked from her right, startling Applejack into dropping her hammer,

"Agh!" she yelped, jerking her hoof away from where her hammer had just landed, narrowly avoiding a potential bruise.

"Oh, sorry about that!" the voice said again, this time from a bit closer. Applejack, a tad peeved, turned to face the pony who'd startled her, only to come face to face with a distinctly _non-pony_ torso.

She stared at the blue furred chest in front of her for a few seconds, before her eyes trailed up, finally meeting with a set of bright yellow eyes belonging to a minotaur.

The minotaur met her gaze easily, and waved,

"Howdy there! Name's Iron Will, traveling self-help-guru! I couldn't help but notice you here, buildin' all alone and looking pretty ticked," he explained, before his smile dropped and a look of honest concern plastered his face, surprising Applejack, "So, you alright here, ma'am?"

"Uhh..." she began, before shaking her head, "Uh, yeah, I'm good!" she managed to say, before sending the pile of parts a grimace, "I was jus' s'ppossed ta build all this with somebody, but 'e ended up leavin' halfway through," she said, a slight note of complaint in her voice.

The minotaur, Iron Will, frowned,

"And you just let him?" Applejack blinked at the question, and nodded, hesitantly,

"Well... yeah?" she said, "I mean... He's a real grump of a stallion, an' there's no way 'e'd listen ta me, so what was I s'pposed ta do?"

"'When someones treats you like a mat, show them that you're more than that!'" Iron Will said, smirking at her, "If somebody doesn't want to listen, then _make sure_ they listen!" he added, almost thoughtfully, "You might not think you can, but the first step forward, is choosing to take it."

Applejack blinked, digested the odd minotaur's words for a moment, before she nodded,

"'Kay... what does that mean?"

Iron Will blinked, and his smile fell,

"Crud, and I thought that one was good to go..." he muttered. Applejack regarded the minotaur for a moment, then shook her head,

"Look, if yer tryin' ta cheer me up, I 'ppreciate it, but I really gotta finish all this," she said, gesturing to the large assortment of yet-to-be-used materials. Iron Will nodded,

"Right! Of course. Sorry to bother... but maybe you'd like a helping hand or two?" Iron Will offered, looking almost hopeful. Applejack blinked, a bit stunned at the sudden offer, and very nearly turned him down on reflex. However, her eyes had ended up landing on the large pile for a moment, and an old memory came to mind of the time she tried harvesting the entire orchard by herself.

With that thought at the front of her mind, she ended up nodding,

"I sure would 'ppreciate that, Iron Will," she thanked with a tip of her hat. Iron Will chuckled, his deep voice causing her chest to vibrate,

"No trouble at all, miss!"

"Hey now, none'o that 'miss' business. I'm Applejack, but ya can call me Aj, if ya like."

"Applejack?" Iron muttered, before snapping his fingers, reminding her a bit too much of Discord, "Hold on! You're one of the mares who made friends with Emerald!" he chirped, before laughing, "Haha! I wasn't expecting to run into one of you for a while yet!" Applejack blinked, and frowned,

"Ya know... Oh, ya'll must be part'o that family'a 'is," she noted, smirking a bit when Iron Will nodded,

"That's right!" he said, puffing his chest out in pride, which got Applejack to chuckle at how similarly he did that to Rainbow, "So, he talks about us?" Iron Will asked, beginning to sort through the materials, and grabbing some of the wood beams, easily lifting nearly double the weight she'd carried up here as though it weighed nothing.

"Uhh..." she droned, stunned at the sight, but managed to collect her thoughts after a second, "S-sometimes. He ain't the most open po-er-thestral in the world," she said, and grimaced, "Me an' the others only jus' found out 'bout 'im bein' the Champion this mornin'," she added, frowning at the memory.

It wasn't like she didn't understand why'd he'd gone and kept that kind of thing secret. She didn't go around telling everybody about her work, and it wasn't even something she was keeping secret! Putting that whole thing aside, she didn't really know a single pony who _actively _talked about their job, except Pinkie and Rarity, secrets or no.

Besides, everybody had their secrets, even her.

She didn't exactly tell anybody about her old friend Rara. The only one who _might_ know was Rarity, and that was only because they both grew up in Ponyville.

Speaking of Rara, she hadn't been able to keep up with her after they lost touch. She wondered how her career was going over in Manehatten...

Shame she'd probably never find out.

... Maybe she could ask Emerald for help? He seemed to know a lot of famous ponies, oddly enough. Maybe one of them has heard something about Rara?

Hmm... something to think about, she supposed.

But the point was, everybody had a secret, and just because they didn't go around telling everybody, didn't mean they weren't friends.

Speaking of, she might've just made a new friend in Iron Will, whose help was speeding things along massively.

It took several hours, long enough for the sun to begin its descent past the horizon, but, eventually, they finished. They managed to erect not one, not two, but _three_ massive looking float bases, all placed near the training grounds, where the guards were happy enough to help move them despite how late it had gotten.

"Whoowee!" Applejack cheered, wiping off a layer of sweat on her forehead, "Now that's a mighty fine lookin' set of floats!" she said, and Iron Will agreed, letting out a booming laugh,

"They sure are!" he said, "Shame we'll only see what they look like tomorrow," he added, frowning slightly. Applejack nodded,

"Eeyup, but jus' think 'bout it. When these things come floatin' down the street, it'll be 'cause we built 'em!"

_Unlike someone..._

Thoughts of Steeled Hoof soured her expression, but Iron Will didn't pick up on it this time.

"No kiddin'!" he said, scratching the underside of his nose, smiling widely, "Hard work always pays off in the end!"

"You said it!"

Applejack had to admit, she was pretty proud of herself. Sure, this wasn't much compared to harvesting the orchard every year, but it was honest hard work, and that made all the difference.

"Is there anything else you've gotta do?" Iron Will asked as the guards began rolling the floats off, leaving the two of the alone in the small field. She frowned, and hummed to herself,

"Hmm... don't think so," she admitted, rubbing her chin, "I was jus' told that Steeled needed mah help, an' now the floats're all built. I was never told ta help decorate 'em'er anythin'. I guess that's everythin', then," she said. Iron Will nodded, and held out his... paw? Hand. It was a hand.

"Well, it was nice meetin' and workin' with you, Applejack," he said, prompting her to return the shake,

"Pleasure seein' ya as well, Will!" she agreed, "An who knows, maybe we'll see each other again?" she added. Iron Will laughed,

"Ha! With Emerald around, I wouldn't be surprised! That stallion seems to get himself into all kinds of trouble," he said, then narrowed his eyes, playfully, at her, "though, from what I've heard, the six of you mares aren't any better. Maybe I _shouldn't_ let him go back with you..."

This time it was Applejack who laughed,

"Ha! As if ya'd be able ta! If Pinkie doesn't pry him away, ya'll can be sure that Twilight would!"

* * *

Pinkie clapped giddily to herself.

It was done! After all that mixing, cooking, and decorating, it was done! It was _big_ and it was done!

"Haha! Even better than I'd imagined!" Gustave guffawed from next to her, looking up at the _glorious confection_ before them.

It was massive, six layers total, and completely covered in pink frosting! It was decorated with designs of draping white, and copious amounts of nice juicy fruit around the edges, all topped off with a mouth-watering chocolate drizzle, still dripping wet down the sides!

If she didn't know any better, she might've thought she'd just died and gone to Cake Heaven!

Wait, did she?

...

Nope! Still alive!

And it only got better!

There were _two of them_ after all!

Her eyes kept dancing between the two confectionery delights, her mouth practically dripping a waterfall onto the floor,

"They look so _good_!" she agreed, her eyes alight with stars. Gustave nodded,

"Of course they do! I made them, so how could they turn out any different?!" he boasted, and Pinkie couldn't help but agree with him, even if she'd helped out,

"Wow... now what?" she asked curiously, turning to the older cook with a pep in her step. Gustave kept staring at the cakes for a moment, before muttering,

"We put them in the freezer," he said, "for tomorrow."

Pinkie nodded, and turned back to the cakes. That was a good idea. The freezer would keep them nice and fresh, and prevent the frosting from-

"What?!" she nearly shrieked, rounding on Gustave instantly, "But-but they look so _yummy_! We-we can't just _leave them_!"

This was horrible! Such delightful delectable delicacies should be enjoyed right away! You couldn't just put something this amazing in the freezer! That would make it all hard and some water might freeze on top and make the frosting all watery when it gets taken out for tomorrow!

Gustave shook his head, his features grim,

"I'm afraid we must," he said solemnly, and Pinkie knew that he understood her. He understood the tragedy that could come from leaving these poor things alone in the cold freezer!

"B-but what about the fridge?!"

"It's not big enough."

"Make it big enough!"

"If only we could."

Pinkie sank to the floor in despair, as the world lost colour all around her. This couldn't be happening! Such a horrible, terrible thing couldn't possibly be happening! The cakes were so young, they shouldn't have to go through that kind of thing!

But alas, Pinkie was powerless. Through muted ears, she was forced to watch as Gustave, looking as grave as she felt, ordered the others into pushing the large, yummy, delicious looking cakes into the cold, desolate freezer.

The freezer door slammed shut, and the world returned to normal.

"Welp, that's done!" she chirped, bouncing back onto her hooves, smile already in place.

"Yes, and with that, your job here is also done," Gustave said, turning to face her, a claw outstretched, "It was wonderful working with you, Miss Pinkie." Pinkie blinked, and stared down at the offered appendage, before giggling and, completely ignoring it, jumped forward and wrapped her hooves around him,

"Yeah! It was a lot of fun baking cakes with you too, Mr. Chef!" she gushed. Gustave had stiffened when she wrapped her hooves around him, but he'd managed to relax a bit, and even gave her head a gentle pat.

"Y-... yes, it was rather fun, I suppose..." he said, sounding hesitant. Taking the hint, Pinkie let go and bounced back,

"Ooh, maybe we can team up again!" she said, "Wouldn't that be amazing!? Imagine all the parties we could bake for!" Gustave's eye twitched,

"Ah... yes. I suppose that could be... interesting," he said slowly, as if weighting each word carefully, "But... perhaps not for a while?" Pinkie blinked, and titled her head,

"Why not?" she asked innocently. Yeah, why not? It would be really fun, so why would they wait?

Gustave stared at her for a moment, before sighing,

"Frankly, I don't think I could handle you again any time soon," he admitted without a trace of shame, "You're too hyper for me. I'm honestly stunned that you and Emerald can get along even half as well as you seem too. For multiple reasons."

Pinkie blinked, then nodded,

"Oh, okay!"

"... You accepted that fairly quick."

"Why wouldn't I? You said we can team up again someday!"

"I... suppose I did. Dammit."

* * *

Fluttershy felt a little guilty, sitting next to Spitfire while Rainbow and the others soared through the darkening sky, with the sun having begun to set an hour ago.

She hadn't done anything to help. She'd just... been there, while Rainbow went out and helped the Wonderbolts. She wished she could've done something, but... she just wasn't strong enough a flier.

For that reason, she was busy staring at the ground, trying, and failing, to push away the raw guilt bubbling in her chest. She felt so awful! The Princess had been so nice when she asked for help, but she just couldn't do it!

"I should probably thank you, Fluttershy, before I forget," Spitfire suddenly said, breaking Fluttershy from her thoughts.

"Wh-what?" she asked, her head whipping to face the orange mare, her eyes wide and confused. Thank... her? F-for what?!

"Wh-why would you want to thank me?" Fluttershy asked, "I-I-I didn't do a-anything!"

Spitfire turned to her, smirking,

"I wouldn't say that," she said, and turned back to the field. Fluttershy blinked, and followed her gaze, finding Soarin watching the other pegasi with a smile on his face. "Soarin and I don't get along too well," Spitfire suddenly admitted, prompting Fluttershy to turn back to her, looking stunned, "It's not that we don't like each other or anything, he's a good friend, but we're just too different. He's honest and carefree, and I'm pretty strict. I know that," she said, furrowing her brow, "Thing is, that argument you two walked in on wasn't the first one we've had. Sure, it wasn't much, he was just being annoying with his weird pie obsession, but it definitely would've escalated if you hadn't come in."

Fluttershy blinked,

"B-but I-?"

"You helped me calm down," Spitfire interrupted her, glancing back at her firmly, before returning to the fliers, "I've been trying to get Soarin to take things seriously since I met him, and I've never been able to. Like I said, that argument would've escalated. But then you and Dash over there came in and caught my attention. Then Dash up and leaves to clear this area," she muttered, scoffing slightly, "I like her enthusiasm, but she's a fan, and I tend to just nod along whenever I hear a die-hard fan like her start talking. It's a nasty habit, I know, but I can't really bring myself to _care_. I deal with too many of them, so I can't possibly give them the attention they deserve. I'd go crazy if I did," Spitfire said, chuckling slightly, and turned to her once again, "... I'm rambling, aren't I?"

"O-oh! N-no, not at all!" Fluttershy said quickly, "I-it's okay, I don't mind listening," she added, more quietly. Spitfire sighed,

"That's exactly what I'm talking about. I wanted to stop thinking about Soarin's pie obsession, and you were willing to listen to me, an almost complete stranger. And, considering what the Princess told me about you, that's quite the feat for a mare as shy as she claimed you were. So thanks."

Fluttershy stared at Spitfire in surprise, and blushed,

"O-oh... U-Umm..." she fidgeted slightly, rubbing her hooves together, "I-it wasn't any trouble." Spitfire chuckled, and nodded,

"You know... I had a feeling you'd say that," she muttered, before standing and facing her, "Well Fluttershy. Thanks, again, for what you did. I really needed it," she spared a brief glance at her teammates and Rainbow, who had finally finished their routine, and landed gently against the dirt, then turned back to her, "and with that... we're done here," she said, smiling, "I still have my own things to do, but you and Dash over there have finished what we needed you to do," she gave Fluttershy a playful salute, "Thanks again, cuz-" she winked, "-I'll go tell your friend you're finished here, and you can be on your way."

* * *

The breath left her body in ragged pants, her wings and chest pulsing with the familiar burn of exertion and _holy shit was it awesome!_

She knew, and had always known, that the Wonderbolts were the best of the motherfucking _best_ in all of Equestria, but holy _fuck_ she'd been underestimating them!

The way they moved was flawless, perfect in every way. They were perfectly in sync with each other, and barely even had to _glance_ at each other to know exactly what to do! She'd always thought that she had everything it took to be a Wonderbolt and more, but this proved her wrong. Like, 'the sun is made of water' wrong!

She was probably one of the faster fliers in Equestria, but if that little hour long session was anything to go by, then she was _not_ the fast_est_ flier.

Fleetfoot was quick, able to maintain her top speed going _upwards_, _spin around_, and _match her own speed_ before breaking away, all without losing even a bit of speed. And she didn't even look winded!

Sweet Celestia, Rainbow could only really perform the Sonic Rainboom going down, and even then it took a lot out of her!

Even the others, while definitely slower than her, managed to outlast her like crazy! Nearly ten minutes into their session she'd been panting like a dehydrated dog while the others just muttered something about 'stupid warm-ups'.

She guessed this was just the kind of thing you had to expect, putting a mostly self-taught/self-trained pony against a bunch of total pros.

And that wasn't even talking about their actual _stunts_! She'd always thought her own tricks were wild and impressive, definitely on par with the Wonderbolts, but in comparison? Her stunts were _way_ easier!

In, pretty much all of, her stunts, she only had to worry about how fast she was going, what was in her way, and how to look cool. She had figured the Wonderbolts were the same, but holy shit she was wrong!

There had been a temporary pause in their session, mostly to let Rainbow catch her breath-_and wasn't that a blow to her pride?_-and High had ended up asking her about her own personal stunts. She'd been very happy to boast about her skills to the Wonderbolts, but the way they just smiled at her had irked her, and she'd asked what their deal was.

Turns out the Wonderbolts' stunts were... a lot more complicated than she gave them credit for. Though, to be fair, she usually flew solo, so she wasn't really aware of just how much more complicated group stunts were.

Seriously, keeping track of not only your speed, but five other ponies' at all times, as well as their locations and what they were about to do? Fuck, that was _not_ something she usually did.

Still, it was _awesome_! The Wonderbolts were everything she'd thought they be and _more_!

The smile was still stuck to her face when Spitfire approached,

"Nice job, rookie. A bit rough around the edges, but you've got potential. The Academy will take care of you, no doubt about it," she said. Rainbow beamed,

"D-does that mean I got accepted?!" she asked eagerly. Spitfire frowned, and made a sound,

"Noooot quite. Like I said, we can consider this your preliminary exam to get in, but this is just the physical part. There is an _actual_ exam you need to take. Plus I've gotta fill out a bunch of paperwork, but, apart from that, I'd say you did well enough," she admitted, "Not perfect, mind you, but, hey, who is?"

Rainbow Dash stared at her idol for a moment, before nodding.

Yeah, that totally made sense. Can't just let anybody who can fly decently well into the Academy, right?

... But an actual test? Shit, she'd have to ask Twilight for help...

"So, uh... when is this test?" Spitfire grimaced,

"Well, we gotta wait for this term to end. The Academy is pretty similar to regular school. Learn shit, practice shit, graduate. This term started about a month ago, so you'll have to wait. Wouldn't exactly be fair to just let you in, and the Academy likes its 'equal opportunity' stuff, you know?" Rainbow nodded, reigning in her slight disappointment,

"Cool, cool... so, uh... what exactly is this test like?" she asked innocently. Spitfire smirked, seeing right through her without issue,

"Sorry rookie, but you're just gonna have to wait to find out," she said, then chuckled, "buuuut, I'll give ya a hint. It's about some stuff you'll have learned in Flight School, so you don't need to worry _too_ much," she revealed.

Rainbow stiffened at the admission, but valiantly kept her face straight.

On the inside, however, she was _freaking the fuck out_!

_Shit, shit, shit!_

Now she _definitely_ needed Twilight's help!

"Well, now that we've got that outta the way, I'd like to say thanks for clearing the area, it really helped," Spitfire began with a smirk, breaking Rainbow from her ruminations, "but we've got things from here. Your work here is done, so you and Fluttershy can head out. It's getting pretty late anyways," she added, glancing at the orange stained sky.

"Oh! Uh, yeah!" Rainbow stammered, "Er... night?" she muttered, drifting off over to Fluttershy, who was patiently waiting for her.

"See you at the Academy, rookie! And see you some other time, cuz!"

"Oh... um, goodbye... cousin?"

"Oh, uh, yeah! See ya, Spitfire!"

"That's Captain to you, rookie!"

"Y-yes sir, Captain!"

* * *

"Mhm! Got-ta say, Rarity, your designs are spec-ta-cu-lar as always!" Sapphire gushed, strutting around slightly in her new outfit, "Nice and breathable, easy to move in, wooo! How you ain't famous yet is a mystery to all ponykind!"

"Oh my, you're _far_ too kind, Sapphire," Rarity tittered, flushing faintly. Sapphire rounded on her, smiling,

"Now now! There won't be any talking like that! If I say it, I mean it! You are, with-out-a-doubt the best designer I've had the pleasure of meeting!"

Rarity smiled at the praise, and felt herself warm up as well.

As expected, her designs had come out spectacularly! Oh, yes, she'd had to make a few, minor, adjustments once they all tried them on, but, a part from that little hiccup, they were flawless.

They were, as Sapphire had said, breathable and easy to move in. Exactly the kind of thing a group of dancers needed!

And goodness, did they look spectacular! Why, if it wouldn't have made her all sweaty, she might've been tempted to hop on stage and join them herself!

But alas, she'd stick with her darling Ponytones back in Ponyville as far as such performances went.

... Goodness, she couldn't quite recall their last performance, had it been that long? Oh well, she'd just have to schedule a slight get-together, and perhaps a rehearsal for them! She was sure Toe-Tapper and Torch Song wouldn't mind, though Big Macintosh might be a bit harder to schedule for.

"You're words are worth quite a lot to me, Sapphire," Rarity admitted,

"Really now? And what makes you say that?" she asked, sounding curious. Rarity fidgeted slightly,

"Well... I am not sure if you're aware, but you were, without a doubt, my first big customer. Before then, I'd been limited to Ponyville, and, while I was fortunate enough to have Hoity Toity take an interest in my designs, you were the first individual who truly took interest." Sapphire blinked at her,

"Was I now? That can't be right, didn't Hoity purchase quite a few dresses and suits from you? I believe I recall seeing them somewhere before..." she noted. Rarity nodded,

"Well, yes, he did. But the designs he was interested in were made for my friends, and, even then, I never received any sort of _real_ boost in business or any such thing after he appeared. Perhaps I did receive a few more orders than usual, but nothing to truly connect the two. But after you bought my designs, I've had such an increase in orders that I doubt I'll be wanting for business for quite some time yet!"

Sapphire stared at her for a moment, before smiling,

"Well then, I'm glad I could be of help!" she gushed, then giggled, "But don't thank me _too_ much. I never would've discovered you if Em hadn't vouched for you," she admitted. Rarity blinked, and nodded,

"Yes, of course... Although, if you don't mind me asking, what was it you were in Ponyville of all places for if not for me?" she asked. Sapphire laughed,

"Oh, well I was actually visiting to give Em a late birthday gift, and I happened to mention looking for a new designer for my tour. He said you were a good one and pointed me right-to-you~"

"A late birthday gift?" Rarity found herself asking, "When was his birthday?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. She couldn't recall him ever mentioning such a thing.

In fact... she couldn't even recall _Pinkie_ mentioning it!

"On Nightmare Night. He turned twenty-three."

Rarity frowned, and committed the knowledge to memory. She was sure Pinkie would like to hear about this.

And if there was anyone who deserved a Pinkie Party, it was him.

Sapphire suddenly clapped her hooves together,

"Welp! As fun as all this was, it's getting pret-ty late!" she said, "Me and the girls have to head to bed! We'll need all the rest we can get for tomorrow! And I bet you do to!" Rarity glanced around, her eyes landing on the clock moments later,

"Oh my, 9:30?" she said, surprised, "I'm afraid I'll have to agree!" she added, beginning to clean her little work area.

"Well, it was great to see you again, Rar-i-ty!" Sapphire sang, "See you tomorrow then!" she chirped, and left, her hoofsteps gradually fading away, followed quickly by several other sets, leaving Rarity alone in the auditorium, cleaning.

She bit her lip suddenly, and shivered.

_Something... didn't quite feel right, all of a sudden._

* * *

Twilight panted heavily, and finally came to a halt, having to lean against the nearest building to catch her breath.

For the past two hours, she'd been running around Canterlot, trying to find where Emerald was. With every passing minute, with every failed attempt, she could feel herself getting more and more frantic!

What had started as a worried jog, had soon turned into a panicked run as she raced around the city, failing to find that green stallion.

In the back of her mind, Twilight noted that she _was_ being a little crazy. Emerald was fine, and all this running around, earning _looks_ from the nearby nobles, probably wasn't worth it, in the end.

But the rest of her mind just kept replaying that scene, _over_ and _over_ again.

-_A hoof grasped her shoulder, forcibly pulling her forward and onto the ground-_

_-a gasp-_

_-**silence**_-

_EMERALD!_

She shuddered, feeling the slowing beat of her heart pick up once again.

Logically, he was okay. She _knew_ he was safe, and, most importantly, _alive_. She knew, sheknewsheknew_sheknew_!

_But she had to see him, had to know for certain!_

**_Because what if he wasn't? She needed to be there, to see that he was okay. She needed to feel his strong, warm, beating heart to know, to make sure!_**

Twilight shook her head, dispelling the distracting thoughts with ease, decades of studying coming in handy for something other than learning for once.

With her head clear once more, she took off, immediately taking the first right she came to-

-and running face first into what felt like a brick wall.

The 'Oof' sound the wall made as she fell, however, painted it as anything but.

For a moment, she was dazed by the impact, but then her mind caught up with her, and she scrambled to her hooves.

"Oh sweet Celestia, I'm sorry! I-I wasn't-I didn't see-!"

"It's fine, I get it. You can quit failing to speak now," a sarcastic male voice replied. Twilight blinked and looked up, before freezing at the sight of the red and white stallion.

"H-hang on, aren't you...?" she trailed off for a moment, "... Emerald's brother?" she asked instead, unable to come up with a name.

The stallion scoffed,

"Yeah? And you're Twilight Sparkle, one of his... friends," he said, then smirked at her, revealing a set of unusually sharp teeth for an earth pony, "Name's Thorax, but call me Peppermint when I look like this," he said, gesturing down to his body.

Twilight blinked, and gave Peppermint(?) a once over.

...

What was he talking about?

"Umm... Okay, Th-Peppermint?" she stammered slightly, her thoughts beginning to race once more.

He'd been over in the Royal Medical Wing just before Emerald was discharged, so, maybe, he knew where he went?

Her eyes light up, and just as she was about to ask him, he spoke up,

"I'm not telling you where Em is, Sparkle," he said with a frown, completely cutting her off. Twilight sputtered,

"Wh-why not?!" she demanded, feeling a tad offended. Peppermint(?) shrugged,

"He needs to relax. Having you there, especially now, would probably get him worked up," he said, then sneered slightly, looking away, "He's bad enough already. I just had to mention it, didn't I?" he added, more to himself, and glanced back at her, "I'm not letting him get _even more_ distracted. So you can just head on back to the castle or where ever," he said, turning and walking away.

Twilight frowned, feeling her worry spike once more.

What was wrong with Emerald? Why was he distracted?

Was he hurt?! O-or scared?! Or what about-?!

Peppermint(?) sighed suddenly,

"You're like a cloud, you know? Honestly, what are you so Hivedamned worried about?" he asked, turning back to her, scowling slightly, "He's in good hooves, so quit freaking out. You're spoiling my appetite," he said. Twilight blinked, not _quite_ sure how she was supposed to take that.

"Now now, Peppermint," an older mare's voice suddenly said, "Is that any way to talk to a lady?"

Peppermint(?) scowled,

"She's a friend of Emerald's, so I really don't think it matters how I speak to her," he defended, turning to the right. Twilight followed his gaze reflexively, and almost gasped.

Walking up to them was an absolutely _gorgeous_ mare, the likes of which not even Canterlot models could compare. And, judging by the myriad stallions, and the few mares, behind and around them that were staring at her, she wasn't the only one who thought so.

A snow white coat so pure it made _clouds_ look tainted, expertly groomed down in such a way that she seemed to _shine_. A curly golden mane that appeared as soft as silk cascaded around her face, framing her face, one filled to the brim with soft curves and elegant features, with golden strands. A single, immaculately cared for, horn jutted from her forehead, causing her bangs to divert, falling down and over her left eye, hiding it from view. Contrasting her brilliant appearance, her eyes were a deep, dark green that seemed to pull in the light, yet shone with an inner light that was so obviously magical in origin. A brilliant green heart, surrounded by darker green flames adorned her flank, accidentally, or purposefully in some cases, drawing the eye to her supple flank, supported by strong legs not commonly found in unicorns.

"Is that so?" the model-esque mare asked, glancing at Twilight with interest, the dark jade of her eyes twinkling. Twilight swallowed unconsciously, and found herself responding,

"Y-yes."

The mare smiled, showing off a set of perfectly white, perfectly aligned teeth that could've blinded someone were it earlier in the day, and clapped giddily.

"That's wonderful!" she breathed, the soft, melodious tones of her voice soothing to the ear, "I've heard many great things about him. We have yet to meet, though I plan on changing that within the next few days," she said, before letting out a soft tinkling sound, reminiscent of a bell.

It took Twilight longer than she'd like to admit to realize that the sound was really the mare giggling.

"Oh!" the mare suddenly gasped, "My my, where have my manners gone?" she asked herself, extending a lone hoof, "It's a pleasure to meet you, dear." Twilight stared at the offered hoof for a moment, hesitating to take it out of the irrational fear that she'd somehow sully that pristine white coat. After a moment, however, she realized that she was hesitating, and shook the offered hoof,

"U-umm, hello!" she chirped awkwardly, smiling back at the mare, "I-it's nice to meet you too!" she squeaked. The mare giggled at her, taking back her hoof to cover her mouth,

"Your name is... Twilight Sparkle, correct?" she asked, earning a hasty nod. She smiled and nodded, as if confirming something to herself, "That would mean you're also the prized student of Princess Celestia herself, yes?"

"U-umm... yes," Twilight admitted, turning a faint red, not used to someone off the street taking so much interest in her.

"I must imagine, then, that you'd know quite a lot about magic. It must be hard to get out with all the studying I'm sure you do," she said, smiling sympathetically. Twilight blinked,

"O-oh... well, it's not _that_ hard," she muttered, and looked up at the mare, "D-do you study magic as well, Miss...?" The mare giggled once more,

"Oh no, I'm afraid I've learned all the things about magic that I need to know already. But I do admit, I have a hard time finding time to head out. I have quite a lot of children, you see, and a mother's job is never done, right Peppermint?" she asked, turning to Peppermint(?) with a knowing smile. He sighed,

"Yes Mother," he droned, as if bored with the conversation.

Twilight's eyes nearly bugged out at that.

_Mother?!_

She glanced at the mare, and then back at Peppermint(?) a few times.

_B-but she can't be that much older than me!_

There was no way a mare like her could be a mother! She looked far too young to have a son, let alone one who appeared around Twilight's age!

The mare chuckled,

"Oh yes, I get that reaction quite often," she said, smiling at Twilight, "It's quite flattering, really. It's nice to see that this filly's still got it," she added teasingly. She glanced up at the sky, and turned to Peppermint,

"Well, it's getting late, and I'd really like to meet this Emerald before we head home, dear," she turned to Twilight, still smiling, "This was a pleasant meeting, Ms. Sparkle. I do look forward to seeing you again at the wedding," she added, smiling knowingly.

Twilight turned red,

"W-wedding?!" she stammered, eyes looking around frantically, "I-I'm not getting m-m-married!" The mare smiled,

"Of _course_ you're not, Ms. Sparkle," she said teasingly, though it held a hint of something else, "I meant your brother's wedding."

At that, all the steam-_and consequently the embarrassment that caused it_-went out the window, and left her just staring dumbly.

"My... my brother's wedding?" she asked herself.

"You didn't know?" the mare asked, looking honestly surprised, "I would've thought he'd told you... Why wouldn't he? You _are_ his sister, after all," she said curiously, before shrugging, "Oh well, I'm sure he has a... _good_ reason," she finished, turning to walk off, "Come on now, Peppermint."

He clicked his tongue, and followed dutifully after the mare,

"Yeah yeah..."

Twilight stood there for a moment, lost in her thoughts. It wasn't until she heard Peppermint(?) speak that she realized the two of them were leaving.

"W-wait!" she called without thinking, "I-I never got your name!"

Th-this was Emerald's family, right? S-so shouldn't she at least know their names?

The mare paused and turned to face her, a soft, almost embarrassed, smile in place,

"Oh dear, did I forget?" she asked, then tittered softly, "My apologies. My name is Chrysalis. It was _very_ nice to meet you, Twilight Sparkle."

* * *

Emerald sighed quietly, having finally gotten a nice place to himself.

Admittedly, it wasn't the best spot, but, given how everyone seemed distracted with catching up with everyone else-_something he should be doing as well, his mind supplied_-it was decent enough for now.

He currently sat, hidden, on the other side of the grave-_not before paying his respects, of course_-where the stone was blank. Again, it wasn't not a good hiding spot, by any means, but it was working well enough at the moment.

There he sat, currently deep in his own head, while that one sentence kept replaying, over and over again.

_Also, the heck is up with you two?_

He knew something had changed. Had felt it the second he touched that stupid crown, but he'd dismissed it, thinking it was his damned stomach.

He recognized it now. A strange... hollowness. Something was missing. _He didn't know what._

Whatever it was, it had something to do with his diminished feelings for Sparky, and it was, without a fucking doubt, connected to the Elements.

How could it not be? The only thing in his-_their_ lives that had changed were the Elements. Logically, that meant the Elements were somehow behind all of this.

But, even so... it didn't make sense.

...

No, it made perfect sense. Discord had altered the personalities of the girls, somehow, so it stood to reason that the things that _countered_ him could do the same.

But that thought left a chilled feeling in his bones.

_Were the Elements of Harmony influencing his feelings?_

Of course, if that was the case, then how far did it go?

Wasn't it suspicious that the six, later seven, of them all ended up in the same town, _right next_ to where the Elements were stored, _just before_ they needed to be used again?

Discord had all but shouted at Emerald that he _was_ the Seventh Element, the Element of Sacrifice-_stupid fucking name by the way_-_not _that it had _chosen_ him. That implied that he'd _always been_ the Element of Sacrifice. That, again, implied that he was _the only one who could use it_, since, after all, he _was_ it.

If that was the case for him, then, didn't that mean that the girls, those six mares, were the _only six mares_ in _all of Equestria_ who could wield the Elements?

What were the chances that six, later seven, _specific_ individuals would all end up in _exactly_ the same _place_ at the same _time_, _exactly where they needed to be_?

Now, one could argue that Mother had sent him, _the only one who could be the Seventh Element_, to Ponyville to protect the six of them, but... Not only had jack shit happened, but why _him_?

Why move the most skilled guard in Equestria to a small town in the middle of practically fucking nowhere, in secret mind you, when she could have officially, and reasonably, sent a small task force to set up a base in Ponyville to protect the Bearers, while _publicly_ announcing she was doing so to mitigate the dangers of the Everfree Forest?

The records he'd looked at before heading to Ponyville had mentioned that Mayor Mare had asked for a small force to come to Ponyville, but all her request had been denied.

Why?

Of course, this was just him, so it_ could_ all very well be a coincidence. The mother of all coincidences and a million to one shot to boot, _but_ a coincidence nonetheless.

**_But what if he wasn't the only one?_**

Mother had done the same thing for Sparky, sending her right where she needed to be, at the same time that Sparky was panicking over Nightmare Moon's return. Being the studious little bookworm that she is, she would, _of course_ learn about the Elements... of... Harmony...

...

Fuck, this was... fuck this was... _this was beginning to freak him out!_

Of course she'd find the Elements with how studious she was! That was exactly who Twilight Sparkle was, after all! Not only that, but, hadn't she learned about Nightmare Moon's return the same way?! By studying books! Because that was _who she was!_

**_But did the Elements have a part in that, too?_**

Was Twilight Sparkle a studious little shut in because that was just how she'd been born, or had the Elements of Harmony _groomed _her to be that way?

After all, it was her shut in nature that not only got her to learn about the Nightmare's return, which would prompt Mother to send her to Ponyville-_had she known Twilight would be the Element of Magic, or was that a whim brought on by the Elements' influence?_-but it had also somehow roped in the _only five individuals_ who could use the others Elements and get her to rediscover the Element of Magic!

Not only that, but why had she accepted the friendship of those five so easily?

She'd had friends in Canterlot, three-_or was it four?_-mares she'd spent time with since her schooldays. Yes... he remembered them now that he thought about it...

Minuette, Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, and... Moon Dancer? Yes... no, wait... there was a fifth one, wasn't there?

Who...?

... Lyra. Lyra Heartstrings. Dro-Bon Bon's roommate.

She'd been friends with her before, but why had she never thought to visit?

She'd accepted Pinkie, Applejack, Rainbow, Rarity, and Fluttershy extraordinarily easily-_suspiciously easy, even_-but she had been almost completely disconnected from her old friends. Yet... they were similar, in some ways.

Logically, it didn't make sense. According to the report, she'd blown off her old friends not long before she'd just gone and accepted five other mares as friends, whom she'd not even known for a full day at that point, then _all but completely forgot_ about her old ones.

Come to think of it... he was in a similar position.

It was as though a film over his mind had been pulled away. Looking back on it, there was absolutely _no way_ he would've gotten along with Pinkie as well as he had. The last pony he'd met with a personality even half as grand as hers had pissed him off so completely, he'd nearly blown his disguise and roasted her alive!

The same applied for Rainbow Dash. He'd always had a severe hate for those who lazed around during work. Yet rather than hate, he'd only _disliked_ Rainbow Dash, and had, eventually, grown to respect, if not like, her.

And Fluttershy's personality would've driven him away almost immediately-_who wanted to deal with someone so **pathetic**?_-but he'd given her a chance and approached because she was _family_.

...

What if the Elements were responsible for _that_ as well?

Discord could manipulate reality, and the Elements had to be able to do the same to repair the damages he'd done. Who's to say they didn't make sure he'd be related to Fluttershy?

After all, he _somehow_ got along fairly well with the _only six mares_ who wielded the other Elements. And Discord had more than happily shown him-_shown all of them_-what happened when the Bearers weren't in sync. Or present.

...

_Fuck._

The Elements, seemingly, manipulated Twilight Sparkle's growth and personality, apparently brought his uncle and Fluttershy's mother together to make her-_and that might not even be the end of their reality bending 'guidance'_-and even influenced his thoughts into getting along with the other Bearers, and presumably influenced the others in the same way, all so that they could be friends and got along. The 'magic of friendship' was, after all, the key to using the Elements of Harmony.

For a moment, his mind went still, allowing the sounds of his family behind him to filter through his ears.

...

_The Facility._

With creeping dread, his mind went haywire at the realization.

_The Facility._

The Elements.

**_The Facility._**

No... no...

He was the only thestral who was taken. _He_, the **_only one_**. The Facility, the place that _made him_ in who he was today.

Or had it?

If the Elements were as substantial a factor in his-_their_ lives as he thought, then...

_Were they responsible for The Facility's existence?_

Did that mean...

**He** **_was made by the Elements?_**

**_The one who brought him and his family so much suffering..._**

**He **_**who**_**_ tormented them for His sick plans..._**

**_Were the Elements responsible?_**

If that was true...

His breathing suddenly picked up, his heart rate beginning to skyrocket.

_No, no no no no no nonononononononononononono-!_

His throat burned as his stomach twisted. He could feel-_taste_-the bile rising. He was going to be sick!

He shook his head, but nothing was helping. Something was _wrong_, he couldn't-couldn't breathe!

His back slammed against the grave as he backed awayawayawayaway-

_For an instant, the world went black-_

_-before returning just as quickly._

His eyes shot open, quickly followed by his head. He barely registered the blinding pain that struck his skull, and only distantly heard the sound of pained cursing beside him.

His head was pounding, not at all helped by the way his heart was beating in his ears.

Muffled voices eventually tried piercing through the haze. It wasn't until someone started shaking him that he realized he wasn't alone.

Blearily, he blinked his eyes and shook his head. The voices were coming in clearer now.

"-ck my fucking skull! What the fuck is his head _made out of_?!"

Well, Thorax was coming in clear, at least.

"Ha! Told you that would work, Dusk!" a male voice boasted from a few feet away. A masculine female voice from right beside him, opposite Thorax, scoffed,

"I don't care what you said, Oil, it's not proper procedure!"

"As if we'd be able to _do_ proper procedure! Isn't there something about not moving a patient in case they're injured?"

"So, uh... I don't need to run for help?"

"No, Quick, everything's fine."

"Nice."

He blinked a few more times, letting the fuzziness of the world slowly focus back in. Once that was finished, he turned to face the three voices.

The closest of the three was a coltish looking pegasus mare. With a mane as black as his own cut into a military style buzz cut, coupled with a midnight red coat that barely hid some well developed muscle, he doubted the mare in front of him was anyone other than Dusk Wing. The cutie mark of a feathered blue cross on her flank only proved it further.

Behind her was an effeminate unicorn stallion baring a royal purple coat and and bright lavender mane and tail styled into long curls, similar to Rarity's. His startlingly orange eyes twinkled humorously behind the rectangular frames of his rimless glasses, while an equally orange perfume bottle on his flank did the same thing.

Beside him was a tall earth mare with bright green eyes, a snow white mane wrapped in a tight bun, and a chocolate brown coat. Her equally white, and very short, tail was pulled into a loose braid, allowing clear viewing of her cutie mark of a winged hoof.

"Scented Oil. Dusk Wing. Quick Step," he greeted, startling the three into looking at him.

"Emerald, are you alright? How are you feeling? Any pain or discomfort anywhere?" Dusk immediately asked, forgoing greetings for a moment. He shook his head,

"I'm fine. A bit of a headache, but that's it." Dusk scoffed, her mouth twisted into a frown,

"Yes, the stallion that just fainted is fine."

"Are you gonna help me or not?!" Thorax suddenly snapped, growling at him. His hoof was being held up to his forehead, where a small gash oozing an almost neon green liquid sat. Dusk grunted, and rushed over to Thorax, bandage, somehow, already in hoof.

"Sorry Thorax, I figured the _unconscious_ body was a little more important than, what amounted to, a paper cut on your head." Thorax growled,

"Oh shut up."

While those two were busy, Emerald turned to face Scented and Quick,

"So... how's life?" he asked shamelessly, causing the feminine stallion to laugh,

"It's going pretty good! Dusk and I got married a few months ago and we're still working out our new schedules, but, aside from that, everything's fine." Emerald hummed, and glanced at Dusk,

"I see... am I gonna have to be on the lookout for a baby shower invitation anytime soon?" Scented laughed again,

"I hope not! Dusk would kill me if I got her pregnant anytime soon!" he joked, though his smile diminished somewhat, "Even if we wanted a foal right now, she's been getting more hours at the hospital, and my incense shop is getting more popular lately. We don't really have the time anyways."

Emerald nodded and rose to his hooves,

"That's perfectly understandable," he said, his eyes darting around for an escape route, but found none. Scented nodded once more,

"I know."

"So, now that you're attempt at diverting the conversation is over, mind telling us what the fuck just happened?" Quick suddenly asked, almost casually.

"I'd rather not," Emerald defended lamely, "It's... complicated."

"Yeah, because that excuse is completely valid," Thorax deadpanned. Emerald growled,

"You're the one who opened his mouth," he snapped, missing the way Thorax flinched.

"_That_ was uncalled for," Quick Step scolded, staring Emerald down. He glared right back at her, but eventually gave in when he went over his words. He sighed, and slouched to the ground,

"Yeah... I know. I just... had a bit of a crisis," he admitted.

"What kind of crisis?" Trixie's voice asked, prompting Emerald to look up and find himself surrounded by every member of his family,

"Yeah, what's wrong?" Blossom asked,

"Come on-" Dark Breeze began,

"-You can trust us!" Light Breeze finished.

"We're here so you can relax," Night Pulse added, smirking at him, though it died when Coco started leaning on her,

"What are we here for if you can't tell us what's wrong?"

"""Yeah!""" Butterscotch, Pumpkin Seed, and Melon Seed chorused,

"It's not healthy, you know?" Bright Spot asked,

"Keeping it all in," Dusty added,

"Yeah!" little Sunny Day chipped in,

"Tell us," Red Sky said simply, "or does Cotton need to give her Uncle Emerald hugs?" she teased, holding up the filly, who garbled at him while River looked on from behind,

"C'mon, tell us!" Winter Sun urged, followed by Fire Hoof,

"Yeah! Don't hold back on us!"

"It's not healthy for a young stallion to keep things so close to his chest," Auntie Amber cut in,

"She's right, you know?" Dusk said,

"Yeah, what're you afraid of?" Murky asked bluntly,

"Maybe you need a little help... relaxing?" Lemon asked, only for Murky to smack the back of her head,

"Down girl."

"Just tell us already!" Jet snapped, looking nervous.

Emerald blinked, letting the words of his family wash over him.

He smirked, and a small chuckle escaped him. Soon that small chuckle started growing, until it became a full laugh that startled a number of the individuals surrounding him.

"Woah, you go crazy or something?" Thorax asked, unhelpfully. Emerald smirked, and shook his head,

"No, no... I'm perfectly fine. Better than ever," he added, glancing around meaningfully. Eventually, however, he sighed, "I was just thinking about... The Facility, and stuff," he said, somewhat evasively.

"What the hay are you thinking about that place for?" Blossom asked,

"What, are we not good enough company?" Coco asked, earning yet another smack, "Ow!"

"Shut. Up."

Emerald shook his head,

"I dunno. Things have just been moving pretty quickly, lately," he said. There was a round of nodding around him,

"Yeah, makes sense," Quick said, "Moving fast isn't always the best thing. Even for racers," she added,

"You just have to slow down, and takes things one at a time," Dusk said seriously, frowning as she looked at him, "... It's getting late. Maybe you head back and get some rest. After today's excitement, I think we all might," she added, a little more positively.

"Alright," Emerald said, getting back to his hooves, making sure to stretch his back in the process, "I think... my head will be clearer in the morning," he muttered.

_Though, this whole Element business won't be..._

He hid a frown at the thought.

"I'll walk you back," Trixie suddenly said, moving to stand beside him, "Just in case," she added teasingly. He scoffed, but nodded,

"Thanks."

"Hey, what is family for?"

"Alrighty everyone!" Auntie Amber's voice suddenly boomed, causing everyone in the area's attention to immediately whip to where she stood, standing firm despite her age, "Off to bed with all of us! After tomorrow's celebration, we'll all meet up back here. Understood?!"

The resounding cry was enough to hurt Emerald's ears, but the smile on his face hurt a lot more.

* * *

He bid Trixie good night once they made it to his room-_which was located right next to the other Bearers, of course_-though he wasn't exactly looking forward to sleeping right now.

Who knows what sort of demented nightmares would visit him tonight. And after the fiasco with Discord, he had a feeling Luna would be a little too swamped with the rest of Equestria to bother checking in on him.

He sighed, and locked the door behind him. He didn't want to have to deal with anyone bothering him right now. Right now, he just needed to sleep. Maybe... maybe this whole Element business _will_ seem easier to deal with in the morning?

...

How the fuck was he going to tell the others about this? They _needed_ to know.

...

_Shit._


	34. The Return of Harmony: Aftermath (2)

He slept fretfully that night. The thoughts and worries refused to leave him the entire night, ensuring that any sleep he did manage to get was fitful and short.

He still couldn't believe it. Couldn't fathom the thought that the Elements of Harmony would do such a thing.

_But it made too much sense._

Was this life his?

_Or was it built to trick him?_

Despite going to bed at a reasonable time, he'd only managed a measly hour of sleep when the sun finally rose.

Emerald growled and, in a fit of exhausted anger, grabbed his pillow and threw it, as hard as he could manage, at the door when someone finally came by and knocked.

The pillow hit the door with a surprisingly hard ***THUMP***, causing whoever was on the other side to yelp and scamper off.

He almost felt bad. Almost.

Letting out a sigh that resembled a growl more than anything, he slid out of bed, not even bothering to remake it, but, before he could do anything else, another knock resounded off his door, and, now that he wasn't primed with a weapon, he was forced to actually answer it this time around.

The grumpy stallion wrenched open the door, but was unable to form any sort of greeting, half-assed or not, due to the purple streak that barreled into his chest.

**_-closerclosersharppiercingpainagony-_**

"Agh!"

He stumbled back slightly as Sparky collided with his chest, and felt her hooves wrap around him almost frantically. He could hear her ragged breathing, which was slowly calming down, as she desperately clung to him, her ear directly against his chest, like she was searching for his **_heart_**beat.

His anger died for a moment at the thought. Not that he was too surprised. Given what happened, he supposed it wouldn't be _too_ surprising for her to be so... concerned.

Yet... the _hollowness_ remained. Like yesterday, the hug should've caused his **_heart_** to beat faster, to warm his face, and to dry his throat. But there was nothing, nothing but a **_cold empty_** hole where the warmth would've been.

And the longer she held onto him, the more pronounced that _hollowness_ became. And with it, his anger started spiking once more. It burned and bubbled within, rising into his throat with every passing second, chasing away the **_cold_**. Eventually, he couldn't contain it.

"Get. Off."

She didn't seem to hear him for a moment, but his words reached her after a few seconds, and she nearly jumped away from him, looking embarrassed. His neck twitched slightly.

_Was she really?_

"S-sorry!" she stammered, "I-I was just-just worried!" she admitted, fidgeting slightly, "I-I was looking for you yesterday and I-!"

"Just... shut up, Sparky," he growled, though it ended up as a sigh towards the end. Her mouth slammed shut with an audible click, cowed.

"S-sorry," she murmured, "I... I just came to tell you that the celebration is starting in an hour, and we need to meet at the near the barracks before it starts," she said. Emerald nodded,

"... Fine. I'll be there in a minute... go on without me," he requested, though it was phrased closer to a demand. Sparky nodded, timidly, and walked off, looking oddly worried.

_Or was that fake as well?_

He shook his head, and banished the thought, before making his way into the connected bathroom for his morning routine.

He needed _some _semblance of normalcy before everything went to shit.

* * *

He stared at the doors that led outside for a lot longer than he'd meant to.

Just on the other side of this door, and through a small section of the Gardens, were the girls. The other Bearers. The ones whose lives could have very well not have been their own, instead _made_ by the Elements just to bring them all together.

He could feel the dread welling up inside him once again. Cold, freezing, yet burningly acidic in its texture.

_How was he going to tell them?_

_..._

_Did he even need to?_

He let the thought linger for longer than he should have, but ultimately dismissed it. He couldn't _not_ tell them. Even if it, miraculously, turned out to be false, he couldn't just keep it to himself.

It would fester and grow, and, eventually, he'd go mad if he did.

He hoped, prayed even, that the girls would somehow be able to convince, to assure him, that everything that had happened had been well and truly their own decisions. If everything just turned to be one huge _coincidence_, then...

He was afraid to find out.

At some point, he managed to find the courage to press through those doors, but the journey through the Gardens to the barracks still lay ahead of him, and, for once in his life, he cursed the distance.

Every step he took felt like another step towards the executioner's axe. Every inch closer only further sealed his fate. He felt his throat begin to dry. Soon, his courage left him, and, just as he was about to give in and rush back to the castle, they came into sight.

The girls were all there, sitting in the middle of the field together, not a guard in sight. They were happily chatting with each other, completely unaware of the invisible strings held by a, hopefully nonexistent, puppeteer.

For a moment, he stood on the very outskirts of the field, standing alone on the only path connecting the area. For a moment, they didn't see him, and he contemplated leaving.

But Pinkie soon spotted him, her eyes easily picking him out amongst the green surrounding them.

"Emerald!" she cheered, waving her hoof in the air erratically, "Come on! We saved you a spot!" she called, happily patting the ground between her and Sparky with the other hoof. Her shout got the others to look up and at him, each one of them sporting a smile at the sight of him.

Normally such a sight would've prompted him to smile in return, but now all he felt was an uncomfortable twist in his stomach.

_Were those smiles their own?_

He shook his head with a grimace, and made his way over to them, but stopped a few feet away and sat down, ignoring Pinkie's pleading eyes.

"Well, looks like somebody got up on the wrong side'o the bed this mornin'!" Applejack noted with a grin,

"Whatever is the matter, Emerald?" Rarity asked, frowning slightly, "Did you perhaps have a nightmare? I certainly did the night after that dreadful ordeal!" she admitted, before shivering, "Ugh... all those _awful_ boulders..."

**_-agasppainsilence-_**

His neck twitched.

"I... suppose you could say that..." he admitted, "I came to an... _interesting_ realization, yesterday..." he began slowly,

"What the hay does that mean?" Rainbow deadpanned, "Is it one of those things that Twilight freaks out over?"

"Hey!"

"... No..." he said hesitantly,

"Well don't leave us in suspense!" Pinkie said, almost eagerly. Emerald stared at them for a moment, before sighing.

_Fuck taking this slow._

"I think the Elements of Harmony have been influencing us," he said, getting right to the **_heart_** of the matter.

His words brought an immediate **_silence_** to the area, but it was broken fairly quickly when the girls all started laughing.

"Bahaha-What?! That's crazy!" Rainbow shouted in between bouts of laughter,

"I gotta say, ya had me goin' fer a second!" Applejack added, snickering, "I really thought somethin' was wrong!"

"Don't be _silly_, Emerald!" Pinkie cheered, "That's _my_ job!"

Emerald growled lowly at them, but stopped fairly quickly. Honestly, this was about the reaction he expected. It _was_ a farfetched idea at first thought. Still, that didn't mean he _enjoyed_ being laughed at.

"I am _not_ kidding," he snarled, causing the laughter to die down quickly. Rarity sighed,

"Emerald, darling, the Elements would never do that. Whatever would make you think they would do something so dreadful?" she asked gently, smiling at him as though he was a scared foal.

"Rarity's right," Sparky spoke up confidently, "The Elements of Harmony are powerful magical artifacts used to protect Equestria! They wouldn't-_couldn't_ do that!" she defended. Emerald scowled,

"Really?" he asked, "Then could you tell me... why exactly did you befriend these five mares, Twilight?"

Sparky blinked at the question, obviously not expecting it.

"W-well... when I first met them during the Summer Sun Celebration, I didn't think much of them," she admitted, a tad sheepishly when the others looked at her, "But-" she continued, "-I saw how wonderful each of them were when we went into the Everfree. They were willing to go into such a dangerous place with me, knowing how bad the Forest was, _and_ with Nightmare Moon on the loose. I saw how nice Fluttershy was, saw how... _cheerful_ Pinkie was, how trustworthy Applejack was, how generous Rarity was, and just how loyal Rainbow was, despite us all only really meeting each other a few hours ago," she revealed.

The girls were all smiling at her now, and, before they could go in for the hug Emerald knew they were about to have, he cut in.

"Alright, but what made them so different from your _first_ friends?" he demanded. Sparky blinked, and stammered slightly, looking surprised,

"Wh-what do you mean?" she asked, looking confused,

"You were completely and utterly _disconnected_ from the friends you had in Canterlot! Friends who went out of their way to invite you to every gathering they had just to spend more time with you!" he began heatedly, "You were so absorbed in your studies that you _disregarded_ their existence! If it wasn't for Spike, I doubt you'd even remember their names!" he snarled, "So what. Is. Different? What was it about the mares you knew for _less than a day_ that had you completely _toss aside_ the life you had before, the life that _dismissed friendship entirely_ with five mares you'd known _since you were a filly_?!"

Sparky's eyes were wide by the end of his little rant, and, from the looks of it, she was completely speechless as well.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Rarity's mouth open, but it closed as a strangely thoughtful expression took over her face, and she turned to look at Sparky.

"W-well," Sparky finally found her voice, "I-I... I don't really know," she admitted, swallowing heavily, "I just felt... I just felt... _connected_ with them, with you... I-I just..."

"Yes!" he hissed, "A _connection_! Like the Rainboom that gave us our cutie marks!" he pointed out, "The Rainboom that hundreds of thousands, if not _millions_ of creatures saw, that _directly led_ to _us seven_ getting our cutie marks at roughly _the same time_! The Rainboom that we'd have _never gotten our marks without_! Isn't it strange?! How us seven individuals not only got our cutie marks at the _same time_ but we all ended up in the _same place_ almost twenty years later, _without any communication_ between us, _whatsoever?!_ A place where you all _just so happened_ to _need_ and _find_ the Elements of Harmony _just before you used them_! A place that _I_ ended up, only a _few months_ before Discord escaped and a _Seventh Element_ was found just as we _needed it?!_"

**_-nothingdarknessblacknessavoicewhispering-_**

"Hey, I _chose_ to go to Ponyville to visit Fluttershy!" Rainbow snapped, "Nothing made me! And the Elements sure as fuck had nothing to do with it!" she added, almost smugly,

"Right," he said sarcastically, "Tell me, Fluttershy-" she started slightly as he addressed her, "-what made you choose to move to Ponyville, _specifically_?"

Everyone's eyes turned to Fluttershy at once, and the timid mare found herself in the spotlight.

"W-well... u-umm... I couldn't decide where to go..." she began quietly, "s-so my Mom and I got out a map and... she had me close my eyes and pick a spot," she admitted, "P-Ponyville was where my hoof landed..."

"How _lucky_ that you'd _randomly_ picked the _one place_ you'd find not one, not two, but _six distinct_ friends who _all just so happened_ to all be Elements Bearers, _just like you_," he turned back to Rainbow Dash, "a place you _just so happened to visit_ one day, _randomly_, yes?" he asked.

Rainbow's earlier smug grin had faded, but she nodded.

"And, tell me, if you just _randomly_ visited, what was it that made you _stay_?"

Rainbow swallowed at this, fidgeting nervously,

"W-well... the Weather Team was short a member and... there weren't a lot of pegasi in town back then, so they asked me to help out and... gave me a job when I turned out to be pretty good at it," she admitted.

"A job that would _keep_ you in this town for long enough to find five interesting friends. A job that _just so happened_ to be _absolutely perfect_ for you. So perfect that you never once thought of moving, right?"

Rainbow nodded, looking as though she'd just sucked on a particularly sour lemon.

Emerald turned to the others, whom were all looking nervous.

"How about you, Pinkie?" he asked quietly, "Why did you choose to come live in Ponyville?"

Pinkie swallowed, her mane deflating slightly,

"Well, the ponies here just looked so... grumpy! An-and when I cheering everybody up, they were super happy!" she began, "A-and... and the Cakes saw that I was new in town and just a filly, so they offered to let me stay the night as a thank you... when I got up the next morning I saw they were making stuff and I was curious," she said, almost sadly, "Mr. Cake asked if I wanted a cookie and... I'd never had a cookie before. It was really good!" she added, smiling slightly, but it faded after a moment, "I asked him how he made it, and he said I could help him and Mrs. Cake make some more if I wanted. I thought it was super fun, and I wanted to keep baking stuff," she added, rubbing her front hooves together, as if she was nervous, "they said I could keeping helping them if I wanted and... I never left," she finished.

"Was Ponyville the first town you visited?" Emerald asked, and then continued when Pinkie nodded, "And why was that?"

Pinkie shuffled, and he could see how her cheeks went even pinker than usual,

"W-well... my family knows where a lot of the quarries in Equestria are, since we run a rock farm and stuff," she began, "They thought the Ponyville Quarry was still running and said I should go there since I'd probably find work so I could take care of myself."

"And instead of that, you found a small town that _needed_ you, as well as a job that you _loved_. Two things that would guarantee that you'd _stay_," he noted, before turning to Applejack, "And you have a family run farm that you and your siblings are going to inherit one day," he said. He nearly turned to Rarity, but Applejack spoke up,

"I left," she said firmly, though he could see how shaken she was, "I... I left," she repeated, obviously a bit distracted.

"And you came right back when the Rainboom _led you here, exactly where you needed to be_," he countered, "exactly where the Elements were," he added, and finally turned to Rarity.

"... I was born in Ponyville," she said before he could speak, "I lived here with my family for my entire life, until I was old enough to take care of myself. I turned our home into a place of business, and I've never needed to leave, since..." she swallowed, "since everything I've ever needed could either be ordered or found in the abandoned quarry," she took a shuddering breath, "... and I just so happened to have developed a spell to lead me to the gems I needed when I earned my cutie mark," she added.

Emerald nodded, and turned back to the whole group.

"... And when I had just about given up, I happened to get my first taste of freedom in the form of a giant, flying rainbow. And when I got out, I dedicated myself to working off whatever debt I'd felt to the Princess, which eventually ended up with me coming here, a few months before I awakened the, completely unknown up to that point, Seventh Element. In that town, I met several mares I normally wouldn't have interacted with beyond the minimum necessary. At least I wouldn't have, if I hadn't, for some reason, found myself enjoying the presence of one of them-" he glanced at Pinkie, "-related to one of them-" he glanced at Fluttershy, "-found one _less_ annoying than anticipated-" Rainbow this time, "-found myself interacting with two of them beyond what I would've normally-" Applejack and Rarity, "-or found myself falling for the sixth one, seemingly out of nowhere," he finished, gazing directly into the eyes of one Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight gasped, and a few of the other mares even smiled, but it all died when he continued.

"Another thing is all those events around town. Both the ones that happened before and after I came to town. Scim and Scam, the hospital, the Best Young Fliers Competition, the Running of the Leaves, Trixie's show, the ticket scandal-" the girls blushed at this one, "-the dress scandal-" more embarrassed flushing, "-all of _that_ and everything that came after and maybe even leading up to _this moment right now_-" he took a heavy breath in through his nose, before letting it out, "... all of that... all of it seemed to slowly bring us all closer together. The little things you can argue as being natural, but some of it just doesn't make sense. Little moments that seemed oddly out of character suddenly turning into somewhat big issues that we all had to move past, and ended up growing closer as a result?" he shook his head, "No matter how I look at it... it all points back to the Elements."

He went silent after that, and refused to meet the others' collective gaze. Even so, he could tell that they were behaving in almost the exact same way, choosing to look _anywhere_ but _here_.

Eventually, the **_silence_** broke.

"I-I... I can't believe it," Applejack said, "That's... that ain't..."

"I know," Sparky said, looking lost, "... it's... hard to imagine but... if everything was because of the Elements... then...?"

"Are we really even friends?" Fluttershy asked, her usually quiet voice coming out like thunder in the awkward **_silence_**. Rainbow Dash snarled,

"That's such bullshit!" she snapped, "Faust! After everything that's happened, you're all just telling me it was _fake_?!" she growled, standing up and beginning to stomp around, "You're all saying that everything I've-that _we've_ ever done was fucking _fake_?!"

"Calm down, Rain-" Rarity tried to say,

"Don't tell me to fucking calm down!" Rainbow snarled, cutting Rarity off, "There's no fucking way my life isn't mine! I've worked my ass off for what I've got! You can't just fucking tell me that _my_ life isn't _mine_! We're _friends_, Faustdammit! After everything that we've been through, even if the Elements had something to with it, that was all _real_! We're _real_ friends! C'mon guys!"

Despite Rainbow's heated words, none of the others stood up and agreed. Instead-

"But what if we're _not_?" Pinkie asked, her mane laying completely flat by this point. Rainbow sputtered,

"Wha-Pinkie! What are-what are you _saying?!_" Rainbow demanded, "_Of course_ we're friends!" she said, looking around at the others, "R-right?!"

Before anyone could reply, the familiar voice of Fine Print suddenly spoke up,

"Ah, there you all are!" she called, startling the group into looking at the smiling mare, "The Princess says it's almost time to start. Are you all ready?"

The seven of them looked at each other, clearly having forgotten what was happening today.

Emerald's throat felt swollen. He... he couldn't speak. Couldn't bring himself to.

How... how the fuck were they supposed to go out now?

Despite his thoughts, and clearly against her better judgement, Sparky nodded,

"Y-yes... we're ready."

"Great!" Fine Print said cheerfully, "Follow me, then!"

The seven of them spared each other a glance as Fine Print spun around and trotted off. For a moment, they did nothing. Eventually, Sparky rose and followed after the mare.

A minute passed, before Applejack followed suit, soon followed by Rarity, Pinkie, then Fluttershy.

He and Rainbow were soon the only two left in the area. He could feel the mare's gaze burning a hole through his skull, but he didn't dare meet her gaze. After a few minutes, Rainbow huffed and trotted off.

Emerald waited for a moment, and did the same.

* * *

Celestia couldn't help but smile, very discreetly poking her head through the stage's curtains

It was such a wonderful sight to see. All these ponies patiently waiting, the absolute sea of bodies eagerly anticipating the celebration to come. She felt the familiar shiver up her spine that came with the knowledge that, in less than ten minutes, she'd be out on stage, addressing all of them.

And, perhaps more excitingly, her sister would be there, right beside her!

_Exactly where she belonged._

Celestia sighed at the thought, and retracted her head. Her sister's absence had hurt her more than she'd predicted, though that wasn't much of a surprise. You never knew what you had until it was gone, after all. No amount of 'guessing' or 'predicting' could've prepared her for the truth.

She shook her head.

Oh would you look at her! Thinking about the past like that when she could, instead, be living in the present and looking forward to the future! A future that _did_ have her only remaining family with her.

Despite her intentions, the thought of family sparked something within her.

She supposed they _could_ go visit home for a week or two. But, then again, she didn't didn't know how much their old town had changed in the one and a quarter millennia since they left. The town could very well be a city by now!

Then again, probably not. Alicorn fertility rates weren't exactly high. It had been quite the surprise for her parents when they'd discovered her mother was pregnant with Luna nearly forty years after she'd been born.

As she'd still been a child at that time-_Alicorns had always had a different perception of time than Equestrian ponies. It was only natural_-she had, of course, been absolutely _delighted_ to have a baby sister.

Unfortunately she and Luna had been polar opposites growing up those first couple hundred years.

She had been mischievous and always got in trouble.

Luna had been a stickler for rules and was often the reason she got in trouble.

Luna was simply the kind of foal who grew up faster than the ones around her. In contrast, Celestia had acted like a child long into her teenage years-_that is, 150 to 450 years old, give or take a few decades_-and had only _really_ started maturing after her 540th birthday, which was roughly 50 years before they both left home and 150 before they encountered Discord, who was in his 224th year of tyranny over Equestria. It had taken a little over 70 years for them to imprison him in stone with the Elements, but, even after all of that, she had been lacking in maturity.

So when, roughly two hundred years of ruling Equestria after that, her sister had turned against her, she had not been wise or mature enough to see what had been happening. Elements or no.

Although, a small part of her latched on to, it proved that Luna hadn't been _quite_ as mature as Celestia had always thought she was.

Granted her sister had only become an adult a few hundred years ago at the time. So her slight immaturity was perfectly understandable.

Now, 1,000 years later, and the tables seem to have turned. Now Celestia was the mature one, and Luna was the one playing catch-up, if only somewhat. Likely a result of having been possessed for all those years and therefore unable to grow mentally.

She felt a little guilty over the slight joy the thought of _finally_ being able to play the part as Luna's big sister-_Luna had more than often been the one scolding her when they were young. And hadn't that been a blow to her teenage pride?_-but she was only mortal.

Although...

_-yet who is it that __sits on the throne?!_

She was still making mistakes. Discord's magic might have brought Nightmare Moon back for a few terrifying hours, but, in the end, it was still Luna's mind and Luna's body.

_-you haven't _accepted_ me back!_

In truth, she'd wanted to avoid overburdening her still recovering sister. Slowly placing her old duties back upon her shoulders had seemed the smartest decision to help her adjust back to the world she'd missed out on. She supposed... she had misjudged her sister, once again.

She'd have to talk with Luna about returning the rest of her old responsibilities, and she'd definitely have a second throne made within the week, if not the day. She deserved nothing less.

With all that in mind, she wondered how their parents would react to seeing them again.

Hmm, knowing them they'd just get on her case about not having a foal yet.

She was only 1,817! She was still young!

Though the thought had crossed her mind more often than she'd like to admit. Being a mother _would_ be nice. It was... part of the reason she'd been so eager to take on students over the years. The other being severe loneliness without Luna around.

To see them grow right in front of her, with the knowledge that she had helped them do so? Even if none of them had been hers, she'd still taken pride in each and every one of them.

As she was thinking, her eyes slid over to a large tarp-covered mound to her right.

It was certainly quite large, standing a head taller than herself, and just as wide as a pony.

It was, of course, Emerald's statue/late birthday gift.

Emerald had more than passed any expectations she'd had of him during their first encounter. Such a scared, worried little colt. She'd been stunned when she saw what he ended up becoming!

But she'd also been quite happy. After all, the colt she'd taught to read and write, the colt who had looked up to her for so long had finally become something great! How could she not be proud of him?

... Admittedly, she'd wondered if all the time she'd spent with Emerald was what it was like to have a son.

After all, it was one thing to teach foals about magic, but it was another entirely to teach them to read and write. Especially when the latter also sought her approval for things, came to her with any problems regarding life, and was generally there when she needed him to be.

Of course... she'd _never_ say that to him. Or anyone else for that matter.

Though, the thoughts brought back memories of... _him_. _He_'d been much the same as Emerald, astonishingly so in fact. There were times, rare as they were, that Celestia couldn't help but overlap _his_ image onto Emerald's.

Thankfully, Emerald was going in a direction that Sombre never had.

"I've brought the Bearers as you requested, Your Highness!" Fine Print's voice snapped her from her stray thoughts, and brought her back to where her head actually needed to be.

She blinked and looked over at the prim and proper mare, who was smiling at her with her clipboard clutched to her chest.

"Oh, thank you for bringing them here, Miss Print," she thanked, though a glance behind the mare did not reveal the ones she was looking for, "Hmm... are they waiting on the other side, perhaps?" she asked. Fine Print blinked at her, and turned around, finding the area behind her completely empty.

This did not seem to be what she was expecting, as she immediately turned red, sputtered what might've been an apology-_she couldn't tell_-and darted out the back door. The walls muffled the sound, but she was sure she could make out some slight yelling, before the door opened once more and the seven ponies and lone thestral strolled in.

She went to greet them, but froze when she took in their appearance.

None of them were looking at each other. They were all stiff and looked like they wanted to be anywhere but right there. A few of them, notably Pinkie and Fluttershy, even had the beginnings of tears in their eyes. However, what stood out to her the most, was Emerald.

He looked... haunted. And a tad guilty.

What in the world had happened to them?

* * *

Try as she might, Mother had been unable to get so much as a word out of the lot of them. Not even Sparky had said so much as a word to her!

That, of course, only made him feel worse. Clearly, informing the others of this thoughts-_which unfortunately turned out to be more true than he feared_-had been the correct course of action, but the fallout had been much worse than he predicted.

He'd made _Pinkie_ question their friendship. Out of all the ponies here, he'd thought she'd be the only one to push past that, but, much to his surprise, that had been Rainbow Dash.

He could see her now, from the corner of his eye. She, like the others, wasn't paying any attention whatsoever to Mother's speech. Even as she spoke of their achievements against Discord-_namely breaking free of his control before valiantly standing up to him_-Rainbow didn't stop scowling.

In a way, he was flattered that she'd been the only one to deny his theories regardless. She was the only one of the seven, and he meant the _only one_, who flat out refused to believe their lives were fake.

_But they **were**._

_Their choices had not been theirs._

_Their desires were not their own._

_Their feelings were planted._

**_They were mere puppets, bred and groomed to defeat Discord, or die trying._**

**_He Knew That Best, After All._**

He supposed that was to be expected of the one who bore the Element of Loyalty. After all, loyalty to one's self was just as important as loyalty to others, if not more so.

Despite his thoughts, Emerald _had_ been paying attention to Mother's speech, if only because he knew, as the most recent Element _and_ the Champion, that he would be called upon, either to make a speech of his own-_he hoped not, as Mother hadn't said anything about giving a fucking speech_-or simply for introductory purposes. For the most part, it was simply filler. Minor propaganda about friendship being stronger than evil, how they needed to unite in the wake of Discord's defeat, they were the saviors of Equestria, blah blah _blah_.

And there it was. His name, his status as Champion, his tenure as such, his accomplishments as such-_there were quite a lot of gasps, both in the crowd and around him_-as well as his species, and relation to the Elements of Harmony as the Seventh Element.

Oh, there was the statue too. Simple marble. He was standing tall, holding his spear-_he needed a new one he reminded himself_-perpendicular to himself. He supposed it was flattering, in a way.

At least it was kept simple. He would've killed someone-_himself, most likely_-if it were anything complicated or overly grandiose.

Ah, he was being dismissed. Good. He could hardly stand being up there, _stared_ at by all those ponies. They had been astonishingly calm when they learned that he was a thestral, but he was sure something would come of it when it sunk in.

He should be worried about that, really, but in light of a _distinctly more important_ fact, it was sadly ignored.

Eventually the speech ended, and Emerald was sure more than one pony out there sighed in relief. Mother's speeches often tended to be long and filled with pointless pleasantries, but, then again, that might just be his thoughts.

Of course, once the curtains closed and the stage ponies began packing the thing up-_that was going to take awhile_-Mother addressed them, thanked them personally for all their help, and told them to _please_ enjoy the celebrations, before the seven of them immediately split apart.

She knew something was wrong-_how could she not?_-and Emerald honestly contemplated telling her. He dismissed the thought immediately after, however.

He'd done enough damage telling the ones it affected after all. Who knows what would happen if Mother found out?

No, it was best that they... that they tackled this by themselves.

But... was there even a point?

The realization meant the end, after all.

The **_cold_**, bloody end.

**-pain-**

**-agony-**

_**-silence-**_

* * *

Applejack huffed to herself, and very calmly pretended she wasn't upset.

The crushed cup in her hoof, however, made that impossible.

She sighed, and tossed the useless thing away, before leaving the buffet table behind her. She was going to flip the thing if she didn't. It was just about the only thing she _could _do. Her mind was way too occupied to think of doing anything at this... stupid party.

She cursed this damned day. It was such a nice one too! She crawled outta bed all happy, met up with her friends, who were all _just as happy_ and then, outta left field, Emerald came along and _ruined_ it!

She felt the anger in her chest rise and begin to boil, but it fell flat after a few lingering moments.

She couldn't be mad at him. Not with the how badly the news seem to affect him when he told them. And she couldn't blame him either. The thought that her entire life was _worthless_ was not something that anybody could just brush right off like it was nothing. For what he'd gone through, to learn that something _made_ it happen to him was... harrowing, no doubt.

A sad sigh escaped the farmpony as she leaned against the wall of a building she didn't recognize, letting herself fall flat onto her flank. It wasn't fair. Was _everything_ fake?

Granny Smith. Big Mac. Applebloom.

Ma. Pa.

Her entire family.

Were they even supposed to be her family in the first place? Or was that just something the Elements did to make sure she'd stay in Ponyville?

What if her parents weren't meant to have a foal between Big Mac and Applebloom? What if they _were_ meant to have one, but it was supposed to be somebody _else_? Did that mean that she took the poor thing's place? Did that mean that she'd-she'd _killed_ some defenseless little foal _just_ so she could use the Elements in the future?

Applejack swallowed bitterly. The thought alone was enough to make her sick.

And what about her friends?

Heh, her _'friends'_.

What would her life be like if the Elements hadn't existed? Would she be somewhere else right now? Would she have _actual_ friends who _actually_ cared for her? Hay, maybe her life would be _worse_!

She scoffed. Like that was possible. What could possibly be worse than learning that your _entire life_ was nothing more than a _lie_ made by a bunch of stupid fucking _rocks_?!

Her hoof lashed out in anger, punting a nearby pebble through the air, completely disregarding wherever the thing would end up.

"Ow!"

Her ears perked up at the outburst and, for a moment, she couldn't help but feel guilty. She hadn't meant to hurt anybody.

The thought, however, sparked another surge of anger within her.

Yeah, _she_ felt guilty. Or was that the Element's fault? Were her emotions even _hers_ or were they just made by the Elements to make her _think_ she was like this?

Thinking about that only made it worse.

She used to be an unrepentant liar when she was a filly. She learned the value of honesty after that one incident with the Zap Apple Jam. But that had been fake too, hadn't it? The _value of Honesty_? As if! That was nothing more than the Elements just-just-just _grooming_ her to think like that so she could use the Element of Honesty!

"Well now, you sure look pissed off," a familiar booming voice interrupted her thoughts. Applejack blinked, and looked up as a shadow suddenly covered her, finding the source of the shade to be a grinning minotaur.

"Iron Will?" she asked, only receiving a loud laugh in response,

"Yep! That's me! Iron Will's the name, and don't you wear it out!" he boomed, flexing his arms impressively. Applejack scoffed,

"Howdy Will, it's... good ta see ya again, I guess," she muttered dully.

"You guess?" Will asked, smirking down at her, "Well now, and here I thought we'd become friends, Aj! Ah, I guess not," he said sarcastically, shrugging his shoulders exaggeratedly, "What's wrong, then?" he asked, plopping down on the ground next to her, his weight causing her to bounce off the ground slightly, before he leaned back.

"Ain't nothing wrong, Will," she lied, ignoring the way her stomach twisted. It was just her Element's doing.

"Mhm," he frowned at her, "an' that pebble you kicked at me was just for fun?" he asked. She winced at that,

"Sorry..." she muttered. Will chuckled,

"Tell ya what. If you tell me what's botherin' you, I'll forgive ya. Deal?" She frowned, and eyed him for a minute, before eventually giving in.

Who knows, maybe talking about it would help?

Doubtful, but she'd try.

"Ya know 'bout the Elements'o Harmony, right?" she asked for clarification, and continued when he nodded, "Well... turns out they've been controllin' mah life. Mah friends' lives too. They made _everythin'_ happen, an' I..." she swallowed, feeling her eyes grow hot, "I-it's _fake_, nothin's-nothin's _real_! It's j-just some-s-some _lie_ they were tellin' us ta get us to werk tagether!" she snapped, ignoring the way the tears ran down her face, leaving hot, wet streaks as they fell. Iron Will was silent, but he was nodding along,

"... Yeah," he began suddenly, "that, uh... that's definitely pretty rough to think about," he said. Applejack scoffed,

"Ya think?" she muttered petulantly. Iron Will sighed,

"Yeah, I do. But... how'd ya come up with all that?" he asked. Applejack shrugged,

"Emerald went an' figured all that out, all by 'imself," she revealed, causing Iron Will to frown,

"Huh... that doesn't sound like him," he muttered, before shaking his head, "Anyhow, does that really matter?" he asked. Applejack sputtered and whipped her head around to look at him,

"Wh-whaddya mean 'does that really matter?'?!" she snapped, "O'course it does!" Iron Will shrugged,

"How so?" he asked, almost like he was challenging her. Applejack huffed, staring at him in outrage,

"Mah life was fake! _I_ wasn't in control of what_ I _wanted ta do!" she hissed, jumping to her hooves, which put her at eye level with him,

"And neither was I," he suddenly countered, bringing her up short. She made a confused sound, and shook her head,

"Ya don't-"

"I _do_ get it," he cut her off sharply, his voice taking on a dark tone, one that promised pain if she continued that train of thought, "Do you think I _wanted_ to be calfnapped by some mad scientist and experimented on?" he asked severely. Applejack swallowed, and looked away, ashamed at having forgotten,

"... No," she whispered, falling back onto her flank, "I'm... I'm sorry..."

"I was _not_ in control of my life," Iron Will continued, as if he'd never heard her, looking off into thin air, his eyes stormy, "I was captured and stuck in a cage for the first half of my life. I _hated_ living back then. I wanted nothing more than to be _done with life_," he revealed, though he didn't see the way Applejack's eyes widened at him, "but... then things got better," he added, his tone going soft, "I found a new family, we got away from all... _that_, and now I get to travel across Equestria, helping ponies and getting money to really kick off my dream," he finished. She blinked,

"Yer... dream?" she asked. Iron Will nodded, a bright smile lighting up his face,

"I love exploring. I love going out into the world and seeing everything this place has to see!" he said, and looked at her, "One of these days, I want to buy myself an airship and start up a touring business. That way I can show everyone else in the world what I've seen and help them learn more about this wonderful world we find ourselves living in!" he gushed, his eyes lighting up, even as he pumped his fist excitedly.

"That... sounds nice, Will," she complimented. It really did. Seeing the world wasn't a bad thing. Heck, she'd done the same thing as a filly, after all! Gone right off to Manehatten to see her Aunt and Uncle Orange.

The warm thought quickly soured when recalled how it ended.

_The Elements had brought her back._

"Thing is-" Iron suddenly continued, breaking her from her darkening thoughts, "I never would've learned how much I liked exploring-never would've _dreamed_ of the seeing the world-if that chapter of my life hadn't happened," he said, then looked her right in the eye, "That's why I don't see how it matters whether you had 'control' or not. Even if you didn't, it doesn't change the fact that this 'control' helped you find things you love doing, creatures you love being with, and places you love being in. Your life might've been manufactured to use the Elements, but the life you needed was one filled with great friends, great family members, and a great deal of happiness. Maybe you would have loved a different life, maybe you would've hated a different life-" he added, almost as an afterthought, "-but that's a case of what-ifs and, well... if wishes were bits and all that."

Applejack was struck silent.

He... but...

She bit her lip, and turned away.

That... that made... _too much sense_.

She _did_ love her family. She _did_ love her friends.

_But... but what if that was just the Elements?!_

**_But what if it wasn't?_**

Maybe... just maybe... this _was_ her? After all, she was pretty happy with her life. Great family, steady lifestyle, wonderful friends...

Were they putting too much stock in Emerald's fears?

No... no everything fit together too well for it to be wrong. The Elements _definitely_ influenced their lives. But... was that... was that bad? After all... she loved her life. If she hadn't been in Ponyville, she wouldn't have her family or her friends. Thing is, she even had proof that life outside Ponyville wasn't so great, not for her at least. She was downright _miserable_ over at her Aunt and Uncle's. She loved them, but they didn't exactly live a life she liked. If she had decided to _stay_ back there, instead of coming home...

Except... that wasn't possible, after all...

_The Elements brought her home._

_They brought her back to her family._

_They brought her back to the place she'd meet all her wonderful friends._

She loved her life. Without a doubt. So... if living the life she loved meant living a life the Elements had made for her... a life that made her happy...

Then, what was the problem?

If she was happy, then didn't that mean the Elements had done her a favour?

Applejack scoffed suddenly, startling Iron Will, who had jumped at the unexpected sound.

"Yer right," she said simply, staring off into the space in front of her, "yer... yer darn right!" she repeated. Iron Will chuckled,

"'Course I am!" he boasted, "Helpin' ponies be assertive ain't the only I'm good for!" Applejack laughed and jumped to her hooves, a bright smile on her face,

"An' yer doin' a real bang up job, too!" she praised, looking around wildly, "I... I gotta talk ta the others! Thanks fer all the help Iron Will, but the rest is up ta me!" she chirped, before bolting off.

Iron Will watched the farm mare run off, smirking after her.

"Hehe... still got it."

* * *

Pinkie slumped over her chair, not even caring about the thirty-two empty plates beneath her, all of which were painstakingly licked clean only moments prior.

Pinkie was sad. There was no denying that. And there was also no denying how much she didn't like being sad.

But what else was she supposed to feel? She'd just learned the friendship equivalent of nobody liking her parties anymore!

She'd learned that her friends weren't _really_ her friends, and that all of her parties-_even the super special ones!_-hadn't been done because she wanted to, but because some silly rocks made her do them!

Did that mean she wasn't really happy? Were all her silly jokes and funny faces fake too?

Did she even _like_ parties? Or cakes? Or pies? Or cupcakes? Or brownies? Or-or anything?!

She sighed, idly reaching for yet another of the delicious-_but not very happy looking_-cupcakes, when a familiar talon caught her hoof in a surprisingly gentle grip.

"Miss Pinkie," the familiar voice of Gustave le Grande said, even as he eyed each of the plates stacked neatly beneath her, "You've been sitting, or leaning, rather, there for the past hour, doing nothing but eating. While I'd like to take that as a compliment towards my cooking, I somehow doubt that is the reason. Would you care to explain?"

Pinkie pouted slightly at up at the older griffon-_wait how old was he?_-but sighed a moment later.

"Nothing," she mumbled, sinking back into her chair. Gustave sighed,

"As admittedly cute as this is, I'm afraid I won't be taking that as an answer. Now, you can either tell me the truth, or I drag you back to the kitchen and stuff you into the freezer until you talk. I'm going to find out either way. Your choice." Pinkie frowned at him, but she really didn't want to go in the freezer.

So she told him.

She'd only gotten a few-_dozen_-sentences out when he suddenly grabbed her muzzle, forcibly holding her mouth shut, whilst pinching the top of his beak with his other talon.

"So... let me get this straight. You think the Elements of Harmony are manipulating your lives, and you're worried that everything you've ever done was nothing but a lie they created to ensure you'd use the Elements. Is that right?" he asked. Pinkie nodded enthusiastically, which caused him to let go of her,

"Yep!"

He sighed,

"And... you say Emerald came up with this theory?" another nod, "Hmm... to be frank, I don't see how he could have possibly come up with something like that. It's too... out there, but... yes... I can certainly see how something like that can be... terrifying. To understand that you lived a life you disliked not through your own fault, but because you were forc-"

"I like my life!" Pinkie supplied cheerfully, cutting him off. Gustave blinked, and regarded her with a weary eye,

"Ah... of course you do," he muttered, only for his face to twist in confusion, "Then... what is the issue? If you enjoy the life you have, then what does it matter if it was built through manipulation or forces out of your control?" he asked. Pinkie blinked, and tilted her head, which caused the griffon to sigh.

"What I mean is..." he trailed off and sighed once more, "Fine, why don't I give you an example? My life, for instance, was controlled largely by things outside of myself. I was taken from my home when I was but a chick, and kept in, what amounted to, a perverted hospital where I, and all those close to me, were subjected to numerous horrific experiments that killed most of us, traumatized the rest, and utterly _broke_ one of us-Misty Rose, the poor dear," he interrupted himself, holding a claw to his chest, before continuing, "but even so, it eventually got me where I am today, doing what I enjoy. Cooking for royalty!" he chirped, smirking, "With my present in mind, why should my past matter?" he asked, leveling a stare at her, "If you have a good life, then why does how you got to it matter? Why does it matter if something else brought you here, as long as you enjoy where you've ended up and where you're going?"

Pinkie blinked at him, utterly stunned.

All for a few seconds before she smiled and began clapping.

"Wow! That was a really good speech!" she gushed, causing Gustave to chuckle,

"Thank you, Miss Pinkie," he said, his smirk turning smug, "I've been told I'm rather captivating more than once," he boasted, holding a claw to his chest once again, while turning his beak up at her.

"You're right!"

"Well, of course I-"

"I really like my life!" Pinkie continued, unaware of Gustave's continued boasting, "So what if the Elements helped me? That just means they wanted to make me happy!" she chirped, and, with both that thought in mind, as well as the bright smile on her face, Pinkie happily bounced right out of her chair, standing tall, "I gotta go talk to my friends! Thanks Mr. Chef!" she cheered, before rushing to the side and jumping out the nearest window.

Gustave just stood there, staring at the space Pinkie had just occupied, before turning to the now open window.

"... Something tells me that's normal for that mare."

* * *

A choked sob slipped from her lips, but Fluttershy wasn't in the mindset to care.

The second she'd been able to, she'd slipped away from her fr-from _them_. She hadn't paid attention to where she was going-_hadn't cared_-and only stopped when she'd finally tripped and fell, too exhausted to even try getting back up.

So there she lay, breathing rapid and shallow as tears fell freely, soaking the ground beneath her.

What was she supposed to do?! H-her friends were the only ponies she really had! They ha-had accepted her and her shyness without an-any issues! Sh-she'd always had a hard time mak-making friends, barely ever able to get even a w-word out!

But now? Now she found out that not even _they_ had accepted her! It had been the _Elements!_

Part of her wondered why she was being like this. After all, everything Discord had said hadn't bothered her at all, so why would this?

_But it was different_, her mind told her every time she tried telling it otherwise, _after all, you didn't know his words would ever be true. Back then, you thought they were **really** your friends. Now you know differently._

The thought kept spiraling back in and out of her head, sending her right back into the depression she'd fallen into.

She _thought_ they were her friends!

_She thought wrong._

"Hey, what's wrong cuz?" the familiar voice of Spitfire said, followed by the sound of a landing pegasus. Despite the fact that she'd come from nowhere, Fluttershy hadn't been startled by Spitfire's sudden appearance. She sniffed,

"N-nothing..." she murmured, turning her head away. She heard Spitfire sigh, and felt the mare lay right next to her.

"Nothin's wrong, huh?" she asked, "Ya know... if I hadn't just been out on a nice, relaxing flight away from the party, a flight on which I happened to spot the most recent addition to my family crying in the middle of the Canterlot Gardens, completely hidden away from everyone involved... I _might_ have considered believing you," Spitfire deadpanned, "But I was, so spill it."

Fluttershy fidgeted, before giving her a timid nod.

"O-okay... I-it's just... we f-found out that the E-Elements of Harmony were... m-manipulating our feelings and-"

"Woah, that's a hefty thought," Spitfire said, cutting her off, before turning pensive, "... Say, which one of you came up with that idea?"

"E-Emerald?" Fluttershy admitted, hesitantly. Why did she want to know?

"Ah," she breathed, frowning, "that does sound like something he could make up, but... if he actually thinks that..." she trailed off, before shrugged, "If Em came up with it, then he probably went the extra mile and figured that if they were manipulating your feelings, then they probably manipulated your thoughts and lives, yeah?" she asked. Fluttershy blinked, and nodded,

"Y-yes...?" Spitfire scoffed,

"Figures he'd come up with something like that," she sighed, and hung her head slightly, "Alright, so what about that is making you... well, like this?" she asked lamely, pointing to the soaked ground beneath her. Fluttershy sniffed, and followed her hoof.

She stared down at the damp grass under her, and flushed slightly. She scrambled into a sitting position and began wiping away the tears, inwardly scolding herself. This was so embarrassing!

As Fluttershy managed her tears, though not quite succeeding in ridding herself of the sadness that brought it on, she explained.

"W-well, it's just... if that was all f-fake, then... that means that the girls and Emerald aren't... really my friends. P-plus... I-I don't know if you know this, but... I've always been kinda shy," she said. Spitfire stared at her, eyes half-lidded,

"You don't say?"

Fluttershy nodded, not catching the sarcasm,

"Y-yes! I've always had problems t-talking to other p-ponies. I-I've done everything I could to get b-better, but... it n-never really works," she admitted. Spitfire hummed,

"Well, you seem to be doing pretty okay right now," she noted, brow raising, "Sure, you talk a bit slowly and you stutter every now and again, but I've met ponies our age who could barely get a word out, let alone a full conversation like we're having. You sure you're talking about yourself, cuz?" Fluttershy nodded,

"I-I'm sure!" she insisted, and fidgeted, "I-I don't mind talking to you, s-since your f-family and-"

"But wouldn't the Elements have had a part in that?" Spitfire asked suddenly, raising her brow once again, "After all, if they've been manipulating your entire life like that, wouldn't it mean that they made sure you'd be related to Emerald and, by extension, me?" she asked. Fluttershy froze, her blood turning to ice.

Sh-she hadn't thought of it like that. B-but that made sense. W-were the Elements responsible for her Mom and Dusty not working out? W-was that why she never knew anything about thestrals until Emerald came along? So that they could b-bond over it?

Just as she was about to start hyperventilating, Spitfire spoke once more.

"Honestly, it sounds like a bunch of nonsense," she said, completely breaking Fluttershy's train of thought.

"Wh-what?" she managed to squeak, not at all understanding. Spitfire scoffed,

"Listen cuz, so what if the Elements are _actually _doin' all that crap?" she asked, "I mean, it sounds pretty damn similar to all that 'fate' stuff you'd read about in trashy romance novels, and, believe me, I hear enough about it from Surprise that I don't need to hear it from you. No offense, but I've never actually believed in it. _Could_ it be real? I don't know," she said, shrugging her shoulders, "but, hay, if it does, cool. I don't care. I'm exactly where I want to be in my life, so if I have to thank fate or the Elements-_or what the fuck ever_-fine! Thanks!" she shouted, almost sarcastically, "I like my life, and I can't imagine it any other way!" she added, throwing her hooves out, before fixing Fluttershy with a stare, "What about you, cuz, can _you_ imagine having a different life? Cause I can't."

Fluttershy went silent.

... Did she want a different life?

A life where she'd never been shy. A life where she'd had a lot of friends. One where she also had a large, unbroken family.

...

...

Was it selfish of her to say no?

Was it selfish of her to say that she preferred the life she had right now? Even though said life had her Mom go through a hard time raising her until she'd met her Step-Dad?

Was it strange to say that she preferred the life that resulted in her being bullied in her foalhood thanks to her shyness? The same bullying that ended up introducing her to her best friend, who was more like a sister to her now, and led to her one day discovering how much she loved animals?

She loved this life. This life that had given and taken so much from her. The life that, right now, she was putting on hold because she was scared that someone-_thing_-else had tricked her into having?

She couldn't possibly imagine living in a world so vastly different from the one she did right now.

She nodded to herself, resolute.

"I can't," she said firmly, breaking the stretched silence she'd lapsed into, "This is how I want to live my life, and there's no other way I can imagine living it!" Spitfire laughed,

"Haha! I knew it! So what are you gonna do?" she asked eagerly. Fluttershy huffed,

"I'm going to go talk to my friends and tell them how silly all of this is!" she snapped, trotting off, her steps perfectly confident.

"You go, girl!" Spitfire cheered, watching her cousin stomp off into the night.

A few moments passed, before she groaned.

"'You go, girl!'? Dammit, I never should've tried reading Surprise's books. Now I've got their lines and shit stuck in my head."

* * *

Rainbow Dash growled, and downed another glass of water, before slamming it onto the bar counter. She'd wanted something alcoholic, initially, but figured that would be a bad idea partway through ordering it.

Her friends were being idiots.

The Elements; controlling them? Bullshit!

But... she did have to admit. It _was_ pretty sketchy when she thought about it. How they all ended up in the right place, at the right time. How they all got along so well when, by all rights, they really shouldn't. Not as well, at least.

But hey, that was life! It was full of crazy coincidences that you couldn't explain!

Like, how did pegasi figure out they could control the freaking weather? By getting lucky and hitting a cloud!

She thought.

She was pretty sure.

...

Okay, it had been a _really long_ time since she was in school, and she was never a grades kinda mare. That was Twilight's shtick, not hers.

Still, there was a bunch of shit that ponies couldn't explain in their daily life! Like, why were they called apples? Why not grapes, or strawberries-_Applejack would kill her for that one_-or-er... _gazzlfrackles_, or something stupid like that?

Or Pinkie's Pinkie Sense!

Seriously. Life was just this crazy thing that ponies tended to just ride along with. Roll with the punches, you know? Why should she freak out over something she couldn't explain?

Again, that was Twilight's shtick, not hers.

Her friends were all just being paranoid idiots. But, even so, she couldn't _really_ blame them. It was a pretty scary thought, and that was coming from Rainbow 'Fearless' Dash!

But to actually think that crap? It was like putting a handicap on her entire life. Everything she'd ever worked for, poof! Her effort was invalid. Talent, given to her. Problems, not even worth mentioning.

Still, just because they were being stupid, didn't mean they were idiots. Er, like, _idiot_ idiots, not... not like this. Uhh...

Point is, they'd snap out of it, eventually!

Her friends were smart like that. Even when they were being idiots. Er, the good kind. Wait, no...

* * *

Rarity gave a gentle smile to the stallion she was speaking with, making sure to nod at appropriate times, laughed slightly at any joke he made, and tried to appear interested in whatever it was he was saying even though she'd stopped listening after the initial 'Hey, you look nice, wanna come back to my place?' one-liner he'd tried to discretely begin with, before she gracefully dismissed herself.

In truth, she was oh-so-desperately trying to keep her mind off of... _that_, but, like the Gala, this party was quickly turning out to be less than she'd anticipated. In more ways than one.

Perhaps it was her lowered mood, but the ponies around her, all truly high class with only a small mix of the slightly less fortunate hiding within, seemed... too much.

Were their noses always turned so high? Were their attitudes always so grating?

She was no fool. Rarity had _always_ known how the upper class acted. It was an unfortunate part of gaining wealth. One's outlook on life often went from 'barely surviving' to 'living the high life' and with it came the idea of how awful the life 'beneath' them was.

But it wasn't the majority of the high class she admired. It was always the minority.

Those like Fancy Pants, or even Sapphire Shores!

The famous, wealthy ponies who, rather than squander away in their falsely gold-encrusted lives, took what they had and tried to make everyone else's lives better.

They were the ones she admired and hoped to be one day.

But, unfortunately, all those thoughts were far from where she was now.

It was ghastly to think about. That her entire life was just one big cover-up. An ugly lie to cover an uglier truth.

She'd thought the Elements of Harmony a force for good. A true, marvelous work of art fashioned into a set of _exquisite_ gemstones. Now they only felt like make-up. Something pretty to cover a foul underside.

Not at all how it _should_ be used, but how it tended to turn out.

Rarity worked her way through the crowd with all the experience she'd mustered worming her way through the controlled chaos of her workroom, until she'd found herself in the auditorium, where the loud, booming sounds of Sapphire's singing echoed outside.

Despite relaxing a tad when the familiar, peppy music washed over her, it did little to quiet her thoughts.

To think. All her joys, all her sorrows. All those small luxuries and all those grand nightmares were nothing more than an elaborate play set up behind the scenes while they all played the star roles without their knowledge.

Well, the play has come to an end, and the finale did _not_ leave her wanting more.

What were they supposed to do now? Their lives up to this point were worthless!

It was a conundrum that Rarity faced for all of fifteen minutes, before a familiar voice broke her thoughts.

"My-my-my! What in the world has got that pretty face'o yours all screwed up, Rarity?" Sapphire chirped, appearing in her vision suddenly. Rarity let out a decidedly unlady-like yelp, and jumped back, holding a hoof to her chest,

"Sapphire!" she snapped, patting her chest in hopes of calming her heart, "What in the world are you doing, scaring ponies like that?!"

Sapphire smiled, and shrugged,

"Sorry! Guess ponies don't really expect little old me to be qui-et!" she sang, before nodding, "Not that I can blame them, of course!" Rarity continued glaring at the mare, but eventually relented when a confused thought crossed her mind,

"Not that I mean to be rude, but shouldn't you be up on stage right now?" she asked. Sapphire regarded her strangely, brow raising,

"... Oh my, what in the world has got you so confused?" she asked, smirking, "I've been on break for the past ten mi-nu-tes!"

Rarity blinked, and glanced up to the stage, only to find it completely empty, and all the lights turned off. No one in the crowd was paying the stage any mind, implying that, yes, it had been quite some time since the show went on hiatus.

"Oh... goodness," she murmured. Was she truly so lost in thought?

This whole Element business must be muddling with her thoughts more than she'd anticipated.

"Well?" Sapphire asked, a tad impatiently, "Aren't you gonna tell me?" Rarity blinked, before clearing her throat,

"Well, yes, I am having a few... personal difficulties, Sapphire. However, and I don't mean any offense-" she assured quickly, "-but, why would I tell them to you? I understand that you're not someone who will simply go about spouting others's secrets, but we hardly know each other," she pointed out. Sapphire hummed, and nodded,

"You got a point, sugar," she conceded, and seemingly let the issue drop.

Rarity was quickly disavowed of that notion when a cruel smirk graced Sapphire's lips.

On a completely unrelated note, she could now understand how she and Emerald were related.

"Let's make a deal, then. If you don't tell me what the problem is, then I'll go looking for a new designer. How-does-that-sound?" she sang, the smirk growing wider. Rarity stiffened, horror overcoming her.

A new designer? _That couldn't happen!_

If word got out that Sapphire Shores dropped her, then her entire business would surely go down the drain! Ponies would rescind any placed order, and she'd have clients knocking down her door for refunds she couldn't give!

After all, if The Pony of Pop saw fit to drop her as a designer, then surely that meant that there was something horribly _wrong_ with all of her outfits?!

She couldn't let that happen.

It would be the _worst. Possible. Thing!_

It took her a few moments, but suddenly her horror died off, replaced by a surge of anger, which was quickly replaced by amusement, then embarrassment, then gratitude.

She truly wished to help her, didn't she?

Armed with that thought in mind, Rarity cleared her throat,

"Well... I suppose you've forced my hoof," she sighed dramatically, "very well, I'll tell you."

She cleared her throat, and began.

"When I was a filly, I do recall learning about the Elements of Harmony. How they were forces for true good, and that the Princess, the pony who practically personified the concept of 'good', had used them to protect Equestria from Nightmare Moon. I grew up hearing about the Nightmare, and how it was one of the greatest evils to ever appear in Equestria. Then, one day, during the Summer Sun Celebration, my friends and I met the Nightmare, and found the Elements. Then, to my surprise, we ended up _using_ the Elements to save Princess Luna from the Nightmare she had become," she began, and smiled at Sapphire, "Can you believe it? Us, six, little ponies. We weren't anything special, by any means, or so I had thought until that point. I was happy with my life. Five wonderful friends, and a good business life ahead of me."

"Then Emerald appeared, and my life hardly even changed. Were it not for his surprisingly good relationship with Pinkie, and his own meddling, why, I doubt I ever would have met him of my own accord," she admitted, almost fondly, "Time passed and I learned what a delightful stallion Emerald was, even behind his secrets and overly grumpy facade. As time continued, I realized that I had not five wonderful friends, but _six_ spectacular ones!" she gushed, before her smile abruptly fell, "I... I have never, not once, questioned my fortune. After all, it comes by so rarely, one can only appreciate its presence. But now?" she asked, swallowing heavily, "Now... now I've learned that my life was nothing more than-than-... than some foul little play!" she snarled, stamping her hoof against the ground, ignoring how Sapphire approached and wrapped a hoof around her shoulders, and further ignoring the way they began shaking, "I-I've _worked_ day in and day out, never once forgetting how much I _loved_ my life! My friends were everything I could for, my family was always supportive of my endeavors, _everything_ in my life was _exactly how I wanted it to be_! To learn that I was only fortunate because-because of some _meddling_ done by those-those-those _stupid fucking rocks!_" she snarled.

She was huffing a tad after that, but it fell away as she deflated,

"Why... why me? Why not someone less fortunate than myself?" she asked, though she wasn't sure whom it was directed at, "What was it that determined that I was more important than the lives of everyone the Elements affected?"

Sapphire was silent for a moment, before speaking,

"What's got you thinkin' like that?"

"... Emerald figured all that out, and was kind enough to tell us," she said. Sapphire's lips curled down,

"Did he now? Strange, he usually wouldn't... Well, I don't know what to tell ya, Rarity," she admitted, "That's definitely _a_ problem," she sighed, and trailed off for a moment, then continued, "I guess... the only real piece of advice I can give ya is... is that it's still your life. Make it into whateva you want," Sapphire said with a shrug, "Use it to help out the other ponies in the world, or just live your life, and wash your hooves of whatever problems that come along because of the Elements. It's not like it's _your_ fault."

Rarity shook her head,

"While I appreciate the words, I am not so sure I could do something like that, Sapphire."

"And why not?" she asked, a tad aggravated, "You've only got the one life, you know? There's no take-backs! You've only got one shot, and you'd better not miss whatever chances some up in life!" she gushed, "It's what I did, and I couldn't be happier! Even after everything that happened to me and the others, I still had a life ahead of me, and I intend to live it to my fullest! So why shouldn't you do the same?" she asked. Rarity shook her head,

"I couldn't!" she insisted, "Not with the knowledge that someone else could have truly benefit-"

"Rarity," Sapphire cut her off harshly, "Be. Selfish. I know you're the Element of Generosity, but you can't go tossing aside your life just because got dealt a better hand than most," she deadpanned, "besides," she added, almost as an afterthought, "coming from someone who started from nothing, it's insulting. The fact is that you're insinuating that they _need_ that good fortune to live a nice life," she pointed out, "You shouldn't go around complaining about having _too good_ of a life, you know? That's just not done. Not in good taste, at least."

Rarity blinked, before the words registered in her stunned mind,

"Wha-no! I _never_ intended for my words to come out like that-!"

"Well, they did," Sapphire snapped, scowling at her, "The Elements of Harmony decided that you're important enough that you get to have a nice life. That you get to work a job you love, with friends and family that you love not far away," she said, gesturing with a hoof, "Yeah, you're pretty lucky, fortunate, whatever. Good for you. But instead of complaining over what other ponies _could_ have, why don't you try being grateful for what you _already_ have," she suggested, though it came out as more of an order, before sighing, "And if _that_ didn't help, then think about it like this. If you're worried about the Elements making your life better, then make your life _even better_ through your_ own_ ability. That way you've worked for a good life just like everyone else. How about that?"

Rarity pursed her lips together, thinking hard on what Sapphire had said.

She... wasn't wrong. She _was_ complaining about all the things that the Elements _might have_ helped her with in life. But, at the same time, that was as much the Elements helping as it was her own ability. An ability she worked hard for, even if she'd been given a little boost.

She shouldn't be so focused on what other ponies _didn't_ have that the Elements could've given them, because, at the end of the day, the Elements had chosen her. She needed to simply look at her own life, and make it hers. Make it hers in such a way that she'd never have to worry about the Elements giving her more than what she earned.

It took a few minutes for her thoughts to settle, but she eventually nodded.

"Of course... you're quite right, Sapphire," she began, gently slipping free of the mare's hooves, "I... I have to talk to my friends," she determined, and spared the famous mare a bright smile, "Thank you for your help, but I must be going!"

And with that, she was off.

Sapphire sighed, and gently stretched her back,

"Wow... I am not good at those kind of speeches..." she muttered, before her eyes locked onto a nearby clock, "Oh! Break is almost over..."

* * *

How could the sky look so nice, when she felt so awful?

Even while the sun set, painting the sky in various shades of red and orange, it always looked beautiful, no matter what troubles affected the world every single day.

Twilight couldn't help but think it a tad unfair. Why couldn't the sky ever look so awful when the world felt as such?

She sighed, and hung her head over the railing, peering down into the vast streets below. She couldn't handle being around so many celebrating ponies, not right now, and had escaped at the first opportunity. And now, here she was, sitting at the top of the astronomy tower, alone.

She'd had fond memories of this tower. Of late nights spent watching the stars and the occasional planet, cataloguing their positions in relation to the time of year and comparing them to astrology books written hundreds of years ago. It had been a fun past-time, even if it had resulted in more than a few broken pairs of glasses from how dark it got, coupled with a few hundred scoldings about her staying up past curfew.

And yet, now those wonderful memories were tainted with the idea that they had been manufactured for her, designed to shape her life and personality into the kind of pony who'd discover an ancient prophecy foretelling the return of a dark evil, rightfully bring it up to the highest power in the land, get sent to a small town, venture into the dangerous Everfree Forest just to recover some ancient artifacts, somehow make friends with five mares she'd never met, and save the world from some megalomaniac of a mare who wanted to kill off every living thing on the planet by making sure the sun never rose again, because she thought that no one appreciated the night sky she made.

If only that was the end of it.

Emerald had been right.

Twinkleshine, Lemon... Hearts? Minuette, Moon Dancer, and...

_Lyra._

She could only _just_ remember their names, and, apart from that, she could only recall how _annoying_ she thought they had been back in Canterlot. Always asking her to come to parties with them, always asking her to join when they went out. Every single time they'd ever wanted to do something, they had always invited her and, back then, she'd been _infuriated_!

But now? Now she was desperately jumping to accept whenever one of her 'friends' invited her to come along with... whatever it was they were doing.

Looking back now, it was disgusting to think that she used to act that way, but... knowing what the Elements must've done, she couldn't help but wonder...

_Was that how she was supposed to act? Or was it how she was acting now?_

It hurt her head to think about. To question the validity of her entire life. To wonder whether she was who she was because she had chosen to be this way, or because she'd been _groomed_ this way.

She sighed once more, and glared down at the ponies enjoying the party.

"Well, I wasn't expecting this," a somewhat familiar voice snarked from behind her. Twilight started, flailing her hooves to find purchase on the railing, before she whirled around, finding Peppermint(?) standing in the doorway.

"Wh-what are you doing up here?" she asked, blinking at him. He frowned,

"I could ask you the same thing," he said immediately, before blinking, "Uh... sorry, reflex. I was just scouting the castle for the future." She blinked.

Scouting?

She opened her mouth to question that, but he beat her to the punch,

"Your turn. What are you up here for?" he asked. She fidgeted, and turned away from him, her previous thoughts lost,

"N-no reason. Just... came to enjoy the view," she lied, though she didn't think he'd buy it for even a second. He was much too similar to Emerald for that to not be the case.

As expected, he only hummed to himself, before approaching her. She did her best to not react to his approach, but found herself lost for words when he started poking her side.

After about a solid thirty seconds, she smacked his hoof away, glaring at him.

Peppermint(?) smirked,

"So, how ya feelin'?" he asked suddenly, his eyes focused on something on her chest. She frowned and followed his gaze, but found nothing,

"Umm... okay?" she said, eyebrow raising at the strange question. Peppermint(?) nodded,

"I suppose it wore off on you," he said cryptically, turning away from her, "Em probably has a few days until he's back to normal, then," he added, almost as an afterthought, "Then again, I've never seen someone get drained _completely_. It might take a few months, for all I know... damn, what were they thinking taking that much?" Twilight frowned,

"What are y-"

"Why are you sad?" Peppermint(?) asked, cutting her off entirely, "Yesterday you were pretty... not happy, but you sure as shit weren't all doom and gloom like you are now," he noted, "Which means something big happened... and that Em didn't mention it," he said, adding that last part under his breath.

Twilight stuttered, having more difficulty than she'd like to admit following what he was saying. On any other day, she'd be able to follow whatever conversation he was trying to have with her. But having her head spun around so much over the past few days had left her feeling mentally fatigued, regardless of how much rest she got.

"I-I-well, I was-" she stammered, "I-it's just..." she sighed, and shook her head, "I was just... Emerald mentioned something about the Elements of Harmony that... messed with all of us," she said vaguely.

Emerald's brother or not, he didn't need to hear about her problems. She was having enough difficulties with her 'friends' that she didn't need to drag anybody else into-

"I'm guessing it has something to do with Em thinking the Elements are manipulating your lives, yeah?" he asked, bringing her thoughts to a screeching halt.

"Wh-what?" she asked, blinking at him, stunned, "How-who-who told you?!" she asked, jaw hanging open. Peppermint(?) shrugged,

"No one. I just figured it out now. You said he mentioned something about the Elements that affected the seven of you, and he said he was thinking about the Facility yesterday. Those two things don't really belong in the same sentence under a positive light, so I took a guess. I'm not sure what he's playing at, but your reaction tells me I'm right, right?"

"W-well, y-yes, but-"

"Alright, so tell me what's wrong," he cut her off once more, smirking at the glare she was sending him,

"Why do you care?" she demanded. He'd been nothing but rude and unhelpful ever since she met him, Emerald's brother or not. So why in the world would he want to know what was wrong with her?

Peppermint(?) shrugged,

"Believe me, or don't, but it's in my best interest to help you two."

Twilight frowned. Best interest? What in the world could that possibly mean?

"So, you gonna tell me, or do I have to guess? And, believe me, my guesses get pretty vulgar," he warned, causing her to wince. Twilight sighed,

"Alright," she muttered, "it's... I used to have some friends here in Canterlot," she began, "friends that I wanted nothing to do with, whatsoever. I always thought that studying and learning more about the world around me was more important than friendship could ever hope to be, and, for the most part, I stuck with that way of thinking. But then one day-" she sighed, looking back over the railing, "I found a book that mentioned a prophecy about Nightmare Moon. _'On the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape, and she will bring about nighttime eternal.'_" she recited, biting her lip, "I... I grew up hearing that old pony's tale, but I never heard anything about a prophecy before, so I took it up to Princess Celestia, hoping she could tell me something. But then she sent me down to Ponyville to check up on the preparations for that year's Summer Sun Celebration. There were some... mishaps," she said delicately, "but, eventually, Nightmare Moon escaped and me and the girls freed Princess Luna from her control. I... I... I made _friends_ with them," she said, her tone taking on a breathy quality, "I-... I became friends with five mares I knew for only a day, when I ignored the friends I'd had _since magic kindergarten_, and I just... I-" she bit her lip, and looked away, even as she shrunk in on herself, "... I don't want to be like that, but... do I even have a choice?"

She wanted to be a good friend, a good pony, a good individual, but... with the Elements pulling the strings, could she ever hope to be the kind of pony she wanted to be?

Out of everything, that was what scared her the most. That, at any time, she could completely turn her back on everything she thought she knew-_like she did with her old friends_-without any regard whatsoever to the life she'd held before.

"Then don't be," Peppermint(?) said, completely breaking her from her thoughts,

"What?" she asked, turning to look at him, her eyes wide. He shrugged, again,

"If you don't want to be like that, then don't. Coming from something like me, if you don't want to be one way, then be another way," he said simply, as if that was all there was to it. Twilight shook her head,

"I-it's not that simple-"

"Sure it is," he said, cutting her off _again_, "Who gives a fuck if the Elements did whatever. It's your fucking life. Make it yours, and kick anyone who tries to make you do otherwise in the crotch. I mean... look at me!" he said, gesturing to himself while giving her an almost arrogant smirk, "I'm Peppermint right now, but tomorrow I could be anybody I wanted to be, and no one could tell me otherwise. But even then, I might still be Thorax, but since when did the world get to tell me who I could and couldn't be?" he asked.

Twilight stared at him for a moment.

"... I have no idea what you're talking about."

Peppermint(?) deflated and stared at her, his expression deadpan. After about a minute, he sighed, and straightened himself,

"Look, what I'm trying to say is that you can be who you want. Today, I might be nice, but tomorrow I could be a total asshole. Today, I might be a knight in shining armour, but tomorrow I might be the one stabbing you in the back," he said, that smirk back in place, "No one has any say in who you are, but you. Who cares if the Elements laid out a track for you to follow. As far as I'm concerned, a track is just a path to take, but we all know that trains can fly off the rails at any time. Why can't you?"

Twilight, again, only stared at him.

What-what-_what kind of logic was that?!_

You can be whoever you want to be, so be who you want to be.

That was-that was-_that was insane!_

But it made sense, in a strange, twisted sort of way. The Elements made her one way, but nobody ever said she couldn't make herself into another.

She could, using his words _'be nice today, but tomorrow she could be a total asshole. Today, she might be a knight in shining armour, but tomorrow she might be the one stabbing someone in the back.'_

...

What a strange way of putting it, by the way. Of all the ways to try comforting her, why did he choose-

Twilight shook her head.

She shouldn't be focusing on that! She should be focusing on being who she wanted to be! She should-she should-!

She should go talk to her friends!

Nodding to herself, Twilight turned to Peppermint(?),

"Thanks, Peppermint! I have to go talk to my friends!" she chirped, before standing and rushing out the door and down the stairs.

Peppermint(?) watched after her, before chuckling to himself.

"Hehe, all according to plan."

* * *

_He wasn't angry._

_He wasn't furious._

**_But holy fuck did he want to kill something right now._**

He never had been very good with situations like this. Anger and fury were easier for him to deal with than sorrow or sadness. Perhaps it wasn't a good way to react, but it was one he knew how to direct.

Unfortunately, this was one of those rare times where he refused to direct his anger, letting it fester within him.

After all...

_It proved that he was still somehow in control of himself._

As far as he was aware, the Elements had dictated every aspect of his life. His personality, his experiences, his likes and dislikes, _everything_.

**_-paindarknessspearchestagony-_**

So, by going against something he would normally do...

_Was that proof of him fighting against the strings that held him up?_

Or...

**_Was it just a trail of bait, leading him on a path he thought he chose?_**

In the end, it didn't matter what he said or did, because everything came back to that one, simple question.

_Was this life real?_

Or...

**_Was this life fake?_**

**_He Didn't Know The Answer._**

He growled, feeling his neck twitch.

He hated this. Hated the feeling of not being sure. Hated the idea of being pulled along on some leash by forces so far beyond him, that he couldn't see them until they _let_ him.

Because there was no doubt in his mind. The Elements were _letting_ this happen. _Letting_ them question their lives, _letting_ them **_fear_** the truth.

And somehow, he knew-_he just knew_-that the girls would all come to terms with this, and the bond holding them all together would grow ever stronger.

_And yet..._

Why had his feelings for Sparky faded like that?

Of all the ways to provide evidence for the Elements' interference, why was that the way they'd done it?

He shook his head.

It didn't matter how it had come up. The fact was that it would've come up no matter what.

He was... too _different_ to have truly fit in with the girls under natural circumstances. This was inevitable. The understanding that something _had_ to have brought them together was as predetermined as death.

**_-nothingavoicewhisperingpainagonysilence-_**

it was... better to have figured it out now, rather than later.

_Still..._

He glanced up into the darkened sky above him, the faint light of the sun providing only the slightest tint on the otherwise black sky.

He'd been sitting out here for most of the day, completely avoiding the still ongoing celebration.

He was hiding out near the Barracks in the same place he'd told the others earlier today. It was where everything had fallen apart, and, maybe, it would be where he could put this thoughts back together.

**_-movementpullingagaspsilence-_**

"Emerald?"

Or, perhaps, not.

He twitched at the voice, not because of its familiarity, but because it happened to be a voice he hadn't been expecting to hear. He spun around, coming face to face with a pair of dim blue eyes.

"Starlight?" he asked.

The mare in question gave him a timid laugh, coupled with an equally sheepish smile. Even the small wave she gave him did nothing to detract from the amount of nervous energy the mare was giving off.

Now that he was getting a look at her, she was very clearly not taking care of herself. Her eyes, once a unique shade of persian blue, were now dim and had dark bags underneath them, as if she hadn't slept in weeks. Her pale, grayish pink coat was visibly unkempt, sticking out in random places, and her deep purple mane and tail were devoid of their curly nature, falling completely down, with large clumps of hair visibly sticking out. Even the familiar stripes of bright aquamarine and bright purple were frayed, mixing in heavily with the other colours. Not even her cutie mark, a four pointed purple star over a white star, both emitting a blueish mist, looked any better cared for than the rest of her.

A few moments passed, before a particularly foul scent hit his nose as well.

Tying the image of an unsanitary hobo together was the pair of saddlebags resting on her back, both of which looked half-full.

All thoughts of the Elements vanished as he focused on his sister's appearance.

"Starlight, what the fuck happened to you?!" he demanded nasally, having pinched his nose shut, but only received a nervous laugh from her,

"N-nothing! I, uh, I just had a nasty fall!"

"Down a fucking mountain range into a pile of sewage, sure!"

"W-well!" Starlight stammered, "I-I'm not lying! I just had a fall and... didn't get to clean up!... for several months," she admitted. Emerald blinked,

"Are you-... are you homeless?" he asked, dropping his hoof, and doing his best to ignore the stench out of politeness.

"What? No!" Starlight denied far too quickly, "I'm a traveler! Like, uh, like Trixie!"

"Trixie has a cart to sleep in, what do _you_ have?" he asked. Starlight fidgeted,

"The ground..."

"That's what I thought," he growled, before shaking his head with a huff, "I thought you went home after we got out?"

"W-well... I tried," Starlight began, digging her hoof into the ground, "but... but everything was so... so _different_," she murmured, "It was like Sire's Hollow was a completely different place. Besides-" she added in a sadder tone, "-it's not like I had a lot of good memories of home in the first place," she admitted with a sigh.

"So you decided to travel?" he asked, brow raised. Starlight nodded, slightly more excitedly,

"Yeah! At first it was hard, but it was fun! Seeing all those new places, and meeting all those new ponies!" she began with a smile, which fell slightly, "Though, after some time it got... boring. Hard... Draining. It got harder... and harder to move on from place to place and, eventually, I just started hanging around in Manehatten's streets," she said, beginning to fidget under the stare Emerald was giving her, "I-it wasn't _bad_, I mean... sure there were more than a few times I had to move when someone got a little too hoovsey, and I always tried avoiding any place I knew had frequent drug use, but it wasn't all bad!" she chirped, "I mean, I managed to land a nice little job working a food cart!"

"And?" Emerald asked, causing Starlight to deflate,

"And... got fired when someone else applied. I-I didn't stop there!" she tried adding in a cheerful tone, "I mean-I managed to get a bunch of jobs and made _some_ money to keep me going!"

"_And?_"

"And... then I had to leave and tried to sneak onto an airship and got caught," she admitted, her face turning red, "Luckily-er-not-I mean-I-!" she shook her head, "That's when I got told about the whole 'Discord' thing and got brought here!" she finished rapidly.

Emerald chewed his lip and nodded,

"Hmm... Starlight?" he asked, she gulped,

"Y-yeah?"

"Why didn't you ask someone for help?"

"Wha-?"

"You had, hmmm, maybe, _thirty family members who would've helped you_ **if you asked**," he snarled calmly, having to fight a smirk when she began cowering, "**_Why didn't you ask for help?!_**" he snapped.

"Because I didn't want to bother anyone!" she shouted in return,

"_You could never be a bother to me, dammit!_" he snapped, frowning at the way Starlight recoiled and shrunk in on herself. They were silent for a minute, before she spoke,

"... I... I... I couldn't?" she asked softly. Emerald sighed, and gently hit her over the head,

"Of _course_ not, you idiot," he said, when a thought crossed his mind, "Is... is this why you were avoiding everyone yesterday?" he asked. Starlight sighed, rubbing the spot he'd hit,

"Well... that was _part_ of the reason," she said, her cheeks turning red, "The rest was... well... I'm not sure if you've noticed or not, but, I don't exactly smell like a basket of roses right now..." she trailed off when Emerald started chuckling,

"Oh yeah, I noticed," he snarked, giving her a fanged grin, before it fell, "What brought you out to the Gardens and not, you know, into a shower?" he asked. Starlight narrowed her eyes at him, before chuckling,

"Funny," she snarked, her hoof dropping back to her side, "I actually ran into those friends of yours," she said, then tilted her head, as if in thought, "well, actually, _they_ ran into _me_. Specifically the pink and purple ones. Twinkle and... Pansy?"

"Twilight and Pinkie," he corrected automatically,

"Yeah that. Apparently the six of them were looking for you, and are waiting at the castle," she said, then frowned, "They seemed... happy, but... sad? I think," she explained, and shook her head, "I don't know how to describe it, but... evidently they thought I'd know where to find you. I ran, they chased me. Ran _into_ me, and asked if I knew where you were. I didn't, obviously-" she added, "-but... well, I guess I found you," she finished lamely, "Thought you ought to know."

Emerald hummed agreeably,

"Yeah... thanks for letting me know, Glim," he said, smirking at the scowl on her face,

"I hate it when you call me that."

"That's why I call you Glim, Glim."

"Dammit, Em."

* * *

Twilight was happy.

No, not happy. Ecstatic.

No, not even ecstatic.

She was completely, utterly, _elated!_

They were friends! They were _all_ friends! Even if the Elements were responsible for _bringing _them together, they were not the things that _tied_ them together!

She knew that now, and her friends would as well!

She'd immediately gone hunting for them following her revelation, only to find five of them already together.

"Ha! I told you guys that whole 'Element' thing was a load of crap!" Rainbow boasted, puffing out her chest with a smug grin. Applejack groaned, but there was a bright smile on her face regardless,

"You sure did, Rainbow. You sure did."

"Girls!" Twilight called, running up to them and, without pausing for breath, immediately grabbed the five of them into a group hug, "I"m so sorry for ever thinking our friendship wasn't real!" she cried, eagerly nuzzling the cheeks of her dearest friends. Pinkie laughed, eagerly reciprocating,

"It's okay, Twilight!" she chirped, giving the unicorn a happy, but no-less bone crushing, hug in return, "We were all having silly thoughts!"

"Not me!" Rainbow corrected, smirking at them.

"Indeed," Rarity added, gently breaking away from the hug, "It pains me to think that, for even a few moments, I had truly believed our friendships false, and our lives not our own. Even if they were wonderful, I could not stand the idea that I had not been the one to craft it," she admitted, holding a hoof to her heart, "But I understand now that my life is mine from today onward," she said, resolutely, "and I _shall_ make the best of it! Make no mistake about that!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie cheered, "I was super sad when I thought that I could only make friends cuz those silly old Elements made me! But now I know that it doesn't matter!" she chirped, looking surprisingly serious despite her cheerful tone, "Even if the Elements made you all into my friends, that just means that you're _still_ my bestest friends! Plus, it means I get to make tons more!"

"Eeyup!" Applejack cut in, bringing Pinkie into a one-legged hug, "Even if the Elements got us here, it's up ta us ta decide where we're goin' from 'ere on out! I know we mighta had some help 'long the way, but that's jus' fine!"

"Mhmm!" Fluttershy quietly interjected, "I love my life! I love all my friends, both animals and ponies!" she chirped, smiling softly, shaking her head, "I-I don't want to give all that up just because the Elements of Harmony helped me! I-I couldn't imagine living a different life!" she stammered.

There was a round of 'Aww's from them, and the shy mare was enveloped in, yet another, group hug,

"And I realized that I can be whoever I want to be, regardless of who I really am," Twilight said in lieu of the silence, hugging her friends closer, "I might've been an awful friend in the past, but that's no reason I can't be the best friend I can possibly be to all of you now _and_ in the future!"

Four of her friends cheered in response, while the fifth one scoffed,

"Duh!" Rainbow Dash said, "That's what I was saying earlier!" she repeated, "We're friends, we always have been! Why the fuck would that change now?" she asked, earning a punch to the side, "Ow!"

"We get it, sugarcube," Applejack said, before grabbing the mare and pulling her into the hug,

"Hey!"

The six of them hugged for a moment longer, before Pinkie, unexpectedly, broke free,

"Wait! What about Emerald?" she asked, "We gotta tell him!"

"Of course!" Rarity agreed, nodding firmly, "Out of all of us, he's had the longest to dwell on this horrible topic. I can not imagine how hard it must be for him."

"Well then, what're we waitin' fer?" Applejack asked, almost impatiently, "Any'o ya'll know where he might be? I was out in town near the shops and I didn't spot 'im." Fluttershy shook her head,

"I was hiding in the Gardens," she admitted sheepishly, "a-and I didn't see him."

"I was in the kitchen and he wasn't there!"

"I spent some time in the castle before heading to the auditorium. I'm afraid I saw no sign of him anywhere."

"I was, uh... ah screw it, I was at a bar," Rainbow admitted, earning a disapproving look from Rarity, "What?!" she shouted, throwing up her hooves, "I didn't drink! I _wanted_ to, since you were all out being stupid, but I chose not to!" she defended, before scoffing, crossing her hooves, "Whatever, I didn't see him." Twilight sighed,

"And I was up in the astronomy tower. I didn't see him going up or down, and there was no way I'd have been able to spot _Pinkie_, let along someone with a mane and coat as dark as his from up there."

The six of them frowned, and sighed, before a voice startled them all,

"Looking for Em?" a familiar voice asked, prompting Twilight to turn, coming face to face with none other than Trixie,

"Trixie?" she asked. The showmare smirked,

"The one and only!" she said, gesturing out with her hooves, chuckling, "Anyways, you lot are looking for Emerald?" she asked again,

"Yep!" Pinkie chirped, tilting her head, "Do you know where he is?" Trixie hummed, putting a hoof to her chin,

"Weeeellll... he _could_ be hiding over at the grave, but if he's really hiding from you lot, then he's probably not in the mood to see the others right now as well..." she muttered. Twilight blinked.

Grave?

"He _might've_ left Canterlot altogether, though," Trixie added, smirking slightly at the distressed looks on the faces of the others, "buuuut he wouldn't do that. He knows the rest of us would hunt him down if he missed the meeting later tonight," she added, having to hide a chuckle at their relieved sighs, before she shrugged, "Sorry girls, but I have no idea where Em is. He knows Canterlot better than me. He might be hiding in the old catacombs for all I know," she admitted, before a familiar flash of purple caught her eye, "Oh! Why don't you try asking her?" she suggested, pointing at the haggard unicorn mare, who froze in place the second she was indicated, "Starlight's our sister, and she was always a lot closer to Em than I was, so she might be able to take a guess," she said, smirking.

Twilight followed Trixie's gaze, her own eyes landing on the sight of a _very_ unkempt looking mare. She wasn't looking at her, but Twilight could practically _feel_ Rarity's face twist in disgust, the germaphobe's hooves even took a step back at the sight of this... Starlight.

Despite her own reluctance-_which Twilight internally apologized to the mare for_-she approached.

Or tried to, at least, since the mare immediately bolted in the opposite direction the second she'd taken a step forward.

"Wha-hey!" she called, taking off after her without a second thought, her friends right behind her.

The chase was... astonishingly difficult. The mare, Starlight, managed to duck and weave through the crowd almost as if it wasn't even there, leaving only Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, and Fluttershy-_when she took flight_-to be able to actively follow her.

Unfortunately, the mare in question was surprisingly adept at magic, having been able to, not only, teleport away, but to cast a dizzying spell at Rainbow when she was caught at the end of an alleyway. Not only that, but she managed to cast freezing charms along the ground while simultaneously throwing various blinding spells over her shoulder at Rainbow, all while disabling the few times that Twilight had shot a Bolt spell at her, and safely catching and depositing the-_even fewer_-things that Rarity had deigned to throw.

Nearly five minutes of constant running later and Twilight, as well as Rarity and Fluttershy, were breathing heavily and one of them was complaining about the sweat ruining her mane.

It wasn't until one of them had the idea to split up and try to corner her and catch her before she could teleport again that they actually managed to do just that.

Embarrassingly, it wasn't that the plan had gone well. In fact, the plan had almost failed entirely. It was only Twilight's growing fatigue, and Pinkie's overly energetic running that caused them to stumble and slam into Starlight, effectively pinning her to the ground long enough for them to question her.

"Alright you, where's Emerald?!" Rainbow immediately began the interrogation, landing right next to them. Starlight, who had been struggling to toss her and Pinkie off, froze and gave Rainbow a stunned look,

"What?" she asked, her voice proving to be astonishingly smooth, completely contrasting her appearance.

And smell.

"Where's Emerald?!" Rainbow asked again. Starlight just blinked at her, before her horn finally ignited, and she and Pinkie were gently tossed aside. Starlight stood up, brushing off the accrued dirt,

"Emerald?" she asked again, regarding the six of them critically, "Tall, green, slight attitude, sometimes gives weird nicknames?"

""Yeah!"" Pinkie and Rainbow said together. Starlight frowned,

"What do you want with Em?" she asked,

"Why in the world did you run?" Rarity asked instead, causing Starlight to grimace,

"You... aren't the first group to start randomly chasing me. It was mostly reflex," she admitted, before shaking her head, "What do you want with Em?" she repeated hastily.

"W-well-" Twilight began, a tad uncertain, "we're friends of his. Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, and I'm Twilight-" she provided quickly, in case they'd been mentioned, "but... there's been an... issue."

"That's one way of putting it."

""_Rainbow!_""

"What?"

"_Anyways_-" Twilight continued, undeterred, "we _need _to talk to him," she implored, "We're... we're worried about how he's feeling," she added.

Starlight frowned at her, and glanced at the other mares. Her eyes were calculating, sizing them up, as if she were seeking even the slightest sign of dishonesty.

Eventually she seemed to find what she was looking for-_or found nothing, given the disappointed way she sighed_-and spoke,

"Look, I'd like to help, but I..." she trailed off, and sighed again, "I haven't even worked up the nerve to talk to him myself. I can't... I can't stand thinking of what he'll say to me, not after how I pretty much cut off contact with everyone. I don't know where he is-" she admitted, "but... if I find and talk to him, I'll let him know you're looking for him. Okay?" she asked.

Twilight, and the others, stared at her for a moment, before she eventually nodded, a small smile working its way onto her face,

"Okay, we'll be waiting back at the castle. Good luck," Twilight said. Starlight nodded,

"Right, uh... you too?" she replied uncertainly, already beginning to walk off.

With that objective completed, Twilight turned to her friends,

"Okay... what now?" Rainbow asked before she could speak,

"Well, I guess we head back ta the castle, right Twilight?" Applejack said,

"Right!"

And with that, the six of them wormed their way back through the crowd and alleyways they'd run through, more than once commenting on how Starlight managed to evade them.

"Did you see the way she jumped over that cart?!"

"I'm surprised she was able to cast a teleportation spell on the spot like she did. I only managed it once when I was panicking."

"I don't mean to be _rude_, but, did you _see_ her mane?! Somebody could use a good shower!"

Soon enough the castle doors came into sight, and with it, a whole host of nerves suddenly running down Twilight's spine.

She bit her lip, and found her hooves beginning to drag across the ground as a churning suddenly appeared in her stomach. Her heartbeat was picking up as well, and she could practically _feel_ her thoughts running wild.

_How was Emerald doing?_

_How would he react to them?_

_Was he okay?_

"Twilight, dear, are you alright?" Rarity's voice caused the lavender mare to jump, her head snapping up to her friend,

"What?!" she asked, a little too loudly judging by how Rainbow started snickering. Twilight pouted slightly, and looked around. They had stopped not far from the castle's doors, though, despite that, the area was astonishingly empty. Given the party going on, Twilight would've expected all of Canterlot to be stuffed full.

Then again, it was Canterlot, not Ponyville.

Rarity sighed,

"Twilight, you haven't said anything for the past five minutes," she said, eyeing Twilight worriedly, "whatever is on your mind?"

"I-is it about Emerald?" Fluttershy asked, tapping her hooves together. Twilight nodded,

"Yeah... sorry girls. I'm just... I'm wondering how he's reacting to all this."

"We all are, Twilight," Applejack said, giving the unicorn a gentle pat on the back, "Honestly, I think we're all stumped on this. But we're jus' gonna hafta ask 'im when we see 'im."

"Or we could do that now," Rainbow suddenly interrupted, looking behind them. Twilight stared at her for a moment, before realization dawned, and she spun around.

And there he was. The familiar green thestral was there, walking slowly towards them, his eyes aimed towards the ground.

Twilight licked her suddenly dry lips, her heartbeat picking up once again. It was one thing to imagine confronting the stallion, but to actually do it, considering everything that had happened today?

_-or found myself falling for the sixth one, seemingly out of nowhere._

Oh wow, oh-oh-she-she couldn't do this!

Just as she was about to turn tail and run away, Emerald arrived in front of her, coming to a dead stop.

For some reason, Twilight's mind focused on where he'd stopped. He was still a bit away from them, nearly five feet away. It wasn't a close approach, but it was by no means a distant one either. Despite this, there was still a noticeable gap between him and them.

_Distantly, she realized that there was something significant about that sentence._

Her brow furrowed.

Was he still having trouble?

"Emerald?" she called, her previous nerves forgotten, for now, "Are you alright?" His eyes suddenly locked onto her own, practically tearing away from the ground in one quick motion. She found herself paralyzed under his gaze for a moment, before she managed to relax when he spoke,

"I'm... fine enough, I suppose."

"Then why the hay are you way over there?!" Rainbow asked,

"Yeah!" Pinkie agreed, smiling brightly, "C'mon! We can't have a group hug from all the way over here!" Emerald's neck twitched,

"I'm sure the six of you can hug just fine without me," he said dully, brow raising. Twilight frowned. Something about the way he'd said that... unsettled her.

"Emerald," she said, his attention immediately latching onto her. She took a deep breath, before continuing, "The Elements don't matter," she managed to say.

"Twilight's right!" Rarity added eagerly, "Our lives are our own, Emerald."

"I can't possibly imagine living a d-different one!" Fluttershy chirped, surprisingly loudly for her,

"That's right! Even if the Elements got us here, it's up ta us ta find where we're goin'!"

"We're still friends!" Pinkie stated, pumping her hoof into the air, "Elements or not, us not being friends is, like, totally impossible!" Rainbow shrugged,

"I stand by what I said earlier," she said lamely, crossing her hooves with a smug grin on her face. Twilight shook her head, but made sure to smile at Emerald, who looked... contemplative.

"We can be whoever we want to be, Emerald," she said, walking towards the taller stallion-_had he always been this much taller than her?_-before sticking out her hoof for him to take, "The seven of us will always be together! The Elements brought the six of us together, and then finally brought you to us! It doesn't matter what happened back then or what happens in the future, because we'll _always_ be friends!"

Emerald's eyes widened at her proclamation, and his eyes fell, landing firmly onto her outstretched hoof.

"... 'always be friends', huh?" he muttered, his own hoof slowly reaching out towards hers.

Twilight's smile widened as their hooves grew closer, and even Emerald's expression firmed up after a moment.

_Then he slapped her hoof away._

The girls gasped at that, while Twilight remained frozen, taken by surprise at the action, her eyes focused on Emerald's,

"We are _not_ friends, Twilight Sparkle," he snarled, his more dangerous features exaggerated by the scowl on his face, before turning away from them, "I _refuse_ to allow my life to dictated by a bunch of fucking _rocks_! I will _not_ allow _anything_ to control me, _ever again_!" he snarled, before relaxing, even as his neck twitched once more. He spared a glance back at her, "Neither should you," he added, walking off.

Twilight was left, staring slack-jawed at him, only broken from her thoughts by the vicious sounding ***CRACK*** that split the air as he took to the skies.

"Wha-hey! Get back here!" Rainbow shouted, nearly taking off after him, if Applejack hadn't caught her tail and brought her back to the ground, "Oof!"

"Hold it there, Rainbow!" Applejack snapped, though her gaze was locked onto Emerald's disappearing form. Rainbow growled from the ground, ripping her tail out of Applejack's grip as she got back up,

"'Hold it!'?! What the fuck are you talking about?! Didn't you hear him?! Who the fuck does he think he is?!" she yelled, pointing her hoof at the distant green speck.

"While I disagree with her language, I _do_ agree with Rainbow Dash's thoughts," Rarity said, frowning, "That was _no_ way to act, even regarding the recent circumstances. It was rude and uncalled for!"

"B-but... didn't you say...?"

Pinkie shook her head,

"He's just... confused," she explained, before nodding, "Yeah! He's just a little confused is all!" she continued, "We're his friends, so it's up to us to make him _not_ confused!"

"An' how are we s'pposed ta do that?" Applejack asked, waving a hoof to where Emerald used to be, "Who knows where he mighta flown off ta!" Twilight finally turned back to her friends, sighing,

"Applejack's right," she muttered, silencing the group, she ran a hoof over her face, "but I... I don't..." she sighed, and let her sentence trail off.

"Wh-what if he's not in Canterlot anymore?" Fluttershy asked timidly, looking around worriedly. Pinkie shook her head, a serious look on her face,

"No way! Emerald wouldn't just leave us like that! He might be a little loco in the coco right now, but we're still his best friends!" she said, her cheeks puffing up as she narrowed her eyes, "He's _totally_ still in Canterlot! He's just gone off to his super secret hide-y hole!" Rainbow scoffed,

"Cool!" she said sarcastically, throwing her hooves out to the side, "Now we just have to find this 'hide-y hole' in the middle of a huge city, _at night_, against someone who probably knows this place like the back of his wing, _and_ has night vision! Great! Shouldn't be _too_ hard!" she added, smiling a large, fake, smile, which caused Pinkie to deflate.

"Rainbow's right, _again_," Applejack said, tiredly rubbing her face, "It's late, an' none'o us know that colt well 'nough ta guess where's 'e's hidin'. We could be lookin' all night fer all we know." Pinkie stammered,

"Th-then we just have to find somebody who _does_ know him well enough!" she said, only to receive the shaking of several heads,

"An' where are they?" Applejack asked, glancing up into the sky, where the sun had just finished setting, "Trixie said somethin' 'bout a meetin' later tonight, an' it can't get _much_ later 'til everybody starts turnin' in fer the night," she added, and sighed, "We don't know where this meetin' is or how long it's s'pposed ta last. An' that's assumin' they _do_ know where he ran off ta. They could be jus' as stumped as we are."

They were silent at that. It was true, after all. At the end of the day, there was only so much they knew about Emerald and his family, and, on top of that, they had only known him for so many months now. Twilight had an extra seven months to spend with the girls, and even then she didn't know all that much about them, so there was no telling just how little Emerald knew of them in return.

They remained silent for a good five minutes, before Fluttershy suddenly spoke up,

"W-well... what bout the Princess?" she asked, looking around at them, "Sh-she's known him longer than we have," she pointed out softly.

"What?!" Twilight gasped, "W-we can't go to the Princess!" she argued, "She's-she's busy!"

"Busy doing what?" Rainbow asked, eyes narrowed, "What that hay does she have to do during a party?"

"W-well-" Twilight stammered, "sh-she has to organize guards patrols so that they don't interfere with the celebration, she has to talk to the ponies who come to introduce themselves to her, she has to keep the party from getting out of hoof-!" she was interrupted by an orange hoof pressing against her lips,

"We get it, sugarcube," Applejack deadpanned, "the Princess is mighty busy tanight."

"Oh, am I?"

Twilight and the others all gasped at once, turning to face the approaching alicorn.

Princess Celestia calmly regarded the six kneeling ponies before her, noting that Emerald was nowhere to be seen, her only visible eye crinkling as she smiled down at them,

"Now girls, you should know that there's no need to bow to me," she reminded them, gently gesturing for them to stand, "I think we're good enough friends that that isn't necessary," she added thoughtfully, smiling at the way Twilight sputtered,

"O-of course Your Highness, b-but-"

"No buts, Twilight," she held out a hoof to silence her student, and lowered it not a moment later, "Now, what makes you think I'd be too busy for... whatever it was you thought of asking me?" she asked, peering at them curiously, but not unkindly. The girls all looked at each other, before Applejack spoke, placing her hat back onto her head from where it had rested against her heart,

"Well, ya see, Yer Highness, Twilight told us how ya hafta keep an eye on all the festivities goin' on tanight," she explained. Celestia nodded, smiling,

"Well that would _normally_ be true," she began, her smile fading a tad, "but, given recent events, I thought it would be best to hoof off some of Luna's old responsibilities to her, as she's very clearly ready for them. For example, now that the sun is set, this party is now hers to take care of," she informed, her smile falling the rest of the way, "I am... ashamed to admit that I hadn't considered her feelings very thoroughly when she returned, and, until now, I've been putting off giving her the rest of her old duties. For that, at least, I have to thank Discord," she added, a bit distastefully, then gave a shake of her head, "Now, what was it you wanted to ask me?"

Again, the six of them glanced at each other, before Twilight sighed, and spoke,

"W-well, Your Highness, we recently had a... realization about the Elements," she said, beginning to fidget at the intense look the Princess suddenly gave her, "Er, well... a-actually, Emerald figured out that... that the Elements..." she trailed off, biting her lip. Rainbow sighed,

"Emerald came up with this stupid idea that the Elements have been controlling our lives. I tried to tell everybody they were being stupid, but _nooooo_!" she snapped, ignoring the way Rarity slapped her side,

"Rainbow, hush!"

Twilight took a shaky breath, and nodded,

"Y-yeah... Rainbow's... not wrong. H-he told us about how the Elements have been manipulating us so that we'd all be friends, and... it-it hit us all pretty hard, but..."

"We realized that was pretty dumb!" Pinkie interjected when Twilight fell silent, "It's stupid, cuz, of _course_ we're friends! Even if the Elements _did_ tell us what to do, us not being friends is crazy!"

"That's an... interesting idea," Princess Celestia said, individually meeting the eyes of the girls before her, "And you say... Emerald came up with this idea?" she asked, earning six nods, "Hmm... I see. Well, girls, rest assured that the Elements are not responsible," she added simply.

Six pairs of eyes blinked in confusion, each meeting each other, before directing themselves back on to the solar princess.

"Wh-what do you mean, Princess?" Fluttershy asked,

"Y-yeah," Applejack added, "I thought..."

Princess Celestia chuckled, and smiled softly at them,

"Oh girls, that's silly. While the Elements themselves, and what they do, are mostly shrouded in mystery, what _is_ known is that they can't do anything without an active Bearer," she explained. The girls stared at her for a moment, before Twilight's eyes widened,

"B-but.. then, that means..." she began, looking horrified. Princess Celestia nodded,

"That's right, my student," she said fondly, "the Elements have not, nor have they ever, had that kind of influence on your lives. Perhaps-" she added suddenly, causing their attention to focus back onto her, "-they have had a _slight_ influence on your feelings regarding each other once you all successfully used them the first time, but only to the extent that you chose to remain in Ponyville and strengthen your bonds naturally."

"B-but, Princess Celestia, y-you said that when you and Princess Luna were connected to the Elements, that they had a really strong effect," Twilight pointed out, "s-so, why wouldn't they...?" She nodded,

"That is an excellent question, Twilight, and I'm glad to say that I've developed a theory," she said, bringing a hoof to her cheek in thought, "Though, I'd like you to know I only recently came up with this theory, and only did so during my... altercation with Nightmare Moon during Discord's escape," she admitted, then, steeling herself with a breath, she began, "I believe the Elements had that particular reaction with myself and Luna, because of Discord's influence on her."

""""""What?""""""

Princess Celestia chuckled at their stupefied response,

"Exactly my thoughts!" she said, and sighed, "But, I came to the horrifying realization that Discord was responsible for Nightmare Moon's initial appearance one thousand years ago. I believe that after we defeated him, a touch of his magic lingered and he directed it into influencing Luna's mind, as, at the time, we had both been weakened by our first proper use of the Elements. I'm... not sure what made him choose Luna, assuming he actually _made_ a choice rather than picking one of us at random," she admitted, "but seeing him turn Luna into the Nightmare once more was enough to convince me of his interference. Although-" she added, sadly, "that does not abolish me of my mistakes back then. His influence or not, Luna _was_ being shunned by our subjects, and it was my fault for not noticing her plight. For that reason, I believe the Elements were trying to bring his influence on her mind to light by bringing the two of us closer in mind. Unfortunately for them, and us, I was far, far too blind to see beyond myself," she admitted, holding a hoof to her chest.

Twilight swallowed at the story.

That was... that was _awful_.

But... _it also made sense._

Was it possible? Had Emerald been wrong?

"But-but there were too many coincidences!" she blurted without thought, "The-the Elements _have_ to be responsible for bringing us together. The-the rainboom, us all coming to Ponyville just in time, us being _friends_!" she was running her hooves through her mane at this point, causing strands to stick out in every direction, "The chances of all that _actually_ happening are so _astronomically_ low, that they might as well be impossible!" she shouted, her hooves flying out, a manic look in her eyes.

Princess Celestia only smiled, and shook her head,

"Twilight," she began calmly, "by that logic, then shouldn't _everything_ be impossible?" she asked. Twilight blinked, turning her stunned gaze onto her teacher,

"What?" she asked hopelessly, staring, uncomprehendingly, at the princess.

"Think about it like this, Twilight," she began slowly, "Let's go back in time for a moment. Let's say that something happened, and the rainboom that you saw when you were young never happened. Thus, you never received your cutie mark. What do you think would have happened to you?" she asked. Twilight blinked, placing her hoof against her chin,

"W-well... I would never have gotten into your school for gifted unicorns," she began, "so I probably would've gone to a public school in Canterlot, and-"

"How do you know that?" Princess Celestia asked, cutting her off,

"Wha-?"

"What makes you so sure that you would have attended a public school in Canterlot?" she asked again, being a little more clear. Twilight's mouth was open, but no sound was coming out. Eventually, she spoke,

"W-well, I lived in Canterlot at the time, so-"

"Your parents might've decided to move out, however, bringing you with them," she pointed out, "You were a very dedicated student, Twilight, and having failed the entrance exam to the only school you wanted to attend would have devastated you. It's possible that you would have been too despondent to attend public school, at least in Canterlot. At the time, your brother was just entering the guard, and had a place to stay at the Barracks, so it isn't out of the question that your parents would move away. That is, of course, assuming they didn't simply teach you at home themselves, or chose to hire a tutor."

"I... I guess that's true..." she admitted, nodding, "That's possible." Princess Celestia nodded,

"Indeed, it _is_ possible, _however_, it would require a specific series of events to occur that, when compared to everything _else_ that could happen, would appear so unlikely, that it might as well be impossible," she said, smiling.

"Uhh... mind saying that in plain Equish, Your Highness?" Rainbow asked, earning a glare from Twilight. Princess Celestia chuckled, and nodded,

"Of course. What I'm saying, is that with so many unknown things that happen every single day, it is, well and truly, impossible to guess what might happen in our lives and, looking back on our lives as they are, the things that _did_ happen, when compared to the things that _didn't_, make our lives look oddly scripted, even though they aren't," she explained, and, when some of the girls still looked a bit confused, she placed a hoof against her chin, looking up in thought, "Hmm... it's like pulling a card with the number 'ten' on it from a bag filled with one hundred cards. The chances of you getting the ten were one in one hundred, but, so where the chances of you pulling a five, a forty, and even an eighty. If you kept pulling numbers, putting them back in as you go, what are the chances you'd pull the numbers one to one hundred in the right order?

"Uhh... _really_ low?" Pinkie supplied, earning an amused nod,

"That's right! But, no matter how low those chances, it can still happen, and it _will_, eventually, happen. Looking back on it, it might _seem_ impossible, but it happened regardless of those low odds," she said, then frowned, "I'm sorry, am I making any sense?" she asked, unsure.

"So... basically we just got crazy lucky?" Rainbow asked, rubbing the back of her head, "Like... _insanely_ lucky? Like 'you have to be cheating' lucky?" Princess Celestia nodded,

"Yes."

"Huh."

Princess Celestia chuckled,

"'Huh' indeed," she said, then turned to Twilight, looking a tad sheepish, "Oh my, I seem to have gotten a bit carried away there, girls. Twilight, you were saying?"

Twilight blinked, and her eyes widened,

"Oh! Um... well..." she shook her head, "I was saying that we all thought our lives were being manipulated but... I... guess not?" she supplied, glancing up at the amused expression on her teacher, "A-anyways-" she stopped suddenly, and gasped, "th-then Emerald... he-he doesn't know..."

"Emerald?" she asked, her brow raising. Twilight swallowed, and nodded frantically,

"Y-yes!" she sputtered, "It's Emerald! He-he thinks that our lives are fake, that-that they're being manipulated! He was really scared and-well, we-we-we-"

"We came to terms with, what we thought, was the truth," Rarity interrupted when Twilight stopped being able to speak properly, "and when we finally ran into Emerald, he, well... He was less than receptive to the idea."

"Yeah!" Rainbow snapped angrily, scowling, "He slapped Twilight's hoof away, spouted something about not wanting to be controlled, then just up and _flew away_!"

Princess Celestia frowned, her brow furrowing,

"Did he now?" she asked, glancing away from them in thought, "... Yes, that does sound like something he'd do, given the circumstances."

"It does?" Applejack asked, the Princess nodded,

"Oh yes. Emerald suffers from a severe case of cleithrophobia, the fear of being trapped. Although... it _is_ a bit of a stretch in this situation," she muttered, "Hmm... I wonder..."

"We need to find him," Twilight said firmly, nodding along with the others, "That's... that's why we were thinking of asking you, Princess. None of us know him very well, but... well..."

"You've known him _way_ longer than we have," Rainbow supplied for her,

"Indeed," Rarity continued, "We hoped you might have some idea where we could find the poor colt, Your Highness."

"Hmm..." the Princess hummed, seemingly turning the idea over in her head, "Well, there are quite a few different places he could be hiding... what way did he fly off in?" she asked,

"Towards the front gate," Rainbow said simply. Princess Celestia nodded,

"That narrows it down quite a bit."

"Couldn't he 'ave jus' turned right back 'round?" Applejack asked, brow furrowed. Princess Celestia nodded,

"Oh, absolutely, but I doubt it. No, he truly wants to avoid anyone and everyone right now, if what you're all saying is true. For that, he only has one hiding place he could go to. The one spot in all of Canterlot that no one but himself and I know about."

"But... wouldn't he know that you're aware of such a place?" Rarity asked, earning a nod,

"Considering that I am the one who showed it to him, yes. However I doubt he thinks the six of you would have willingly come to me in order to find such information," she said, glancing at Twilight, who suddenly looked sheepish, "He was right of course, wasn't he, Twilight?"

"Then what're we waitin' fer?!" Applejack announced, "Let's get goin'!"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, girls," Princess Celestia shot her down, "I doubt he'll be wanting to see the six of you any time soon." Applejack deflated, while Rainbow scowled,

"Then what the hay are we supposed to do?!" she demanded angrily, only for Twilight to forcibly zip her mouth shut, smiling sheepishly at the Princess,

"Hehe-ignore her, Your Highness!" Twilight laughed nervously, "She's just a _little_ stressed at the moment!"

"She _is_ right, though, Twilight," Rarity said, though she was smirking a little at Twilight's spell, "We can't simply _wait_ for him to show himself."

"And you won't," Princess Celestia interjected, "I'll talk to him." Twilight sputtered,

"B-but Your Highness! You-well-there's no need to trouble yourself!" she insisted, her spell dropping as she focused elsewhere, waving her hooves around, "W-we'll figure something out, so don't worry!"

The Princess only shook her head, smiling fondly,

"I won't be troubled at all, Twilight," she said, easing her student's worries, before her eyes trailed off and locked onto the direction Emerald had disappeared in, "Besides... I was hoping to speak with him, regardless," she admitted, and turned back to them, "You should all head to bed. It's getting late and, after the day you've all had, I'm sure you all need your rest. Don't worry, he'll be in good hooves with me," she promised sincerely, holding a hoof to her heart.

She shared a glance with the others, before nodding at the Princess.

"O-of course, Your Highness," she said, licking her suddenly dry lips, "I-... good luck."

* * *

Emerald clenched his teeth, and nearly sighed.

Mother had found him.

After his altercation with the girls, Emerald had migrated to a stretch of outcropping rock, jutting from the side of the mountain Canterlot rested on. The spot was low to the mountain's base, and far beyond the sight of the train and any patrols.

Despite its low position, it still held a truly majestic view of the surrounding greenery, allowing one peer over the sea of green that spanned in nearly all directions.

No earth pony would take the time to climb around and down the mountain to arrive at the spot, few unicorns were capable of teleporting, let alone teleporting such a distance horizontally _and_ vertically, and likely would never take a direct path like the earth ponies, and pegasi rarely ever had a reason to fly so low when the city was so high.

It was the perfect spot for a princess to collect herself after an absurdly stressful day, without having to worry about being found. Mother had thought Emerald would appreciate the same isolated tranquility, given the nature of his work and unique personality.

Before today, he had only ever come down here on his own initiative twice.

"I had a feeling I'd find you hiding out here," she spoke, announcing her arrival before gently touching down a few feet behind him. He clicked his tongue,

"I'm... guessing the girls sent you after me, then?" he asked, not turning to face her. He felt the vibrations of her head as she nodded,

"Something like that, yes. So... will you tell me what's wrong?"

"I'm sure the girls filled you in on everything."

"Maybe," she replied vaguely, "but, even if they did, I'd still like to hear your perspective on all this."

He tried to his the way he tensed at the question, his body instinctively coiling up in preparation of the fight or the flight. Even so...

"'My perspective'? '_My_ perspective'?!" he snarled, before whirling around to face her, an almost manic gleam in his eye, "From _my perspective_ thing seem pretty fucking clear! Those Faustdamn, _motherfucking_ Elements of Harmony, have been forcefully manipulating our-_my_ life! They're the cause of _everything_! The foalnappings, the Facility, **Him**, _everything_!" he shouted, breathing heavily, "They brought me to _you_, so that you could send _me_ down into that backwater little town where I met _them_! I _never_ would have met them if it wasn't for the Elements, because I am _not_ **_one of them_**, and I _never **will be**_!" he growled, breathing heavily.

They stared at each other for a minute, Emerald's chest heaving, and the only sound between them being his ragged breathing.

Eventually, he turned back around, and spoke,

"I... I am **_Emerald Skies_**, and _no one_ and _nothing_ will **_ever_** tell me to be _something **else**_."

Mother stared for a moment, licking her lips, before nodded.

"Yes... you _are_ Emerald Skies," she said, gently approaching him, until she stood by his side, "but... do you know what I see when I look at Emerald Skies, right now?" she asked.

A nervous swallow,

"... What?" he asked.

"I see a young colt who's gone through too much in his short life. A colt who has _finally _been overwhelmed by everything that has happened, and is trying to push it all away," she murmured, gently settling a hoof on his head.

He growled and shook her off,

"'Overwhelmed'? _Me_? As if," he scoffed, scowl still in place. Mother shook her head,

"Things just seem to keep piling up on everyone lately, and that can often make it difficult to focus on one's self. In those cases, one can count on friends to be there and help you deal with the problems that lie within. Of course, that becomes almost impossible if you never tell them," she said, staring at him with her lone eye, "It's quite surprising how far a simple 'How are you feeling?' can go in helping others through their issues. So, with that in mind... How are you feeling, Emerald?" she asked, "You've been through more than most these past few days, after all... you're the one who died."

_**Fear.**_

**_-darknesswhisperingpaingagony-_**

"I can't imagine how that must feel," she continued idly, her eyes very carefully locked onto him, as if she was measuring him.

"I-I-I'm fine," he stammered against his will, "S-something like th-th-that isn't going to st-s-stop me."

"Death isn't something that anyone is meant to come back from, Emerald," she said firmly, her frown only becoming more pronounced at the way he shivered.

"I-It was just a s-setback, is all!" he insisted, his previously angry demeanor fading into a frightened cheerful, "I-it's not like it... it _affected_ me, or anything! I-I'm perfectly fine!"

"You believe tricking yourself into believing a lie about the Elements to be 'perfectly fine'?" she asked. He froze suddenly, and stiffly turned to face her,

"T-trick myself? A l-l-lie?" he asked, before shaking his head as he tried, and failed, to twist his expression into something angry, "I-I wasn't lying about a-anything! The Elements-!"

"Are incapable of affecting your life in the way you described, and I get the feeling that you _know_ that."

_After all, the Elements of Harmony can only affect their Bearers, me, and those infected by my magic, a fact I was sad to learn after Celestia banished Luna to the moon._

He shook his head, his breathing picking up once more.

"N-no. No! I-it's the Elements! It-it has to be-!"

"You've grown attached to them, haven't you?"

_Alright, Sparky... I guess we can be friends._

He swallowed thickly.

"S-so what if I have?"

"You're afraid of that connection, aren't you?"

**_-agaspsilence-_**

He growled, and curled up, holding his head in his hooves, trying in vain to block out the words she was spewing.

"You're afraid of how strong that connection is, but, you're more afraid of it _ending_, is that right?"

He curled up further.

"In that moment, just as the spear pierced your heart-"**_-painagony-_**"-in that moment you felt your connection with the girls disappear, didn't you?"**_-darkcoldtherewasnothingnothingnothing-_**"And then, you came back, and the connection was restored. But, you knew what it was like to feel it break, and you never wanted to feel that again."

**_Silence._**

"Am I right?"

"... Y-yes..." he breathed, the words rushing out despite his attempts to keep them in, "I-I, i-i-it just-it **_hurt_** so much, and I-I couldn't-I-I didn't want-!" he swallowed, slowly beginning to hyperventilate, "I was-I-I was _scared_, I didn't-I _refused_-!"

"Shh, shh," Mother gently soothed, placing a comforting hoof against his back, which, astonishingly, helped him calm his breathing, "it's alright... everything is fine, now," she cooed, as if he were a young foal.

At this point in time, he didn't care.

"I-I..." he swallowed, and took a deep breath, "I... I don't want to lose them like that. I-I... I guess so-some part of me thought if we all gave up, then it... it wouldn't hurt as bad," he admitted, staring at the frogs of his now shaking hooves, "I-I've..." he gave a weak chuckle, "I-I've really gone and... messed things up, haven't I?"

Mother shook her head,

"No, but I'm sure you'll have to explain yourself to them. After apologizing, of course." He nodded,

"Yeah... definitely," he muttered, his hoof trailing over his uninjured chest.

"... How _are_ you feeling, Emerald?" Mother suddenly asked. He grunted, but smiled and answered regardless.

"Like I just came back to life."

* * *

It was a brand new day, and he was sure he made for an interesting sight already, all things considered.

The girls hadn't said anything for a grand total of five minutes now, but, in retrospect, perhaps bowing low and giving them the apology wasn't what they had expected?

Considering the stupid stunt he'd tried to pull, he'd be demanding more than just that were he in their position.

Still, it took a rather shameful amount of his will to not sneak a glance up at the six girls' faces. Given the way Mother chuckled in the background, they were rather humorous.

"E-Emerald, wh-what are you doing?!" Sparky finally managed to say, a chorused of confused grunts echoing after her.

"I'm apologizing, what does it look like?" he asked rhetorically, glancing up to deadpan at her, before looking back down, "I... I did a stupid thing, coming up with that lie, but... I just... I couldn't stand the idea of one day feeling that... that **_pain_** again. The pain of losing all of you at once..." he shook his head, "No, no excuses," he muttered to himself, before bowing, somehow, lower, "I-I'm... I'm sorry!"

_Fuck this is embarrassing..._

A set of hoofsteps approached him-_it was obviously Sparky_-and a pair of purple hooves quickly wrapped around his neck.

He had very nearly returned the hug when a second and third pair of hooves, pink and yellow this time, joined in. Orange and white soon followed after.

"Yeah... I'm good on group hugs for the next few days," Rainbow muttered, though she did reach in and gave him a pat on the back.

The six of them stayed in their embrace for, perhaps, five minutes, until they all broke apart. Emerald sniffed slightly, and idly scratched a spot under his eye-_coincidentally wiping away a tear in the process_-chuckling slightly.

"I'm... surprised you're all so willing to forgive me, and so easily as well," he admitted, eyeing them curiously, and a tad suspiciously.

"Why?" Pinkie asked, tilting her head, "We're friends, duh! Friends forgive each other for their silly mistakes!"

"Mhmm!"

"Don't you know this already, Emerald?" Applejack asked, smirking, "Seemed like ya knew 'xactly what ta do when we first met ya, an' now ya don't seem quite too sure!" she teased. Emerald chuckled,

"I suppose I've never really got so... involved in this kind of thing before," he said, "I'm out of my... element, so to speak."

"Well, you've got plenty of time to figure it out!" Sparky chirped, "It's like I said earlier, we'll _always_ be friends, Emerald," she promised resolutely, "no matter what stupid things we do, as long as we're together, then I think we'll be just fine!"

He chuckled, again.

"If you say so, Sparky."

They all laughed at that, and Emerald couldn't help the small smile on his face.

Yes... this was the connection he hoped to keep. Letting something like it... break would be too painful. He'd just have to make sure it stayed nice and strong, and, as far as he could tell, the only way to do that was to be a better friend to these mares who had so foolishly accepted him.

He smiled, and glanced up to the sunny sky.

Yes, things were looking much brighter than they had before...

But, there were some things that needed to change. If he was going to be living his life alongside these girls, then he needed to be ready to live that kind of life, instead of waiting to be sent back out like he, mostly, had been up until now.

After all... he doubted Mother would be sending him away from Ponyville any time soon, if ever. Not after all... _this_.

* * *

"I'm glad you finally took me up on my offer, Emerald," Mother teased lightly, her horn was alight, and a pair of familiar saddlebags were held aloft right beside her head, "I was wondering when you'd finally see sense," she added.

Emerald rolled his eyes, and gently took back his bags

"Very funny, M-Your Highness," he snapped lightly, "But you know as well as I do that I wasn't... in the right state of mind," he muttered distastefully. Mother nodded,

"True," she agreed, "though I really shouldn't have allowed you to carry around your... considerable wealth in those bags of yours. I can't tell you how relieved I am now that you've agreed to store it in the castle treasury. It makes it much easier to pay you, as well," she said, adding that last part almost as an afterthought, "Speaking of being paid, after what happened with Discord, I believe that gives me enough of a reason to up your pay," she slipped in, "2,000 bits instead of the previous 500 should suffice, no?"

He twitched.

He'd finally gotten his money somewhere safer than on his person-_the dumbest idea he'd ever had, by the way_-and Mother was already trying to give him more.

There was a reason he'd been perfectly okay with the low payment of 500 bits when he'd first come to Ponyville! He hardly ever _really_ used money for anything.

Though... considering the things he's planning, more money would be more than welcome.

"Oh, and, before I forget," Mother added, just as her horn flashed, revealing a single, thin looking card. It was completely white on one side, with a golden sun, and a very dark blue, with a silver moon, on the other, "that card will let you withdraw your bits from any bank in Equestria. It's for _your use only_," she warned, "so _please_... don't lose it."

He scoffed, slipping the card into his bags,

"As if I would lose something that important." Mother only shook her head, fondly,

"You should be going. The train back to Ponyville might very well leave without you," she teased, ignoring his growl. Though, her brow raised slightly when his growling abruptly stopped.

"Yeah, I _do_ have to hurry," he muttered, before nodding, "Alright, I'll be heading out," he added, his wings spreading. Mother barely had any time to react to him taking off, and even less time to react to the fact that he'd darted out the nearest window. Unfortunately he'd lost sight of her by then, so seeing her, no doubt humorous, reaction wasn't possible.

Oh well, he could imagine it well enough.

Alright, first things first.

He shot over the Gardens and landed in the Center of the Maze, and was delightfully greeted by thirty-one cheerful voices, the combined shout causing him to wince, though he remained smiling.

"Hey all," he greeted in return.

"Well now, it's 'bout time you showed yourself!" Auntie Amber's aged cackle reached his ears, as the elderly mare walked over to him, a disapproving look in her eye, "You didn't show up last night!" she added with a frown. He chuckled, and rubbed the back of his head,

"I know. Sorry about that, everyone," he said, glancing around,

"You'd better be!" Hot Streak shouted, pouting, earning a laugh from a few of the others,

"What caused you to miss us?" Scented asked, earning a slight jab from his wife, "What? I'm just asking!"

"He fainted yesterday," Dusk Wing snapped, "I'm not surprised he ended up forgetting."

"It's not that, there were just some... personal issues I had to deal with. But, I'm fine now," he added quickly, seeing the various looks on everyone's faces, before he shook his head, "Anyways, I came by to apologize and say 'see you later'. I'm heading back down to Ponyville in a bit."

"Well, it's a good thing you decided to stop by," Trixie said, smirking haughtily, "We were _just_ about to get a picture taken." He blinked,

"A... picture?" he asked, before his eyes widened, "That's... perfect, actually."

"Of course it is!" Auntie Amber burst, her bright eyes gleaming, "It's been so long since we last saw each other, it'd be a shame to let such an occasion to go to waste!"

"I take it we'll be starting now?" an unfamiliar voice asked from behind, and Emerald turned, finding a slightly older stallion with a tripod.

"That's right!" Auntie Amber agreed, before turning and snapping, "Alright, the lot of you get into position!" she turned to him, "You too, young colt!"

He smirked, and saluted,

"Yes ma'am!"

He quickly scooted over to the others, and tried to take a non-obstructive position, only for the others to push and shove him towards the center of the group. Despite his protests, he soon found himself surrounded by the likes of Trixie, Gustave, Spitfire, Sapphire, Iron Will, and Thorax.

A moment later, and Starlight was forced to the front as well, and Wisp was, delicately, placed onto his back.

With Iron Will towering above and behind them, as well as Trixie and Spitfire to his immediate right and left, along with Gustave and Sapphire on Trixie's other side, and Thorax and Starlight on Spitfire's, the nine of them made up the middle of the photo, with him and Wisp sitting at the direct center.

He scoffed,

"You enjoy yourself, Wisp?" he asked quietly while the photographer set up him camera,

"Mhmm!" she chirped "Big Sis Luna asked me to help her make a special night sky for the celebration yesterday!" she said excitedly. Emerald frowned, feeling a tad guilty he hadn't noticed,

"That-"

"Alright!" the photographer shouted, "On the count of three, everypony say 'cheese'!"

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three!"

"""""""""Cheese!"""""""""

* * *

He stared down at the freshly developed photo in his hooves, a small smile on his face.

But, unfortunately, he didn't have much time to focus on it, when a jolt of purple near the Center of the Maze's exit caught his eye.

"And just _where_ do you think _you're_ going?" he called, beginning to advance towards her.

Starlight yelped in surprise and spun back around to face him.

"Uh... out?" she said, obviously not understanding, "I mean... I'll _probably_ have to head back to Manehatten for a bit, but... I'll see if I can't steal some bits and get a train ride to somewhere else," she admitted with a shrug, "Why?"

He only shook his head, and gently shoved passed her,

"Come on, the train back to Ponyville is leaving in a bit."

He made it all of ten steps, before pausing, and glancing back. He found Starlight just staring at him,

"Wh... what are you talking about?" she asked, visibly swallowing. He quirked an eyebrow at her, and smirked,

"You really think I'm going to let you back onto the road, Star?" he asked, before shaking his head, "Oh no, you're coming to Ponyville with me, and you're going to live with me and Wisp, you know?"

Her eyes widened, and she started sputtering, various half-choked words trying, and failing, to mean anything. Eventually she managed to say-

"B-but I couldn't! Th-that would be _way_ too much to ask!"

"You're not asking," he retorted, and gave her a wicked smirk, "besides, you don't have a choice. You're coming with me of your own volition, or I'm knocking you out and flying you to Ponyville myself," he admitted. Her jaw hung open, and a choked laugh escaped her throat, a single hoof cradling the side of her head,

"Y-you're serious, aren't you?" she asked, but shook her head before he could answer, "Who am I kidding, of _course_ you're serious," she swallowed, "... A-are you sure?"

"Starlight~" he sang, "Keep questioning me and I'll just knock you out anyways!~"

That got her to quiet down. He chuckled slightly, and resumed walking.

"Come on, Star. Save me the trouble of having to drag you there, and just follow me."

It took a moment, but she started following a bright smile on her face.

* * *

The trip back home was... not quite awkward, but Starlight's smell didn't exactly make conversation easily. The eight of them, as Wisp was traveling with them of course, avoided talking to try and keep from inhaling her scent. Though Emerald had the added worry of his motion sickness to deal with, but he doubted anyone, except Sparky, was aware of the real reason he had curled up and refused to move the whole ride.

"Ah, home sweet home!" Pinkie cheered, bouncing excitedly off the train once it had stopped,

"Eeyup! An' everythin's back ta normal ta boot!" Applejack added, looking around fondly.

They weren't wrong. Ponyville, and the surrounding area, had completely reverted back to normal after the wave of rainbow fire had cleansed it all of Discord's magic.

That wasn't to say that the town was in perfect condition, however. From here he could see faint traces of damage done to the ground where places had been ripped up, a few broken windows, and some battered roofing dotted the area. Yet the townsfolk were walking around as though nothing had happened five days ago.

Well, not exactly.

Ponies soon began to stop and stare at the nine of them, all whispering excitedly and pointing. None of them seemed to care for his undisguised form, though he wasn't sure they noticed through whatever star-struck film they were peering through at the moment.

It didn't matter to him. He had a pony to show a house to.

"Come on, you two," he muttered, catching Starlight's and Wisp's attention. The latter gasped,

"Oh yeah!" she chirped, before looking up at Starlight, "We gotta show you your new house!" she said, taking off after Emerald.

Starlight swallowed at that,

"Y-yeah... I guess you do," she muttered timidly, following shortly after them.

The walk to the house was surprisingly long, though Emerald had a feeling it was just his steadily growing nerves.

Would Starlight like the house? Given how long she'd been living on the streets, he'd doubt she'd actually _dis_like the house, but...

Well... she's family, and has had a hard time. If it comes to it, he didn't mind buying a house for her. Or having one built either.

Soon enough, hi-their house came into sight, and, judging by the sharp intake of breath behind him, she liked what she saw. They came to a stop in front of the door and, with a flick of his wings, he drew a simply bronze key from his bag, and tossed it at her.

"I seem to have lost my key. I'll have to have a new one made," he said, smirking, "Mind opening the door for us, Glim?" Starlight swallowed, staring at the key in her hooves, before nodding. She approached the door and, after fumbling for about a minute, she managed to insert the key, and turn it.

The door creaked open, slowly, revealing the admittedly dull interior of the house.

He and Wisp filtered inside, leaving Starlight to hungrily take in her new residence.

"It's not much," Emerald said, smirking, "but it'll be enough once we finally decorate." Wisp gasped,

"We're decorating?!" she asked, causing Emerald to chuckle,

"That's right!" he said, gently setting his bags onto the floor, "But first, we need to show Glim her new room," he said, jerking his head, "C'mon you two."

"My... my own room?" Starlight asked, swallowing and chuckled, "My... my own room!" she repeated, giddily following after him.

The trip up the stairs was quick, but before they reached Starlight's new door, he forced them to pause,

"Actually..." he began, turning to Starlight, "you're taking a shower first, Glim," he said, tapping a second door, "I doubt you want your first experience in your new room to be sullied by your smell," he added cheekily.

Starlight was much too excited at the prospect of taking a shower to notice his use of her nickname, eagerly pushing open the door.

She gasped at the sight of the pristine bathtub and shower-head, and practically marveled at the clean sink, where a glass sat, a pair of toothbrushes-_green and blue_-sitting within.

She stared at them for a moment, nearly causing Emerald to add 'toothbrush' to his growing shopping list, when a weak levitation spell had a dark purple toothbrush floating out of her bag and into the cup with them.

Almost a half hour later and Starlight finally made her way out of the shower, now freshly washed, dried, and cleaner than she had been for the past six years.

She marveled at the feeling of her soft, silky smooth coat, and at the way her mane, now freshly styled into a pair of curls, one wrapping around her neck, and the other falling to the side of her horn, simply _felt_ clean.

"You ready?" Emerald asked, taking in the sight of his actually clean sister. Starlight swallowed, her eyes darting to the only closed door in the hall, before she nodded,

"Not at all, but let's do it now before I lose my nerve," she admitted.

He chuckled and swept passed her, taking a stop by her door, followed soon after by an equally excited Wisp.

"Alright, Starlight. Welcome to your new room," he said, giving the knob a twist and pushing the door open.

Starlight stepped into the room, admiring the bare white walls, dresser, and night stand.

But, of course, her eyes were almost instantly glued to the lone bed. With a simple, dark wooden frame, and clean white sheets, it wasn't the fanciest bed in the world.

Judging by the way her eyes immediately began to water, as well as the hoof that shot to her mouth, Starlight obviously that it was the greatest thing in Equestria regardless.

"So... d'you like it?" Emerald asked, just in case.

Starlight gasped, and turned to face him, her brilliant eyes glossy with shedding tears,

"I love it!"

He smiled. There was only one thing left to say, now.

"Welcome home, Starlight."


	35. Back to the Basics

He should've expected it-_part of him did expect it, actually_-but there was a strange sense of awkwardness whenever Sparky was around.

It took him almost two days to realize why that was.

He had, in a way, confessed his feelings for the lavender mare. The same feelings that had, inexplicably, vanished into thin air.

Well... not completely. He still cared for her, but... he didn't love her in the way he had before. It was strange, and... well, it frightened him. The whole story about the Elements's control over them might've been conjured up from the fear within him, but...

Did it have an actual basis in reality?

No... no, but the answers were still out of his reach. There was no point in searching for answers, especially not while he was cooking breakfast.

Although... there was something about this situation that bugged him, even as he idly flipped the pancakes he was cooking. Something about it was familiar. Not in the sense that he'd dealt with it before, but in that he'd read about cases like it in the past. The problem, then, was that he couldn't figure out where he'd read about them.

Was it in a history book? A criminal file? A fantasy novel?

He didn't know.

And that unnerved him.

Well, things weren't all bad. Starlight was fitting in quite well, much to his delight.

Though when lunch came around the day of her arrival, she'd very nearly eaten everything he'd had in stock! He hadn't realized that her appetite would be quite so large, and, from the look on her face, she hadn't either!

It didn't bother him, though. He was just happy his sister was eating properly, sleeping properly, and _living_ properly again. Actually, not _again_, but for the _first time_, if she was telling the truth about her life before the Facility.

Her mother had died due to complications during her birth, and her father, loving though he was, was often out of the house at work. By the time she was six, she was taking care of herself more than her father was. She was a very smart filly as well, excelling in school almost without thought, which drove away a lot of the other foals who'd lived in Sire's Hollow at the time.

Only one pony, a colt her age, had decided to befriend the know-it-all blank-flank. A colt named Sunburst who promptly abandoned her and vanished off to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns without so much as a goodbye when he received his own cutie mark at the age of seven.

She was alone again, and had developed a resentment towards cutie marks. The resentment in question would've kept festering, had she not been foalnapped and brought to the Facility the month before her eighth birthday.

However, her old resentment for cutie marks had disappeared entirely when, after they'd escaped and gone their separate ways, a traveling magic troupe stumbled across her, and she earned her mark performing magic they taught her.

While the troupe hadn't wanted to take her along with them-_they'd been too full, apparently_-they had decided to leave her with some of their old magic tomes, hence the saddlebags she carried with her. They were fairly small, at first glance, but apparently they'd been spelled to be thinner, while still retaining a large number of pages. He supposed it made sense for a small traveling magic troupe to use that kind of spell to make moving easier.

Still, he'd taken a leaf through the books they'd given her, and found them almost entirely incomprehensible. The magic within them was astonishingly complex, yet still provided a good grasp of the basics.

It made him wonder exactly who this 'magic troupe' were.

Regardless, hearing the story of her life before, and some of it from after, the Facility was interesting, and it brought to light the fact that very few members of their family talked about their pasts before then. It made sense, but it was still somewhat regrettable that it was the case.

He, of course, reciprocated. He told her about his two elder siblings, his loving, but strict father, and his doting birth-mother. Of being a sickly foal who enjoyed his blanket too much and was woefully naive to the ways of the world. Of learning about the duties of a Clan Head, which he may or may not have become depending on whether his four-year-elder brother or two-year-elder sister croaked or not. Of playing in the snow and ice-skating. Of fearful days where his sickness grew worse.

Talking about all those things put into perspective how much he had changed in his life. It was funny, looking back at it like that. He wondered what his life would be like if he'd never been taken. Or if he hadn't been the Champion. Or even if he'd met Sparky earlier on.

What if?

Regardless of his thoughts, it was finally Tuesday, marking the first week since Discord had been resealed in stone.

Emerald frowned at the thought, plating the pancakes. Discord had told him about his initial sealings, all of which had involved this... Tree of Harmony.

_No_, he corrected himself, _The ponies call it the Tree of Harmony, but he was very clear that its name was the Tree of Order._

Yes, apparently his previous sealings had him stuck into the Tree, but Luna and Mother had turned him to stone instead, for some unknown reason. Something that he, and the girls, had ended up repeating.

He wondered if it was an 'intent' thing? Had the previous Bearers before them known about the Tree and thus were able to seal Discord within it?

But, then... why didn't Mother and Luna know?

Then again, Mother had never mentioned anything about a Tree when she taught him history. It was entirely possible she only knew of it in passing, or, at least, didn't know of its role in sealing Discord.

Nevertheless, didn't that mean that Discord would be free again one day, able to recall his previous defeats once more?

He swallowed, setting the prepared breakfast out onto the table. That wasn't a pleasant thought.

Then again, if he did free himself, then it would be long after his death.

His _permanent_ death, that is.

He sighed. Was it worth going to therapy after all that?

...

Nah, he'd be fine.

"Breakfast is ready you two, get your flanks down here!" he shouted, hearing a pair of tired groans in response. He scoffed at that, and decided to clean up a bit while waiting.

About five minutes later a pair of tired fillies trudged down the stairs, their manes completely unkempt, appearing closer to bird's nests than anything else. Seeing Wisp like that was no surprise, since she did it everyday, but Emerald was a tad stunned that Starlight let it happen. Then again, she wasn't exactly used to caring about it.

Eh, whatever. Long as they cleaned up before heading out, he really didn't care how they looked right out of bed.

"Mornin' you two," he snarked, putting away the cleaned dishes, "We've got pancakes and fruit. You girls want juice or water?"

"D'we have milk?" Wisp asked,

"Yes."

"Can I have that?"

"Sure. Glim?"

"Don't call me that."

"Whatever you say, Glim."

Starlight growled at him, and sighed,

"I'll just take... actually I'll have some juice."

He nodded and got them their drinks, before settling down and setting his own plate. Wisp did the same across from him, but he noticed that Starlight was hesitating quite a bit, not that he was entirely surprised.

"Take some," he ordered simply, stabbing a blueberry with his fork. Starlight swallowed, eyeing his and Wisp's plates, seemingly counting how many they'd taken, before copying his number.

He scowled and, with a deft flick, added three pancakes to her plate.

"Wha-?"

"You need to eat more," he snapped, scowling, "You've been living on the streets for six years. You might've had to ration your food then, but you don't need to worry about that anymore. Eat as much as you want." She swallowed, staring at the fruit bowl,

"B-but-"

"No. Buts."

She glanced up at him, nervous, before her jaw suddenly set, and she loaded about ten strawberries onto her plate as well as three more pancakes. He smirked, watching the way she suddenly began gulping down her food,

"It's not going anywhere, you know?" he added, causing her to freeze in place, "Taste it. Don't _inhale_ it."

"Yeah!" Wisp agreed, "We've got plenty of food, Big Sis Starlight!"

"What she said," Emerald said, swallowing, "'Sides, you'll need your strength for today." Both Starlight and Wisp blinked,

""What are we doing?"" they chorused, before glancing at each other and giggling.

"Since she doesn't have school today, Wisp and I are going to show you 'round Ponyville," he said, "You'll be living here from now on, so it only stands to reason that you know how to get around," he explained, "Who knows, you might find something interesting in town. Maybe you'll make some friends, or even choose to get a job," he paused, and tilted his head, "That's not to say you _have_ to get a job. If you were on your own, yeah, but you don't need one as long as you live with us. Believe me-" he added when she went to protest, "I have more money than I'll ever spend in my lifetime."

"I... I don't know..." Starlight said. He only shrugged,

"Like I said, you don't _have_ to get a job. If you want a job, go ahead. I'll even help you, if you want," he offered. Starlight smiled as she bit into a strawberry,

"That... sounds nice, actually," she said, swallowing, "So when are we heading out for the tour?" she asked. Emerald shrugged,

"Soon as-"

***KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK***

He blinked, his sentence cut off by a loud knocking against the door. He frowned, setting down his utensils. Who the fuck would be at his door at _this_ hour?

He marched over to the door, his ears twitching. Someone his size, a pony, with a... hat? His brow furrowed, and he opened the door,

"Applejack?" he asked, staring at the mare on his doorstep, "What are you doing out here this early?" The farm mare, who had been in the process of raising her hoof to knock once more, smiled,

"Mornin'!" she chirped, receiving a half-hearted 'Morning' in return, "Anyhow, I came by ta let ya know that the girls an' I were thinkin'o havin' a picnic later taday, an' were wonderin' iffin you wanted ta come by!" she said. Emerald hummed,

"Well, I appreciate the offer, but I'm planning on showing Glim around town with Wisp," he explained. Applejack brightened,

"Now that's a mighty fine idea!" she said, "Maybe ya'll c'n come down ta the Ponyville Park later! That's where we're havin' the picnic, an' I'm sure the girls would love ta have the three'o ya come by!"

"Ooh! Can we, Bro?" Wisp asked excitedly. He turned back, raising a brow at her,

"You want to?" he asked, earning an eager nod, "Hmm... how 'bout you, Glim? Does a picnic sound good to you?" Starlight growled,

"It would sound better if you stopped calling me that," she grumbled, but nodded, "Sure, sounds like fun." He nodded, and turned back to Applejack,

"Guess we'll meet you there. What time?"

"Oh, 'bout four. Don't worry 'bout bringin' anything," she added, leaning to look past him at Starlight, "Think of it as us givin' ya a good welcomin' ta Ponyville!" Starlight laughed,

"Sounds like a deal!" she said. Applejack nodded, and turned back to him,

"Great! I'll tell the girls. See ya then!" she chirped, turning and walking off, waving back at him. He returned the wave,

"See you," he replied, before shutting the door. He turned back to Wisp and Starlight, smirking, "Well, today seems to be off to a good start," he muttered, "I was worried something stupid would come up."

Starlight tilted her head,

"'Something stupid'? What do you mean?"

"Oh!" Wisp spoke up, "Crazy things happen _all the time_ here in Ponyville!" she said with a smile. Starlight blinked,

"What... kind of crazy things?" she asked hesitantly.

"One time, an Ursa Minor came running into town," Wisp began, ignoring-_or not seeing_-the horrified look on Starlight's face, "Then the entire town went super crazy over a bunch of tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala. Then there was this _huge_ fashion show in town, and even the Princesses came!"

"Don't forget the incident with the cockatrice."

"_Cockatrice_?!"

"Oh yeah! Emerald got turned to stone then broke out an' scared the cockatrice away!" Wisp supplied. He nodded,

"That's right. There was also the time Luna came down for Nightmare Night, and, after that, I had to deal with some Diamond Dog Mutts who had enslaved a bunch of ponies."

"Yeah, then you guys went to Appleloosa, and everythin' was pretty calm for a couple'a days," Wisp remarked, curiously.

"Then the Gala came along, followed by Hearth's Warming and Winter Wrap Up. Then the whole fiasco with Discord, and... well, here we are," Emerald finished. He blinked, and glanced at Starlight.

She was staring at them, slack-jawed and wide-eyed.

"Y-_you're kidding_!" she shouted, disbelieving, "All of _that_ happened?! You've only been here a year! No," she added, "_Not even_ a year!" she amended. Emerald smirked, and shrugged,

"What can I say? It's rarely ever dull for long 'round here."

Starlight shook her head, laughing.

"That's insane," she said, smiling, before she nodded, "If life in Ponyville is really like that, I think I'm going to enjoy living here!" He smirked,

"You say that now, but I'm sure you'll change your mind when a different primordial god of chaos decides to break out."

* * *

They finished breakfast relatively quickly after that, with Starlight eating nearly double what she'd had already, something that had the mare profusely apologizing to Emerald, who, of course, ignored it.

"I really don't care how much you eat, Glim," he said when she'd apologized _again_, "As long as you're happy, healthy, and safe, I. Don't. Care."

He cleaned up after that, waving off Starlight's attempts to do so, before he'd announced that they were heading out.

"So Wisp," he asked once the three of them were showered and out of the house, "Where do you think we should visit first?" The filly stuck out her tongue, putting a hoof to her chin in thought,

"Hmm... maybe we could introduce her to your friends before the picnic?" she suggested. His brow raised at that,

"Oh? I'm surprised you're not-... You just want an excuse to visit Sugarcube Corner, don't you?" he asked, deadpan. She smiled up at him innocently,

"Yep!" He sighed, but smiled,

"Figures."

"Sugarcube Corner?" Starlight asked, "Is that a sweet shop?" He shook his head,

"No, it's a bakery. It's also where I work as a cashier." Starlight blinked,

"You... a cashier?" she asked, smirking, "What happened to having more money then you could spend in a lifetime?"

"It was my cover," he deadpanned, then frowned, looking away, "A cover... I don't need anymore," he added, glancing down at his bare hoof.

That was right. His disguise was gone and rendered obsolete when he was revealed as Champion. He no longer had a reason to work at Sugarcube Corner, now that he didn't need a cover for his closeness to the Bea-the _other_ Bearers. He clicked his teeth. It was annoying, but if he quit working at Sugarcube Corner, it would free up his schedule and...

Wait, did he even need to patrol anymore? If anything tried to attack the Elements, then he'd be one of the targets. It was, perhaps, the best position possible to deal with threats towards the Elements. No better way to attack the enemy than by being their target, after all.

He shook his head, tossing those thoughts aside.

He could deal with all that later. Right now, he had a tour to give.

"You've already met them," he began, turning to Starlight, "though, I'm not sure it was really a 'meeting', right?" She nodded,

"Yeah, it was more of an... interrogation. And not a very good one," she muttered, "I... guess it makes sense to meet them properly, since you're friends with them," she added. He nodded,

"Alright, so where to first? We've got Sugarcube Corner, The Carousel Boutique, The Golden Oaks Library, Sweet Apple Acres, Rainbow Dash's house, or Fluttershy's house," he listed. Starlight nodded, tilting her head,

"Hmm, how about Fluttershy's house?" she asked, smirking, "I've heard she's our new cousin, so it's only fair we see her first!" He nodded,

"Good choice. C'mon then, We can show you some places on the way."

And so they were off towards town, leisurely making their way down the path.

"So Em," Starlight began, "How are _you_ liking Ponyville?" she asked, "Wisp obviously likes the place-" she smirked down at the blue filly, "but you haven't said much about it." He hummed,

"Well... it _is_ a nice little town," he admitted, smiling softly, "The ponies here are nice as well, if a little skittish. I don't really mind living here, and I'll definitely be sad if I ever have to leave," he added, before frowning, "It... I like this town." Starlight nodded,

"It really does seem like a nice place," she said, looking around at the buildings as they entered the town proper, "Definitely way better than the streets back in Manehatten." Emerald's teeth clenched as she said that, but let out a breath and relaxed.

"Yeah. You'll never have to worry about that again, Glim," he promised, smirking at her growl. They passed through town in relative silence after that, broken occasionally by Emerald or Wisp pointing out a specific building to Starlight.

"That's Bon Bon's Sweet Shoppe."

"Ooh! There's the arcade!"

"You can see Town Hall from here, the building near the center."

"That's Quills an' Sofas!"

"Do they only sell two things?"

"Yeah!"

"There's a couple restaurants over there. Horte's Cafe is the one I tend to head over to during lunch."

"There's even a hayburger an' pizza place too!"

It was nice, showing Starlight around. She seemed to really enjoy it as well, given the awestruck look in her eyes. Though he wasn't a fan of how much she was staring at the pizza place, but he wouldn't say no if she asked to go there at some point. Yet.

About ten minutes of walking later, and they arrived just a little out of town towards the fork in the road.

"Fluttershy's cottage is just down here," he pointed down the right path, "Sweet Apple Acres is the other way, so we'll head there next," he said.

"Got it!"

As they made their way down the path to Fluttershy's cottage, there was a large, and expected, increase in the number of animals roaming about. Everything from squirrels and rabbits to little frogs and lizards could be seen skittering about. Small groups of porcupines and skunks and all kinds of different animals meandered about, some of them spotting them and making sounds at them that could've been greetings or threats. He didn't know.

"Fluttershy is very good with animals," he explained, "she's Ponyville residential hermit, but she is also one of the go to ponies in town for information on animals of all kinds, even before the Ponyville Vet."

"She's also really shy," Wisp added, "uhh... most of the time." Starlight chuckled,

"Really? Who'd've guessed?" she asked sarcastically. The cottage soon came into sight, and it wasn't long until they were at the door. He gave it a few quick knocks, hearing the customary 'Eep!' from inside, followed by the soft hoofsteps approaching the door.

It cracked open a bit, revealing a teal eye,

"Oh! Hello Emerald," Fluttershy greeted softly, opening the door wider, allowing them to actually see her face. She tilted her head at them, "Umm... what are you doing here? Is something wrong?" she asked, looking worried. He shook his head,

"Not at all," he said, causing her to relax. He gesturing for Starlight to come closer, "This is Starlight Glimmer, I'm sure you remember her," he said, smirking. Fluttershy turned a faint red,

"Oh, um... yes," she admitted, fidgeting slightly, "Umm... me and the girls, well... i-it wasn't the nicest introduction..." she murmured.

"That's why we're here!" Wisp said eagerly, "We wanted to give everyone a nice hello since you had that weird first meetin'," she explained.

"Oh, that's nice," Fluttershy said, "I, um... well I hope we can get along!" she added sincerely, looking at Starlight, who smiled,

"Me too!"

Emerald smiled,

"Well, good to see you two are off to a friendly enough start," he began, "Unfortunately, I'd like to get everyone introduced before all the questions start, if that's fine with you?" he said, turning to address Starlight towards the end. She blinked, and looked like she was going to protest, but stopped,

"... Yeah, that makes sense," she said after a moment, "It'd be a lot easier to do everything at once than to repeat it, over and over," she agreed. He nodded,

"Exactly," he said, turning to Fluttershy, "so, we'll be seeing you and the others at the picnic later today. Feel free to ask questions then if you have any. It was good to see you, cuz, but we'll have to cut the visit short," he said. Fluttershy nodded,

"That's okay," she said, smiling, "It was nice to see you too."

With that, they turned around and walked off, leaving Fluttershy to whatever it was she was doing before their arrival.

They made their way back down the back, where there were slightly fewer animals wandering about.

"She seemed nice," Starlight said suddenly, "but she didn't seem as shy as you two were implying."

"Probably because she knows me and Wisp," Emerald pointed out, "If it had just been you two, then..." he trailed off leadingly. Starlight sighed,

"Yeah... you've got a point."

They started down the other path once they reached the fork in the road, and hardly before a minute passed they were already beginning to see the distant farm in all its grand glory.

"Holy Faust," Starlight breathed, "That is one _big_ farm."

"Oh yeah," Emerald agreed, chuckling, "And to think, they've only got two ponies around to harvest it all." Starlight's eyes bugged out at that,

"Only _two_?!" she asked, incredulously, "That's-that's insane!"

"Well, they don't do it all at once, of course," he said, smirking, "They do it over some time, and I'm sure they call in relatives of they really have to hurry."

"Still..." she muttered as they approached the front gate.

Emerald's eyes scanned the property before him, searching for a streak of orange. He didn't find it, but he did spot a pair of red and yellow ones.

"C'mon Big Mac! I've done all mah chores!" the high-pitched southern twinge that was Applebloom's voice shouted, "Can't I go an' hang out with Sweetie Belle an' Scootaloo?" There was a deep sigh from the larger red stallion, who idly rubbed at a dark mark, a bruise, on his face.

"Applebloom, ya know what happened a couple'a days ago," Macintosh explained, looking down at the small filly, "I know Applejack an' her friends took care'o everythin', but that don't mean it's perfectly safe out there yet." Applebloom's cheeks puffed up,

"O'course it's safe!" she countered, "Applejack said so, an' ya know she ain't the kind ta start lyin' like that!"

"I'll have to agree with Applebloom, Mac," Emerald said, making himself, Wisp, and Starlight known. Macintosh flinched slightly, and turned them,

"Oh, howdy there Emerald," he greeted, and nodded at Wisp, "You too, little missy," he glanced back at Emerald, brow furrowed, "Mind explainin' whatcha mean there?"

"Everything _is_ safe, especially in town," Emerald began, "The Elements of Harmony got rid of Discord's magic all over the planet, and Ponyville was right in the center of their blast. If anything, Ponyville is the only place on the planet that _wouldn't_ have to worry about his magic or its aftereffects."

"Yeah, what he said!" Applebloom eagerly agreed. Macintosh frowned at him, before sighing and turning to Applebloom,

"I... guess that's true. Alright, Bloom, ya c'n spend time with yer friends, but-" he added when Applebloom started cheering, "Ya gotta promise me that ya'll _will_ be careful. I don't wanna hear 'bout you three headin' inta the Everfree again, an' ya know Granny wouldn't either." Applebloom winced at that, looking embarrassed,

"I know..." she muttered, rubbing her leg. Macintosh stared at her for a moment, then nodded,

"Good. Now go on," he said, shooing her off, "Have fun."

"Yeah! Thanks Big Mac!" she cheered, before running off, "See ya later!"

The older stallion stared after his youngest sister for a moment, before turning to Emerald,

"So, what brings ya by?" he asked,

"Just showin' my sister around town," he answered, gesturing to Starlight, "Brought her around to give her and Applejack a proper introduction. Know where we can find her?" he asked. Macintosh hummed for a moment, then nodded,

"Eeyup. She's 'round the east side'o the orchard. Probably near her ol' clubhouse," he said, "Ya can't miss it." Emerald nodded,

"Thanks Mac," he said, "Alright, let's go then," he added to Wisp and Starlight.

They made it about ten steps, before Emerald stopped, and turned back to Macintosh,

"Hey Mac!" he called,

"Hmm?" was the other stallion's response. Emerald gave him a wicked grin,

"Sorry about the bruise, by the way!"

* * *

Emerald was still smirking a bit as they wove through the trees.

"How does anyone find their way through these?" Starlight grumbled, "It's like a maze! And not the good kind!"

"Well, they _have_ lived here their entire lives," he pointed out, "I'd imagine they've memorized where everything is." A flash of orange caught his attention, and he pointed towards it, "This way."

Just as he'd thought, they spotted Applejack staring wistfully at an old, broken down tree-house from where it hung. There was a vague smile on her face, one that told him she was currently in the middle of remembering something.

Shame.

"Hey Applejack," he called,

"Agh!" she yelled, darting forward, landing face first onto the ground. There was a groaning noise, before she raised her head and glared at him. He smirked, brow rising,

"Uh... sorry?"

"Very funny," she said, rising to her hooves, "So, besides scarin' the hooves offa me, what brings ya'll 'round?" she asked, glancing at Wisp and Starlight.

"Well," Starlight began, "Em here thought it would be a good idea for me to meet you all." Applejack frowned,

"But we already-"

"You chased me across town," Starlight deadpanned, cutting her off, "I think we can both agree that _that_ isn't the best first impression somebody can get." Applejack's jaw hung loose for a moment, before it closed, and she nodded,

"Ya got that right," she admitted, and stuck out her hoof, "Well then, it's nice ta meet ya, Starlight! Name's Applejack!" she greeted, tipping her hat. Starlight giggled, and took the offered hoof,

"And it's nice to meet you too, Applejack!"

"So, whatcha doin', Miss Applejack?" Wisp asked, looking up at the tree-house curiously. Applejack sighed, following her gaze,

"Aw, I was jus' rememberin' when I was yer age. I used ta play in this thing all the time," she said, smiling fondly, before it turned into a frown, "But the ol' thing ain't seein' any use now, so we're prolly gonna hafta get rid'o it."

"Why don'tchu just fix it?" Wisp asked. Applejack laughed a bit at that,

"Well, I'd love ta do some work on it, but there ain't a reason," she explained, almost sadly, "It ain't gonna be seein' any use any time soon."

"Well... what about your sister?" Starlight suddenly asked. Applejack blinked,

"Mah sister? Ya've met Applebloom?" she asked, idly. Starlight waved her hoof in a 'so-so' motion,

"I saw her talking to the red stallion, uh... Macintosh?" she asked, earning a nod, "Right. She wanted to hang out with her friends, but he was worried that things were still kind of dangerous after Discord's escape. Why don't you just give her the tree-house so she and her friends can spend time on the farm where you both know where they are?" she suggested.

Applejack stared at her for a moment, then smiled,

"Now _that_ is a good idea!" she gushed, laughing a bit, "I can't believe none'o us thought of that!"

"Well, they aren't exactly the safest group in Equestria," Emerald said, smirking, "If anything, they just might knock this thing down during one of their... 'Crusades'." Applejack laughed,

"I wouldn't be surprised!" she said, smiling, "Welp, I gotta go tell Granny that I'm thinkin'o givin' Bloom the ol' tree-house. Ya still comin' 'round fer the picnic?" she asked.

"Yeah!"

"Definitely."

"Totally!"

"Great!" she said, "See ya then!"

* * *

This was going well. Astonishingly well. So well, in fact, that Emerald was certain that something was going to happen to completely derail his plans for the day.

"Damn, this place looks like an actual gingerbread house!" Emerald chuckled, finding Starlight's awestruck gaze amusing,

"It _is_ a bakery," he said, trying to throw those previous thoughts away. Starlight shook her head,

"This is... are all the businesses in Ponyville so... easy to spot?" she asked,

"Yeah, pretty much," Wisp answered for him, smiling, "It makes it really easy to find them!"

"Because in a small town like Ponyville, it's pretty hard," he added sarcastically, then turned to the building, "Anyways, Pinkie Pie works here as a baker, and she's our next visit. A word of caution, she's... excitable, so don't be surprised if she jumps you, saying something about throwing you a party," he warned, "And... try to be prepared to answer a lot of questions _very_ quickly," he added.

But still, even though he was trying to ignore those thoughts, he just knew, even as they made their way into Sugarcube Corner, he was sure something was going to pop out an-

"Hey Emerald!" Pinkie shouted, popping into his field of vision, startling Starlight, who yelped and fell onto her flank. He glanced down at her, smirking,

"Hey Pinkie," he said, turning to address her, "How are ya?"

"I'm great!" she cheered, smiling widely, "I have so many games planned for our picnic this afternoon, it's gonna be amazing!" He chuckled,

"I'm sure it will, Pinkie," he said, then jerked his head towards Starlight, "You remember Glim, yeah?" She smiled and nodded,

"Yep!" she chirped, "She's the pony me and the girls chased around Canterlot!" she supplied happily,

"Uhh... yeah, that's me," Starlight said, awkwardly smiling at the chipper mare, "Uhh... I'm Starlight, it's... nice to actually meet you?" she said, phrasing it more like a question even as she stuck her hoof out.

It was a decision she quickly regretted, as Pinkie eagerly took the offered hoof in both of hers, shaking it wildly,

"Hi Starlight!" Pinkie began, "It's so good to finally meet you, even though we already met in a really funny way! We totally chased you all over Canterlot! I thought we had you a buncha times but you just teleported away! That was so cool! What was it like?! Did it go all 'buzzz-WOOSH' or 'zrrrp-POP'?! I've never seen anybody teleport before, except Twilight that one time?! Ooh, do you like magic like Twilight?! Also, what's your favourite colour?! What's your favourite ice-cream flavour?! What's your favourite party game?!"

Starlight just blinked and took the onslaught of questions with wide-eyes and a gaping mouth.

"Uhh... It's kinda disorienting the first time, neither, uhhh, yeah sure, light blue, chocolate, I don't have one?"

Emerald stared at her for a moment, honestly surprised she actually managed to answer each of Pinkie's questions on the first try. He then shrugged.

Oh well, it was bound to happen.

He turned to Starlight and Wisp,

"Would you two like anything while we're here?" he asked. Wisp didn't answer, only jogging towards the front counter, where an amused looking Mrs. Cake sat. Starlight bit her lip, eyeing the displayed sweets, before nodding shyly, "Then order," he said, giving her a gentle shove.

Starlight stumbled a bit, and sent a glare back at him, but it melted into a shy smile when she turned back to Mrs. Cake.

He turned to Pinkie in the meantime,

"So, anything interesting happen since we've been back?" he asked, Pinkie stuck her tongue out,

"Hmm... nope!" she chirped, "Althooooough, Mrs. Cake said Twilight was acting kinda funny earlier," she added.

"She was!" Mrs. Cake suddenly said, turning back from the window, "She put in an order for a dozen cupcakes an' Carrot and I had some extra leftover, so I gave her a baker's dozen instead! She was all put off about it, and was worrying about one cupcake having too much frosting!" she said,

"Yeah, isn't that crazy?!" Pinkie asked, "There's no such thing as _too much_ frosting!" He scoffed,

"Maybe to you," he said, and looked over to the other two mares, "Have you two ordered yet?" he asked.

"Yep!"

"Uhh... yeah?"

"Good. We'll get those and head over to Rarity's. Alright?"

"Okay!"

"Sure?"

* * *

He wasn't surprised at Wisp's ordered cupcake, but the lemon bars Starlight grabbed were surprising. It was, again, more proof that he knew less about his family than he'd like.

Even so, it didn't bother him. With Starlight living with him and Wisp now-_likely permanently_-he'd have quite a lot of time to learn about her as the days went on.

Once the two of them finished their treats, they were off once again. The trip around Ponyville was taking longer than he'd anticipated, and they only had another hour until they needed to head to the Park for the group picnic.

Given that he doubted Rainbow would be home, and that in that case he'd have no clue where to find her, this was probably going to be their last stop, and the introductions would have to be finished then.

"Wow," Starlight breathed once the Boutique came into sight, "I know you called it the Carousel Boutique, but... I didn't think it would actually _look_ like a carousel!" she said, eying the circular building in surprise. He chuckled,

"Hehe, well you know ponies. They like their names to be a _little_ on the nose, most of the time." Starlight frowned, and nodded,

"Yeah... you're not wrong," she said, "Still..."

They approached and ventured through the door, the gentle-_but still kind of annoying_-ring of the bell filling the room.

"Oh! I'll be right there!" Rarity's voice called from the back room.

"Wow..." Starlight breathed, examining a few of the ponyquinns laying around, "these outfits are amazing..."

"Well, Rarity is one of the best designers I've ever met," he said, "and Sapphire seemed to agree with me, so it's not all that surprising."

"Oh, you flatter me _far_ too much, Emerald," Rarity called, appearing through the door, drawing everyone's attention, "Though I am glad to hear that there is another pony who enjoys my-erk!" Rarity suddenly froze upon sighting Starlight.

Starlight froze in return, though she seemed to have done so more out of confusion than anything else.

It took nearly a minute, but Rarity did eventually speak,

"Y-you're..." she swallowed, then gave Starlight a rather shaky smile, "W-well... I must say, you've cleaned up rather well, dear," she said nervously. Starlight blinked, and relaxed,

"Umm... thank you?" she said, still visibly confused, until a look of realization crossed her face, "Oh! Right, you, uh... you saw me while I was... yeah..."

"She _was_ a mess, wasn't she?" Emerald remarked idly, earning a 'Hey!', which he ignored as he wrapped a leg around Starlight, "But you'd be surprised what a good shower and some soap can do after going nearly six years without."

"I-... Yes, I imagine that that is true..." Rarity provided, before giving a gentle shake of her head, "Well then, what brings the three of you by? You-" she pointed at Emerald, who was now confused, "oh I know why _you're_ here, Emerald, but is there anything you two need?"

Starlight broke away from the still confused Emerald,

"Uh, well, we just came by so I could give everyone a proper 'hello', you know?" she said, "Umm... I'm Starlight, it's nice to meet you," she said, sticking out her hoof. Rarity stared at the hoof for a moment, before giving it a single, quick, shake, and quickly retracting her hoof,

"Oh, well it's a delight to meet you as well, dear. Though-" she added, a twinkle appearing in her eye, "are you sure there's nothing you'd like? A formal dress? A delightful hat? Perhaps a scarf for when it gets chilly?"

"I-I, uh... I don't really know anything about dresses or... anything related to fashion," Starlight admitted nervously.

"That's fine!" Rarity gushed, gesturing over to a series of racks on the other side of the room, "Those are all of my latest designs for the Spring, and some for the Summer. Why don't you take a look and see if there are any you like?" she offered, and then turned to smile at Wisp, "Perhaps Whisper would like something as well?"

Wisp blinked up at Rarity, and shook her head,

"No thanks, I don't really like dresses all that much," she said. Rarity tittered,

"Well, you certainly don't _need_ a dress. There are a lot of things that I have in stock. Shirts, blouses, socks, saddles, capes, and a whole variety of other things," she explained simply, "But you'll find that everything here in the Carousel Boutique is chic, unique, and magnifique!"

Emerald blinked at her, and stifled a chuckle.

She was really trying to sell something to a thirteen year old?

Then again, said thirteen year old's brother had money, and was probably willing to spend it for her, so he suppose he couldn't blame her.

Wisp just stared at Rarity, deadpan,

"You just wanna talk to Emerald alone, don't ya?" she asked bluntly. Rarity sputtered a little,

"O-of course not! It would be incredibly rude of me to-"

"So that's a yes?"

Rarity's mouth closed with an audible click,

"Y... yes, I would like to speak to your brother in private," she admitted after a moment. Wisp nodded,

"'Kay. C'mon Big Sis, maybe you'll like somethin' here?" she asked, jogging over to a stunned Starlight, who she promptly dragged over to the aforementioned clothing racks.

Rarity turned to Emerald, looking embarrassed,

"W-well, your sister is... very perceptive."

"Oh I know. You should've seen her when she was two," he said, nodding, "I couldn't speak any Equish but she still managed to understand me when I introduced myself, say... what I believe was my name, and even told me her name. All without a tongue as well," he praised.

Judging by the way Rarity's face paled slightly at that last part, he probably didn't do as good a job as he'd thought.

"I-... I see," she said, holding a hoof to her throat as she swallowed, "L-let's get started then, shall we?" she asked, levitating a small bunch of fabrics, needles, and measuring tape over to herself. Emerald's brow raise, even as the measuring tape flew around him, carefully avoiding touching him,

"What are we getting started on, exactly?" he asked,

"Why, your suit of course!" Rarity said, as if it was obvious, "I already have quite a few designs in mind, as well," she added, holding up a few coloured bits of fabric against his coat. Emerald frowned,

"I... already have a suit, Rarity. You made it, remember?" Rarity scoffed lightly,

"Oh that was for the Gala, darling! A large, formal event. Oh no, you need a suit for a far more casual outing. I doubt you and Twilight would have anything less for your first date, after all," she said teasingly. Emerald regarded her, confused,

"I'm... not going on a date with Sparky," he said. Rarity looked at him as though he were crazy,

"Oh my, you haven't asked yet? Silly colt, you can't keep a mare waiting like that!" she admonished, before smiling, "Not to worry though! Having your suit prepared early will help me design something for Twilight. Oh you two will be the talk of the town when I'm done, I tell you!"

Emerald frowned, swatting away the measuring tape and fabrics, causing her magic hold over them to fail,

"Rarity," he began firmly, "I am _not_ going on a date with Sparky, nor do I plan to in the future." Rarity sighed, and gently shook her head,

"Oh dear, you're embarrassed, aren't you?" she asked gently, placing a hoof against her heart, "I understand, of course. Why, I recall the first time I confessed to a colt I liked. Oh dear, I was so embarrassed as well!" she said, her cheeks turning red, "I was such a mess indeed. It wasn't until my mother and father calmed me down that I regained the courage to face him. Unfortunately, the relationship never went anywhere, but I do know how hard it is the first time, Emerald."

Emerald sighed, and shook his head,

"I... appreciate the attempt at helping, Rarity, but I don't have feelings for Sparky."

Now Rarity was smirking, and even went so far as to place a hoof against his shoulder,

"Now now, there's no need to hide it, Emerald. We all heard it, you know?" she asked, and shook her head, "Running away from your feelings won't do you any good, now-"

She was cut off when Emerald straightened himself, bringing him to his full, not-insignificant height. He glared down at the shorter mare, who now looked extraordinarily nervous,

"Rarity," he began softly, but with an undercurrent of warning, "I. Do not. Have feelings for Sparky," he intoned, then relaxed and looked away, "I did," he admitted, "but not anymore."

Rarity stared for a moment, her mouth opening and closing without sound. Eventually, she managed to speak,

"Wha-what do you mean?" she asked. He only shrugged,

"I mean what I said. I don't have feelings for Sparky, anymore. I... I don't know why," he admitted, "but... after I..." he licked his lips, and sighed, "when I woke up in the hospital after... _that_, I didn't feel anything for her. I just felt... empty, hollow when she was around. I still care about her," he said, seemingly causing Rarity to relax, "but no more than I care for the rest of you."

Rarity could only stare at him,

"W-well, that's... that's..." she trailed off for a moment, before sighing, "I... suppose that makes sense."

"It _does_?" he asked, surprised. She nodded,

"Well... to a degree, yes. You are the only one I know of who has managed to..." she swallowed, gesturing towards his chest, "_survive_ having a spear to your... I-I can't imagine what sort of trauma would be left over from such an event. I-I suppose it's only natural that things would change for you after... _that_ incident."

That was... right. Yes, that was probably it. He hadn't thought about it-_was trying to avoid thinking about his **death** entirely to be honest_-but that _did_ seem to be the most likely reason for his missing feelings.

Still though, there was something in the back of his mind telling him that that wasn't the case.

But... what else could it be, then?

He shook his head.

No... no. Thinking about it further would do nothing more than make him worry and become paranoid. More paranoid than usual, that is.

"Have you two picked anything?" he asked, turning away from Rarity, any desire to converse with her dying with those thoughts.

"Er... no, not really," Starlight said, sounding uncomfortable.

He could understand why, as Wisp had, somehow, forced the elder mare into a frilly sunflower yellow dress that really did _not_ look very good on her.

"I told ya it needed the bows!" said filly scolded. Emerald chuckled, his ill feelings fading away as he watched them bicker,

"Alright you two, that's enough. The picnic isn't too far off. Get out of that dress and let's get going, alright?"

"Oh my!" Rarity suddenly gasped, having glanced at the clock when he mentioned the picnic, "You're right! Oh I have to get my things ready!"

The three of them were quite promptly thrown out, Starlight's dress being ripped off of her in the meantime, before the door to the Boutique slammed shut behind them. A 'Sorry, we're closed!' sign popped into the window as it did so.

He blinked.

"That was..." Starlight muttered, and trailed off,

"Yeah," he said, shaking his head, "We've still got about forty minutes. There's still some places we can show you."

"Like the schoolhouse!" Wisp provided, earning a nod from Emerald,

"I suppose that _is_ someplace we can show you. Though I don't know why you'd need that particular information..." Despite his thoughts, he didn't disagree.

They were off once more, but they only made it about halfway through town before something... odd happened.

"Emerald!" the familiar voice of Sparky called from behind him. He blinked, and turned to face-

He froze at the sight of the mare walking up to him.

Oh, it was definitely Sparky, but her mane and tail were frizzy beyond belief, with hair sticking out in every direction, causing the pinks and purples of her mane to mix, like some sort of rat's nest. Her eye was twitching slightly, and she looked exhausted. There were bags under both her eyes, but they were still shining with a strange sort of mania.

In short, she looked... unhinged.

"Uhh... hey Sparky?" he ventured regardless, "Did you... stay up all night or something?" he asked lightly. She smiled at him, though it was far too wide, and _far_ too crooked, for one of her smiles. She looked like a raving axe murderer with _that_ grin,

"Nope!" she chirped, swaying on her hooves slightly, "I've just been walking around, talking to all my _**good** friends_!"

Emerald spared a glance over at Wisp, who looked just as unnerved as he was.

"O...kay?" he said, "Are you... feeling well?" he asked.

"I'm perfect!" she chirped, her ear twitching, "Just _perfect_! Why?" she asked, her smile widening as her eyes hyper focused on his, "How has your day been? Any problems, conundrums, dilemmas, _anything_ that I, as a good_ friend_ can help you with?"

"... Nooooo...?" he said hesitantly, eyes roaming over her form, "Though... I just might if things keep going this way," he added.

"_Perfect_!" Sparky gushed, darting forward _way_ into his personal space, the distance between their faces cut down to mere inches, "What can I, as a _**good** friend_, do to help?!"

"Well... you could tell me what's got you acting so... unhinged, for starters." Sparky only blinked, that crooked smile not leaving her face,

"What do you mean? There's absolutely _nothing_ wrong! Nope! Nothing _at all_! I'm just trying to help out all my _**good** friends_ with their problems today!" she said happily. He only stared at her, before sighing,

"Listen, Sparky, I don't say this often, and I tend not to mean it when I do, but... you're scaring me."

Now _that_ seemed to have caught the mare's attention, and it was, thankfully, in a way that he could understand.

All at once, her manic expressions-_the twitching of her eye and ear, the smile, that kind of thing_-vanished, replaced by honest confusion,

"I am?" she asked,

"You're scaring me a little, too," Starlight added,

"Yeah, Miss Light, you're really freaky right now," Wisp supplied helpfully. That caused Sparky to blink, and thankfully lean away from him, falling onto her flank,

"I... I am?" she asked again. Emerald could only sigh,

"Alright, spill it. What the fuck is the matter with you?" The question got her to refocus her attention on him, but whatever calm had overcome her wore off, as her hooves immediately flew to the sides of her head,

"Oh no!" she shouted, "I've wasted so much time!" she added, scrambling back to her hooves. She nearly ran off, but a quick motion on his part, and her tail was firmly planted beneath his hoof. Her tail strained for a moment, before snapping her backward, her flank colliding with the ground, her back striking his chest moments later.

"Ugh..." she groaned. Emerald huffed, spun her around, and placed his hooves against her shoulders,

"I said, _spill it_," he growled, "don't make me say it again."

Sparky only stared at him, worriedly, her eyes darting to and fro in a panic. She was even wringing her hooves for Faust's sake!

"I-it's terrible!" she finally said, lurching forward to grab him around the middle. He stiffened slightly in surprise, but relaxed,

"Yes?"

"It's awful!"

"Yeees?"

"Absolutely _horrible_!"

"Yeeeeeeees?"

"The worst trouble I've ever been in and _pleascanyouhelpme-he-he_?!"

"Just fucking tell us!" Starlight shouted from beside them, looking aggravated, yet nervous.

"It's _Tuesday_!" she shrieked.

Emerald only blinked at that, and he had a feeling that Starlight's brain had suddenly short-circuited.

"Umm... yeah?" Wisp said, speaking what they were all thinking, for the most part.

"It's Tuesday-!" Sparky repeated, "and I haven't sent Princess Celestia a friendship report!" she clarified, "The Princess wanted me to send her a friendship report _every single Tuesday_, but I _don't have one_ for this week! With all the Discord stuff that happened, I was too distracted to realize I needed one, and if I don't send one in by sundown, then I'll be _tardy_!" she whined, looking up at him with her watery purple eyes.

That was... expected for her, actually. If she viewed this... '_friendship report_' nonsense as some sort of assignment, then, yes, of course she was freaking out about a perceived deadline.

But... she'd been here almost seven months before his arrival, and there had been plenty of weeks, days, even a month or two in which nothing-_that he was aware of_-had happened to warrant one of these... '_reports_'

"Uhh... why is this an issue _now_?" he asked, deciding to voice his thoughts, "I can't imagine you've managed to learn something new about friendship _every single week_ since your arrival here. Especially not with how clueless you tend to be still."

Sparky tensed up around him, before one of her hooves unwrapped, and idly began rubbing against him, in a fashion similar to kicking at the ground like an embarrassed foal.

"W-well, I always managed to learn something small by watching the girls interact with each other. N-nothing big, but I always made sure to properly analyze what I saw, document the situation in which it occurred, record the frequency-"

"I get it," Emerald cut her off. His lips thinned, pressing against each other as he thought.

This was... annoying. Sparky was blowing this thing _way_ out of proportion. She was one of the best students that Canterlot had ever seen, and her record only supported that. _One_ late assignment, which he doubted that this even was, wouldn't be able to hurt her in the long run.

But, then again, it would sully whatever reputation the mare had managed to, unwittingly, build and that _could_ prove damaging in some way.

Still, this was a non-issue, as far as he, and literally anyone other than her, was concerned.

But she _was_ concerned. She viewed this as a legitimate problem, and he would be remiss to disregard this just because it wasn't _his_ problem.

First step, calm her down.

"I'll help you, _but_-" he said, and quickly put up a hoof to silence her before she could speak, "-only if you promise that you will listen to me, and _calm down_."

Sparky's mouth clicked shut and, after a moment, she nodded, albeit a tad timidly.

He gave her a slightly condescending pat on the head,

"Alright, now please let go of me," he said, not even feeling the spark of loss he once felt when she let go of him, nor the warm amusement of her beet red face.

"So, you believe that this... '_report_' of yours is about to be overdue, yes?" she nodded, "Alright... now, are you sure that today is your deadline?" Sparky nodded firmly,

"Of course!"

"Alright. I don't want to be rude, but you've jumped to conclusions before, Sparky," he said, causing her to wince, "So I'll ask again. Are you _absolutely certain_ that today is the deadline?"

Sparky swallowed, and, for a moment, she seemed unsure. After a moment, however, she nodded firmly,

"Yes!"

He nodded,

"Okay. You've talked to the others?" She nodded, again,

"Y-yes, though none of them had any problems they needed help with," she admitted, wilting slightly, "The closest I got was with Rarity, but she had just lost her ribbon... which she found a couple seconds after telling me about it."

"Interesting, but not what I meant. I meant, have you talked to them about this issue of yours?" She blinked,

"Ah... no," she said, pressing her hooves together, her ears flicking slightly, "I guess... I wasn't thinking?"

"Duh," Wisp deadpanned, causing the older mare to flush.

"W-well, I was just so focused on finding a friendship problem, that I guess... I forgot?" she defended weakly. Emerald shook his head,

"Well, that hardly matters now. C'mon, let's head to the park and wait for the others to show up," he suggested, "Five other ponies, one of them is _bound_ to have some kind of idea as to how we should go about this."

* * *

"You're kiddin' me, right?" Applejack asked, smiling at them.

Emerald sighed, and dragged a hoof down his face.

He should've expected this. A part of him _had_, actually.

Really, why in the world had he thought these mares would care about this issue any more than he did? The facts remained simple.

This was _not_ an issue.

The only issue lied with Sparky's perspective on the whole thing.

But, of course, these mares, somehow, don't realize this despite being of mostly average intelligence.

"Wha-this is serious!" Sparky defended, obviously offended at Applejack's response. Rainbow just laughed,

"Yeah, _sure_ it is, Twi," she said sarcastically, snorting as she failed to hide a smirk.

"I'm just glad that nothing terrible has happened," Fluttershy said gently, giving a soft smile to the group. Emerald could practically hear the indignation going through Sparky's head, even if it was outwardly suppressed by aggravation,

"This _is_ terrible!" Sparky snapped, advancing slightly on the five, "I haven't learned _anything_ about friendship in the past week, and if I don't send in my letter by the end of today, then I'll be **_tardy_**!" she concluded, standing on the tips of her hooves to gain height, though it only brought her to eye level with most of her friends.

The girls looked at each other for a moment, and, as one, began to snicker.

It wasn't meant to be anything bad, Emerald could tell. It was just them finding Sparky's worry over something so small, amusing. To be fair, it _was_ funny, seeing her panic over the little thing that Sparky thought was a problem. Still, she thought of it as a problem and, to be completely honest, he wouldn't want anyone laughing at something that_ he_ thought was an issue. Let alone for those laughing at it to be his friends.

With that in mind, he wasn't surprised by the way Sparky's face began turning red, her lips puckering into an angry grimace.

She was distracted, thankfully, by Applejack,

"Sugarcube, I think yer jus' gettin' a little werked up over nothin'," she said gently and honestly. It was a genuine and innocent statement, but one that Sparky took wrong in more than one way.

Sparky's cheeks puffed up in indignation, and she shoved Applejack away,

"This! Is not! _Nothing!_" she snapped, "This is my _whole life_!" she added, darting her gaze between each of them, "I _need_ you all to help me find somebody with a friendship problem before the sun goes down! _My entire life **depends on it**!_" she screeched, her gaze finally landing on Pinkie. After that outburst, she was breathing heavily, and looked more aggravated than he'd ever seen her.

Her eyes were wild again, twitching almost in time with her ear. She was shaking, fidgeting as she moved, looking around at each of them.

She really did think this was a problem, didn't she?

"You lot can quit playing around," Emerald snapped, stepping forward just as Sparky was about to speak. Rainbow snorted,

"What? Are you buying this?" she asked, smirking, before she thrust a hoof out a Sparky, "C'mon! She's freaking out over a _letter_! You heard her, right?" she asked. Emerald scowled,

"I heard her asking for my help," he replied coolly, "I don't see why her needing help with a letter is important. All that matters is that she _asked me for help_." Rarity only tutted,

"Now, now, there's no need to go making a mountain out of a molehill, darling," she admonished gently. Emerald's scowl worsened, but before he could speak, Sparky interrupted,

"Fine!" she shouted, "Fine! If you girls won't help me, then I'll just-I'll just-!" she struggled to speak for a moment, shaking wildly, before huffing and almost violently brushing passed Emerald, face beet red and mouth set in a firm line.

He spun around, a hoof reaching out to grasp her shoulder,

"Sparky, hold-"

A flash of brilliant purple light, and she disappeared.

"-on a... minute..." he trailed off, and sighed.

He stood for a moment, staring at the spot where Sparky teleported, before turning to the girls, face set in a grim expression. His mouth opened, prepared to scold the mares before him, but he found the words stuck in his throat. His mouth clicked shut, and he sighed once more.

He couldn't scold them. Not when he, too, had refused to take her seriously at first. He had decided to help her, yes, but he hadn't actually committed to the idea that this... report of hers was of any importance.

But hearing the way she spoke, hearing the way she all but _begged_ them to help her?

No, this _was_ serious. Not in the grand scheme of things, but to Sparky. And, frankly, that was all the reason needed for him to act.

With that thought in mind, he sent one final, scathing glare at the girls, before trudging off, intent on finding where ever it was that Sparky had disappeared to.

* * *

Starlight watched Emerald walk away, feeling more than a little tempted to follow after him.

But she didn't. And neither did Wisp, for that matter.

She glanced down at the small blue filly next to her, and wasn't surprised to find her glaring-_it looked more like a pout when she did it, but Starlight wasn't about to tell her that_-at Twilight's friends.

Honestly, she would've been glaring at them with Wisp, but just glaring at them wouldn't help solve this issue.

"Jeez, what's his problem?" Rainbow asked, glaring slightly at Emerald's retreating form. Starlight scoffed, bringing attention to herself,

"You should be asking yourself that," she said with a frown, before shaking her head, "I mean, honestly! One of your best friends in the world walks up to you and asks for your help, and you laugh in her face?" she asked.

Perhaps it was because of her wording, but she noticed a few of the girls, Rainbow Dash included, wince.

"Well, a little letter isn't really a big issue, now is it?" Rarity asked a bit uncomfortably,

"Neither is a missin' ribbon," Wisp snapped, pout-glaring at Rarity, "but you sure seemed to think so when Miss Light came by to help."

Now _that_ seemed to cut deep, if the way Rarity genuinely _recoiled_ away from her was something to go by.

"N-now that's a tad uncalled fer, don't ya think?" Applejack asked, giving Wisp a scolding look, one no doubt practiced extensively on Applebloom. Wisp only sneered at the older mare,

"So is laughin' at someone who was just askin' for help," Wisp retorted, before huffing and spinning around, "Whatever, I'm gonna go help Miss Light an' Big Bro," she said, all-but-stomping off.

The group of six were silent, until Starlight sighed, getting up to follow her.

So much for a second first impression.

* * *

"Clock is ticking, Twilight! Clock. Is. _Ticking_!" she mumbled to herself, giggling as she stared out her window.

The sun was still high in the sky, oh, but not high _enough_! There was only so much _time_ left in the day, _time_ she was quickly **_r__unning out of_**!

She needed a problem, and with a problem, a solution!

"Ugh!" she groaned to herself, pacing in a circle over her bedroom floor, "Keep it together, Twilight!"

Yes, together. Together, as in, one piece. Not like the way her _life_ was going to **_shatter_** if she didn't get her letter in on time! But, there were no problems in sight, and _that_ was a problem! Oh, but not the kind she could solve, of course, no no no, not in the way she wanted to! Her friends didn't help her, oh no, not. A. _Single. **One**!_

She perked up suddenly, a wide smile spreading across her face as she turned to an old, bright baby blue chest sitting against her bedroom wall.

But that was _fine_! After all, if she couldn't **_find_ **a friendship problem, then she could **_make_** one!

* * *

Laughter. Oh that sound, that _dreadful_ sound! She knew it well, very well, very very very well!

It was the same sound they used to make whenever 'Twilame' fell to the ground, or whenever 'Twicry' had her big, stupid glasses taken by a pony so much bigger than she was!

But they weren't laughing at her, so that made the sound sweet, innocent, and perfectly okay!

Not like her friends, no no no! _They_ were _happy_ to laugh at her, just like **_they_** did!

That was okay, though! Everything would be _juuuuuuust **fine**_ once she got her letter in to Princess Celestia!

_She just needed to solve this friendship problem, first!_

She teleported in front of the fillies she'd found, smiling down as nicely as she could at Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo.

"Hi giiiirrls!"

They must have been having a rough day, since they looked unhappy to see her.

She couldn't imagine why, though!

"Uh... H-howdy Miss Twilight," Applebloom greeted politely, "How's it-?"

"Grrrreeaat!" she chirped, "Juuuust _great_! I gotta say-!" she added, innocently beginning to stalk around them, "you three are looking like you're just a bunch of _**good** friends_ having a great time, and who obviously don't need the help of another _**good** friend_! Right?!" she asked.

She backed away a little, and brought out the first step of her plan.

_Smarty Pants!_

"This. Is. Smarty Pants!" she introduced, gently holding the old doll out to the girls, "She was mine when I was around your age!" she added, bringing the doll close for one final nuzzle before she enacted her plan, "And now! I want to give her to _you_!" she finished, thrusting it back out for the three to take.

"She's... great?" Scootaloo said, obviously _very_ excited to see her,

"Uh... yeah, great," Applebloom added, already overcome with jealousy,

"I... really like her... mane?" Sweetie Belle interjected, refusing to let the others come between her and Smarty Pants!

Yes! It was working! Nobody could _possibly_ resist Smarty Pants' charm!

Now, to seal the deal!

"She even comes with her own notebook and quill, so you can pretend she's doing her homework!" she revealed excitedly.

Yes! This will ensure that these fillies will be so overcome with jealousy, that they're _bound_ to fight over Smarty Pants!

After all, she'd loved the little doll her entire foalhood-_and still did, actually, but that wasn't important right now_-so it only stood to reason that these three would as well!

"That's... uh, yeah that's great!" Scootaloo said, looking everywhere but at her and Smarty Pants, no doubt trying to resist the sheer charm of the doll,

"Yeah... great," Applebloom agreed,

"Uhh..." Sweetie muttered, only to receive a pair of hooves to either side, "Ow!" she snapped, then looked back at her and Smarty Pants, "Uh, I mean, I really like her... mane?"

"_I_ just hope the fact that there are _three of you_ and only _one of her_, doesn't _become a problem_ or anything!" she said innocently, smiling up into the air, "I'd hate to _cause a rift_ between such _**good** friends_!"

Her neck cracked a little as she whipped her head back to face the Crusaders, who all stiffened at her action,

"So! Who wants to play with her first?!" she asked, holding the doll closer to them.

"Uh," Applebloom began, causing Twilight lean forward, "uh... How 'bout you, Sweetie Belle?" she asked, which got Twilight to freeze, "ya know, cuz ya like her mane so much!"

Twilight blinked. That wasn't-

"Oh no! I think _Scootaloo_ should play with her first!" Sweetie Belle disagreed, carefully backpedaling away from Smarty Pants,

"What? No way, Applebloom should _totally_ go first!" Scootaloo added, jumping forward to grab Applebloom's hoof.

Twilight watched in a mixture of confusion and rising panic as the girls began to fight. But not over the doll as she'd planned, oh no!

They were fighting over who _didn't_ get to play with her precious Smarty Pants!

That wasn't good! Not at all! In fact, that just might be the _worst possible thing_ that could happen!

_Think Twilight!_ she shouted at herself, _C'mon, c'mon, c'mon...! That's it!_

She turned back to the girls, her smile lighting up further,

"Ohoho... You're going to _like_ Smarty Pants, and you're going to _like her **more than anything!**_"

Power built up in her horn, twisting and churning to her desire. She felt the spell she was weaving pulse once, twice, before she unleashed it.

Her magic immediately took the form of a small trail of hearts, shooting straight towards her old doll. The first heart struck it dead on, and the other soon swirled around the old doll, filling it with magic.

There was a snap, and she felt her spell's effect latch on to Smarty Pants, and her grin widened.

Like a switch that been flipped, the girl's fighting ceased-

"I _want_ it!"

"I _need_ it!"

"_I really like her mane!_"

-and it began once more, now with Smarty Pants at the center.

Twilight let out a giggle, clapping her hooves together eagerly as she congratulated herself.

_The Want It Need It spell! Works every time!_

She cleared her throat,

"Okay girls, break it up!" she shouted cheerfully, reaching a hoof to snatch Smarty Pants from them, "I think there's an important lesson to be learned-agh!" she grunted when three different hooves impacted her side, sending her tumbling. She shook her head, and blinked, "Umm..."

She swallowed, and stared at the three quarreling fillies with worry.

"Okay, um... g-girls there's really no reason to fight, I mean, aren't we all friends here?" she asked gently, "Don't you think you ought to share?" she asked hopefully.

Her hopes were dashed immediately when three heads snapped to face her, all sporting minor scrapes and scuffs,

"""NO!"""

Twilight groaned and dragged a hoof across her face.

This... was quickly turning out to be a bad idea. She frowned and leapt forward, hooves stretching towards her old doll. She was met by almost five hooves in opposition, each working in tandem to tug and pull her old doll in a separate direction. She grunted, and leaned back, only for their four-pony tussle to tip over her head.

The sudden motion startled her into letting go, and she was flung away from the fillies on the return roll. She collided with something soft yet firm, and very distinctly pony-like.

Her head snapped up, immediately expecting to find a pair of scolding blue eyes, only to be met with a pair of curious green ones.

"Big Mac!" she gasped, spinning around to face the larger stallion properly, "You've got to help me!" she implored pointing angrily at the fillies, "We have to get that doll away from the girls!"

Big Mac stared at her for a moment, before his eyes locked onto the fighting fillies. His mouth, which was wrapped around the handle of a bucket, turned downwards into a frown. He set the bucket down, and nodded,

"Eeyup."

With a level of calm and grace that probably came with having two younger siblings, Big Mac walked over to the three fillies, reached in, and snatched up the Smarty Pants doll without issue.

Twilight sighed, feeling herself relax.

"Oh thank goodness," Twilight breathed, walking towards him, before she reached out to take the doll, "Thanks for the help, Big Mac, now if you don't mind giving that to me-"

Apparently Big Mac _did_ mind, since he twitched away from her, and started running away,

"Eenope!"

Twilight blinked, immediately confused.

"Hey, get back here!'

"I want that doll!"

"I really like her mane!"

She sighed, her hoof coming up to her cheek with a harsh smack.

"Right... the Want It Need It spell..." she muttered. She shook her head.

_Okay, Twilight, this is... Well, it isn't _good_, but that doesn't mean it's _bad_. Yes, you used the Want It Need It spell on the Cutie Mark Crusaders and accidentally got Big Mac caught up in it too, but you can fix this! You just need to get that doll back before anybody else sees it!_

She nodded to herself, plan set.

"Okay! You four need to-" she paused, "Uh... where did everyone go?" she asked herself.

She spun around, but found herself alone. All that she could see were the numerous amounts of trees customarily found at Sweet Apple Acres, but no ponies. She couldn't even _hear_ any of them either.

She frowned.

If she couldn't hear them anywhere near here, then that must mean...

Dread overtook the studious unicorn as she stared down a nearby path leading back into Ponyville.

"Uh oh."

* * *

Emerald expected a lot of things to have happened in the time it took him to arrive back in town. Fires, monsters, magical mishaps, really, anything could have happened in the short span of time that Sparky had been out of sight.

What he found when he arrived in town, however, was... nothing. Absolutely nothing had happened. Ponies were still milling about, their days obviously unobstructed by whatever insanity that usually followed the girls-_and him, if he was being honest_-like a moth to the flame, despite how late it was getting.

Still, it was a good sign. It meant that Sparky hadn't the time to do anything, and it meant that he had the time to stop her.

He bolted down to the library-_where else would the mare go in her current state?_-only to find the door locked shut. That, of course, wasn't much of a deterrent for him-_and he'd have to apologize for breaking in later_-but the state of the library had him stopping in his tracks.

Books were strewn to and fro all over the floor. Papers and quills joined the multitude of books, some of which were sitting, soaking, in a large puddle of ink. He noticed that there were some smaller circles of splattered ink, though the pattern in which they were laid meant that Sparky had, at some point, started tracking the stuff around the room. One of the bookshelves even had a missing shelf, he noticed.

"Oh... this can't be normal," Starlight's voice filtered through his right ear, just as the mare appeared by his side,

"She's... really not okay, is she?" Wisp asked, glancing up at the older stallion. He only shook his head,

"No... no she isn't," he said, frowning. His ear twitched, and his frown grew more pronounced, "She's not home."

"Where is she?" Starlight asked. Emerald huffed, and stepped forward,

"Not sure, but we we're definitely not finding anything around here," he said, already turning to leave.

The three of them left the library behind, but still continued on their search.

"So, if not the library, then where would Twilight be?" Starlight asked, causing Emerald to scoff,

"Normally I'd say either in the market, or over at one of the others' house, but with everyone out for the picnic the latter is obviously not much to go on."

"Hmm... maybe someone back in the market saw Miss Light?" Wisp suggested. Emerald nodded,

"It's as good an idea as any. C'mon."

He doubted they'd find her, since Sparky had teleported back home. Even so, it was a good idea. In this town, no one could go anywhere during the day without someone seeing them. Even if she'd teleported home, he was sure someone had an idea as to where she might've gone.

Unfortunately, it didn't look like he'd be getting any answers, since the entire market place was completely void of townsfolk.

"Uhh..." Starlight began intelligently, "A-am I seeing things?" she asked, looking around, confused, "'Cause I'm pretty sure this place was full not even five minutes ago!"

"Well, seein' is believin'?" Wisp muttered, unsure,

"Yeah, and we're not seeing shit," Emerald added, frowning, "Either Pinkie's throwing a surprise party and we weren't invited, or something is very wrong here."

"I hope it's the party," Wisp said,

"I don't."

Emerald growled, walking forward. The entire market place was abandoned and, judging by the myriad things left laying over the ground-_mostly buckets of produce and some bits_-it was sudden and abrupt.

There were a lot of hoofprints on the ground as well, though this was the marketplace, so that was normal. What wasn't normal, was the fact that the most recent prints were all heading in the exact same direction. Namely, back towards the park.

Focusing his hearing, he could make out the faint sound of hundreds of pounding hooves off in that direction as well.

"Somethings going on back at the park," he announced, frowning growing more pronounced, "Whatever it is, it's attracted everyone in town to it."

"D'you think it's a monster?" Wisp asked,

"Sparky couldn't find a problem, so making one isn't out of the question," Emerald agreed, but he shook his head, "No, all I'm getting are hoofsteps. A lot of them, but nothing beyond that."

"Well, we aren't figuring it out standing here!" Starlight chirped, beginning to head off towards the park, "C'mon!"

* * *

Emerald... had no idea what he was looking at.

He, Starlight, and Wisp had finally made their way back over to the park, only to find _everyone in Ponyville brawling_.

He wished he was only kidding, but, there, right in front of him, were piles of ponies all punching the palookas out of each other for no discernible reason! He could see everyone in town, ranging from the Mayor, to Ditzy Doo, to Bon-Bon, Lyra, the Crusaders, even Macintosh! They were all rolling on the ground, fighting each other.

Well, by fighting he meant pushing each other, pulling hair, and generally just hitting towards the chest and legs.

In fact, the only ponies he couldn't see involved-_aside from Starlight and Wisp, of course_-were the girls. Still, it was concerning seeing everyone fighting like this. Was Sparky responsible?

Starlight frowned, her horn flashing,

"Huh... everyone's being affected by an attraction spell. A really strong one, too." Emerald hummed,

"An attraction spell?" he asked. Starlight nodded,

"Yeah, they're... pretty self explanatory. Cast the spell on an object or person, and everyone but the caster will suddenly find themselves more attracted to the object. Weak ones tend to just draw the eye, while the super powerful ones cause heavy obsession and possessiveness."

"That doll is mine!"

"Get away from my doll!"

"I _really_ like her mane!"

Emerald turned to Starlight,

"Like that?" he deadpanned. Starlight only sighed,

"Yeah, like that." Emerald sighed, and turned back to the brawl.

Everyone was being affected by one strong attraction spell. Was it some sort of cursed artifact? Had Sparky gone out and found one to try and 'solve' a problem for her little report?

"Can you find whatever the spell was cast on?" he asked. Starlight nodded, her horn beginning to glow,

"Yeah, shouldn't be too hard," she said, eyes scanning the area, before they narrowed, "Alright, I think I've got it?" she said, sounding unsure. A few moments passed, before her horn forcibly brightened, and a small, bright blue orb suddenly shot out towards them.

Sitting within the ball of magic, was a small, gray unicorn doll. It had a dark gray mane and tail made of yarn, a pair of blue pants with white polka dots, and a pair of mismatched buttons for eyes. It was clearly fairly old, but also visibly loved, if the various multicoloured patches it sported meant anything. It was a foal's doll, and whoever it belonged to had really seemed to love the little thing.

So why did it have a strange enchantment on it?

"She's got the doll!" someone shouted, causing the fighting to stop. The three of them froze momentarily, and stumbled slightly as a massive wave of ponies suddenly rushed up and towards them.

Starlight yelped, her horn glowing brighter, just as a massive wall of blue light erupted in front of them. The ponies crashed into it, letting out pained groans as they slid off of it. It didn't stop there, however, as the wall suddenly spun into a dome, trapping even the pegasi and bringing everyone together.

It looked uncomfortable.

Emerald and Wisp turned to Starlight, who was now looking astonishingly sheepish.

"Eheheh...? Oops?" Emerald shook his head,

"Can you undo this?" he asked, causing Starlight to blink,

"Well, of course I can, I'm the one who made the dome-"

"I meant the doll."

"Oh. Yeah, I can fix that too," she said. She turned to the doll still in her possession, before focusing on it. The orb surrounding the doll flashed white, then red, before fading back into the normal light blue.

Right after that, the orb, and the dome, faded away. The doll fell to the ground, just as the captured townsfolk all fumbled over each other.

Emerald watched the lot warily, but chuckled when a fair few of them looked around, flushed, and ran off. The most notable of the lot were the Mayor, who had tried, and failed, to simply brush everything off, and Macintosh, who only stared at him and Starlight for a moment, before chuckling and walking off.

"Well, that was-oh what is it now?" he asked, swapping subjects when he saw Starlight's expression. She was staring down at the doll, an expression of distaste on her face.

"The doll was enchanted with the Want It Need It spell," she explained, "It's..." she licked her lips, "it's not the _worst_ spell. It only works on inanimate objects, and its effects stop working if you look away from it long enough. But... that doll was enchanted not even an hour ago, so..."

"Sparky enchanted it?" he asked, frowning at the innocent looking doll. Starlight nodded,

"Unless there's another unicorn in town strong enough to cast a spell that can affect the entire town, then yeah."

He frowned, and went to speak, when a brilliant flash of white light lit up the park, and-

"TWILIGHT SPARKLE!"

Emerald winced slightly, the booming sound of Mother's Royal Canterlot Voice echoing out over the area.

"Is that Princess Celestia?!" Starlight asked a little loudly, rubbing one of her ears vigorously. He nodded,

"Yeah, and she doesn't sound too happy," he muttered, eyes dancing over the park.

There.

Hovering gently over a familiar group of six, he spotted the large alicorn staring, disapprovingly, down at them. She looked around for a moment, as if expecting something. She seemed confused for half a second, before her gaze locked onto him, Starlight, and Wisp. She nodded at them, and turned back to the group of six.

"Meet me in the library," she ordered, her voice easily carrying in the mostly silent air. With that command given, the Princess flapped her wings, and took off in the direction of the mentioned meeting place.

Emerald turned to Starlight and Wisp,

"Well, you heard her. Let's get going."

Starlight and Wisp nodded, turning to head back to the library. Emerald moved to follow, but stopped as his hoof brushed against something.

He looked down, finding the doll that started this whole mess. It was just... laying there, it's button-eyes staring up into the night sky.

He wasn't sure why he did it, but he gently scooped the thing into his hooves, and, just as gently, stuffed it into the space between his body and wing, before following his sisters back to the library.

* * *

The three of them made it to the library after Mother, but before Sparky and her friends.

He was surprised when, upon entering, he was not met with the absurd mess that they'd spotted earlier, instead finding a perfectly pristine library, where a regal white alicorn was waiting for them.

She glanced up from her thoughts, and brightened a tad at seeing them,

"Oh! Hello you three," she greeted warmly, "I suppose I have you to thank for clearing up whatever mess Twilight had created by mistake?" she asked. Emerald nodded,

"Uh, yeah. Starlight recognized what was goin' on and fixed it," he said, giving the suddenly shy mare a pat on the back, which also served to shove her forward a bit. Starlight sent him a brief glare, which was wiped away when Mother chuckled,

"I'm glad to hear it!" she said, smiling down at the light purple unicorn, before her eyes started scanning her, "Hmm... you seem to be doing quite well, Starlight," she noted, her smile widening. Starlight nodded, timidly,

"Er, yeah!" she said, awkwardly, "Um, Ponyville's a pretty nice little town. I-I haven't gotten to know it yet, but it seems like a nice place to live!" she said, then tilted her head, "Er... panicking unicorns, aside, that is." Mother nodded,

"Yes, Ponyville is a lovely little town," she agreed, "I knew it was a good decision, giving this land to the Apple Family," she added, smiling fondly, before a frown overtook it, "As for Twilight's actions... well, I suppose I only have her and myself to blame."

"Whatcha mean, Miss Celestia?" Wisp asked, tilting her head. Mother gave them a weary sigh,

"Spike sent me a letter, explaining what was happening," she began, holding a hoof to her cheek, "It would seem that Twilight mistook my request for her friendship reports as a weekly scheduled 'assignment', rather than the irregularly scheduled one it was intended to be. It is my fault for not being clear enough, though the fault does also lie with Twilight for not checking with me to make sure," she said, then sighed, "Even so, I should have been more clear from the start. I've taught Twilight for most of her life now, so I should have been aware of this issue and taken the necessary steps to prevent it."

"I knew it!"

The quiet voice caught Emerald's attention, and he turned to find the hatchling carefully watching them from behind the other door. He thought about calling out to him, but chose not to.

If the hatchling wanted to hide from something, so be it.

The door behind them opened, admitting a depressed looking Sparky into the room.

"Ah, there you are, Twilight," Mother said, "I do hope you've learned your lesson from all this," she said. Sparky gave her a morose nod,

"Y-yes, Your Highness," she said, eyes not leaving the floor, "I-I'll go pack..." she added, already trudging over to the staircase. Mother blinked at the seeming non-sequitur.

"Pack?" she asked, brow rising, "What would you be packing for, Twilight?" Sparky froze for a moment, before speaking,

"For... when you send me back to Canterlot... and magic kindergarten," she said, as if the words themselves pained her. Mother only stared for a moment, looking genuinely lost.

"... Twilight, I'm not sending you anywhere," she said. Sparky's head shot up immediately, and she spun around to face Mother, looking stunned.

"Wh-what?!" she asked, "B-but I'm supposed to send you a letter about friendship every week!" she protested, "I-I missed the deadline! I'm a horrible student! I'm _tardy_!"

Mother only stared down at Sparky, a fond, if slightly exasperated, smile blossoming on her features,

"Twilight, you are one of the most wonderful students I've had the pleasure of teaching," she said, "I don't have to get a letter every week to know that. In fact, I was quite surprised you managed to send one in every week, if I'm honest."

Sparky stared up at the Princess, a look of honest bewilderment on her face,

"R-really?"

Mother smiled, and opened her mouth to speak-

The door _slammed_ open, causing five different ponies to come spilling into the room. One of them, Rainbow it turned out, lunged forward, crashing into the ground between Sparky and Mother,

"Wait!" she shouted, bringing the conversation to a halt,

"You can't punish her!" Pinkie added, taking a stand in front of Sparky as well,

"Yeah, it wasn't her fault!" Applejack shouted, coming to a stop next to Sparky.

Mother stared at the three new additions, her face quickly forming into a mask, one he recognized from her sessions at Day Court,

"I'm listening," she said, though Emerald noticed the slightest upward twitch of her lips.

"Please, Your Highness," Fluttershy began to beg, "We all noticed that Twilight was upset-"

"But we thought that the thing she was worryin' about wasn't _worth_ worrying about!" Rainbow added, her ears folding downwards,

"So when she ran off, not one'o us went an' tried ta stop her!"

"Except Emerald," Pinkie added quickly,

"Indeed," Rarity continued as though she hadn't spoken, "and as her friends, we _should've_ taken her feelings seriously and been there for her!"

"Yeah," Applejack agreed, a self-deprecating grin worming its way into her face as she turned to face his group, "Wisp sure gave us scoldin' 'bout it, too," she said.

Emerald's gaze snapped to his littlest sister, who had promptly turned red in embarrassment. His eyes narrowed.

_She scolded them? And I missed it?! Fuck!_

"Please don't take Twilight away from us, just because we were too insensitive to help her," Fluttershy begged, looking up at the Princess with watery eyes.

Mother only stared at Fluttershy, before her gaze slowly roamed over the nine of them. Her eyes locked with his last, and an almost smug grin overtook her features,

"Well, it certainly seems like you _all_ learned a valuable lesson here today, some more than others," she added, almost as an afterthought, "hmm... very well!" she announced suddenly, gently walking passed the group, "While I never intended to remove her from Ponyville-" there was a chorus of 'What?!', but it went ignored, "-however, I'd be willing to forget her punishment entirely, on one condition."

"A-anything!"

""Of course!""

"Whatever you say Princess!"

Mother smirked, and twirled around to face them all,

"In return for Twilight's punishment being revoked, I'd like you _all_ to report to me your findings on the magic of friendship-" she leaned forward, looking directly at Sparky, "-when, _and only when_, you happen to discover them," she added, cheekily.

Emerald sighed. That was... simple, and easy. Actually. The girls having to write these stupid reports would make sure that whatever lesson they learn sticks for good, and-

"That includes you as well, Emerald."

_... Shit._

* * *

_[TS] ~Dear Princess Celestia,_

_[AJ] We're writing to you today, because we all learned a little something about friendship._

_[FS] We learned that you should always take your friends' worries seriously._

_[RD] Even if you don't think they have anything to worry about._

_[R] And that you shouldn't let your worries turn anything from a small problem-_

_[PP] -into a big, huge, entire-town-engulfed-in-chaos-so-that-somebody-else-has-to-come-and-save-the-day problem!_

_[TS] signed, Your Loyal Subjects~_

_[ES] P.S. Fuck you, why do I have to write these too?! I didn't even learn anything!_


	36. A Hooves Down Hurricane

A pair of mismatched eyes stared back at him, unfocused, unseeing. Blue and pink circles staring listlessly into the distance.

He blinked, and let his gaze drift away from it.

Emerald wasn't sure why he'd kept the doll that Sparky had enchanted. Didn't know why he hadn't returned it yet. He'd just left it sitting, innocently, right next to his family photo on his bedside desk over the past few days, hardly acknowledging it throughout the day, only stopping to stare at it before his new nightly routine.

His patrols were now largely unnecessary. That's not to say they were totally useless, but after spending so long in town, with so little happening at night, it was clear. Ponyville was almost completely safe at night, even without him.

Of course, he didn't just stop his patrols entirely. He always made sure to have a few quick rounds around town, before heading off to his training area, where he happily burned through the majority of his unspent energy, and where Sparky burned through _all_ of hers, before heading home and getting some much needed rest.

Sleep was truly a gift, he felt.

Thanks to his now improved sleeping schedule, he was finding it much, much easier to stay awake during the day, and with it came some unexpected side effects.

He was... less rude than before, evidently.

He hadn't noticed it, of course, until Starlight had pointed it out, but apparently his abrasive nature was partly a side effect of not getting enough sleep.

Go figure.

He was still an ass, of course, but he did find himself more willing to go along with anything odd or silly happening around him, rather than roughly brush it aside.

Speaking of odd, he wasn't sure what he was going to do with the doll. It was just... strange. Part of him wanted to return it to Sparky-_it was hers after all, and he was sure she missed the thing, if only a little_-yet another part desired to keep it to himself. Only after using some of his newfound free time to do some self-reflection-_which sucked, by the way_-did he find out, at least what he thought was, the reason why.

The doll belonged to Sparky. It had been with Sparky her entire life-_presumably_-watching her grow from a small filly, to the mare she was today.

The doll sparked thoughts in his head every time he looked at it, thoughts of Sparky and the life she had lived.

And yet, whenever he did so, he felt nothing.

That was why, he believed, he kept it. Some twisted, possibly even masochistic, part of him hoped to restore his feelings for her by being constantly plagued by thoughts of her, thoughts generated by something she held dear to her.

The thoughts were foolish, obviously, and the chances of such a thing were slim, bordering impossibility, yet he still couldn't bring himself to return it.

A loud banging from downstairs tore him from his thoughts. He frowned, his ears twitching as he heard the front door open,

"Hey, is Emerald here?" a scratchy voice asked, one he recognized,

"Uh, yeah?" Starlight's voice responded, "He's upstairs... What do you need him for, Rainbow?"

"I gotta-" there was a slight grunt, "ah! I gotta throw these things around town. There's a mandatory meeting tonight at eight for all pegasi in Ponyville, over at the library," Rainbow said, the faint sound of magic preceding the crinkling of paper,

"Uh... Okay?" Starlight said, "So... why are you here for Emerald?"

"What are you-oh, yeah, he's not a pegasus..." Rainbow muttered, "Eh, whatever, I gotta go deliver these anyways, see ya!"

Emerald's head twisted to face his window, finding a streak of rainbow soaring back into town. He frowned,

A mandatory meeting for all pegasi in Ponyville? Well, whatever it was, it was obviously weather related, meaning he was virtually useless this time around.

He was a thestral, after all. He might be able to stand on a cloud, but that was the extent of that. Hay, he couldn't even bust a cloud apart! The things were held together by some pegasi magic, and only pegasi magic could bust them after that.

With that in mind, he promptly tossed those thoughts out of his mind, and turned back to the doll.

Now, what was he doing again?

Right, he was getting ready to head to the market.

* * *

He frowned slightly, taking note of the numerous number of ponies before him.

It wasn't how busy the market was that bothered him-_it was usually like this, after all_-rather, it was the fact that he wasn't used to walking around, undisguised, into a large group of ponies.

Sure, the town honestly didn't seem to mind his appearance-_for the most part, at least, he could see some ponies shuffling away from him_-but that didn't erase the over half decade he'd spent hiding his appearance from them all.

In a way, though, it was liberating. To finally be free of his self-imposed cage.

Then again, after he made friends with those girls, could it truly have been called a cage?

He shook his head. Now was not the time to get lost in his thoughts, no matter how often he found himself doing so lately. He slipped into the bustling sprawl of the market with practiced ease, eyes on the lookout for everything on his mental list.

Lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, some eggs, flour, and various other everyday items.

He mentally increased his list, reminding himself that there was a third individual living with him and Wisp.

Starlight was doing great, as expected. She fit in with the rest of the townsfolk almost flawlessly. Almost _too_ perfectly, actually. Like she was meant to be here. Honestly, if she hadn't turned out to be so socially awkward, he'd have thought something was wrong!

Seeing her interact with various ponies around town actually reminded him a little of Sparky. There was just something about her that he found strikingly similar to the purple unicorn.

It was probably just their mutual, dorky awkwardness, now that he was thinking about it.

A sudden commotion broke him from his thoughts.

Well... it wasn't actually a commotion, but considering how quiet Fluttershy was, it might as well have been.

Near the asparagus stand he could see Fluttershy trying, and utterly failing, to so much as _hold her place in line_.

A pair of mares were the most recent to steal away her spot in line, and, thankfully, he wasn't the only one to notice.

"Fluttershy!" Rarity gasped, "Goodness, you _can't_ just let those ponies walk all over you!" she implored,

"Yeah!" Pinkie added, "That's so not fair!"

"You should try being a tad more assertive," he decided to add. Fluttershy, who had been meekly crouched low to the ground, straightened, and regarded them all with an innocently confused look.

"What do you mean?" she asked, tilting her head. Rarity sighed,

"Fluttershy, dear, you have a problem," she said,

"A humongous problem!" Pinkie chipped in.

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy repeated, sounding only more confused. The three of them stared at her for a moment, before Emerald clicked his tongue, and shoved passed her-_inadvertently knocking her to the ground_-flipped a single bit onto the counter, and grabbed the last bundle of asparagus.

"Oh, that's okay," Fluttershy said, "Y-you first, Emerald," she added, staring up at him from her place on the ground.

"See, that's what we mean!" Pinkie shouted, pointing dramatically,

"You're a doormat, Fluttershy," Rarity added, only slightly more tactfully. Fluttershy blinked,

"A... doormat?" she asked. Emerald sighed, shoving the veggie bundle into Fluttershy's saddlebag,

"A pushover," he supplied, "You're letting everyone just walk all over you," he then clarified. Fluttershy blinked, but then shook her head,

"Oh, no! I'm not-"

"I just watched four ponies steal your spot in line when you were _the only one there_," Emerald deadpanned, cutting her off, "Don't even try to defend yourself."

Fluttershy frowned, and ducked her head down, looking embarrassed.

"You need to learn to stand up for yourself, darling," Rarity said, gently patting the mare on her back, before she perked, "Ah! I have an idea, now, what else were you in the market for, dear?" she asked.

"O-oh, I need tomatoes, some carrots" Fluttershy said, pulling out a rolled up bit of parchment from her bag, "a-and a few cherries."

"Easy enough," Rarity said, nodding firmly, "Alright then! Come along now you three, it's time for a little lesson in assertiveness for our dear friend, don't you think?"

"Yeah, sounds fun!"

"Might as well."

With the agreement made, the four of them weaved through the market, until the familiar sight of the tomato stand came into view.

"Alright everyone, we've arrived," Rarity announced, unnecessarily, "Now, Fluttershy, why don't you go first, so we can see if you're doing anything wrong, alright?" she asked. Fluttershy nodded, timidly,

"Um, okay..." she agreed.

She turned away from them and approached the mare behind the stand,

"Hey there, how can I help ya?" she asked, somewhat blandly,

"Oh, um, I-I'd like to buy five tomatoes... please?" Fluttershy asked, shrinking in on herself slightly. The mare didn't say anything, only lifting up a fairly small sack,

"Two bits," she said. Fluttershy blinked,

"Two?" she asked, "Oh, but it was one bit last week..." she pointed out, wilting slightly under the mare's impassive stare,

"Yeah, so?" she asked, "It was one bit last week, now it's two. My supplier's cart broke down, I don't got as many, so the price goes up," she added, "You payin' or not?"

"Oh dear," Rarity muttered, "Pinkie, why don't you go help her?" she asked. Pinkie nodded,

"Okie dokie lokie!" she chirped, and strode forward. Once Pinkie reached the stand, just as Fluttershy had set down the bits, she gently pushed the shy mare behind her, and leaned over the desk,

"Two bits?!" she asked, practically screeching, "That's _waaaay_ too much!" she said, pulling one of the bits away, "One bit is the perfect price!" she insisted. The mare frowned,

"It's two bits, Pinkie," she said, brow raising.

"One bit!" Pinkie shouted.

"Two bits."

"One bit!"

"Two bits," the mare was getting aggravated.

"One bit!"

"Two bits!"

"One bit!"

"Two bits!"

"Two bits!" Pinkie exclaimed, causing Emerald's brow to rise,

"One bit!" the mare parroted, seemingly unaware of the change,

"Two bits, and that's my final offer!" Pinkie shouted,

"One bit! Take it or leave it!" the mare snarled. Pinkie stared at the mare, hard, before smiling,

"Okay, one bit it is!" she chirped, snatching away both the second bit and the bag of tomatoes, before turning right back to them.

The mare at the stand smirked, before her jaw fell. She then shook her head, muttered 'Pinkie' under her breath, and took the bit.

Pinkie returned to the three of them victoriously, only letting out a giggle at Emerald's slack-jaw when she put away Fluttershy's bit and the tomatoes into her saddlebag.

"Wow..." Fluttershy said, looking at Pinkie in awe,

"What the fuck?" Emerald said instead, staring at Pinkie in surprise. His response went ignored as Pinkie turned to Fluttershy,

"See?" she asked, "Being assertive can be fun!" she said happily, "You just gotta go for it!" Rarity nodded,

"Mhmm, Pinkie's right. Being assertive is not difficult, Fluttershy," she said. The yellow pegasus only nodded, looking thoughtful,

"I... don't think I could do that..." she muttered, looking up at them.

"There's more than one way to be assertive," Emerald said, shrugging, "You just have to try. It tends to be different for everyone."

"That's right!" Rarity agreed, "The three of us are here to help you, dear. Now, let's get those carrots of yours, and you can give it another go."

The carrot stand wasn't far from the tomato stand. Although, rather than the mare who'd served him last week, Golden Harvest, an unfamiliar stallion had taken her place, and was eagerly on the lookout for potential customers.

"Alrighty Fluttershy!" Pinkie chirped, giving the mare a gentle push, "You're up!"

Fluttershy stumbled forward slightly, but caught herself just in time to face the stallion behind the stand.

"Hey there! Here to buy some nice, juicy carrots?" he asked, smiling brightly,

"Um-er, yes," she said, "I-I'd like two bunches of carrots, please," she asked politely. The stallion nodded,

"Alright, that'll be eight bits!"

Fluttershy nodded, but went still and sent a glance back the three of them. Pinkie nodded furiously, while he and Rarity made a pair of 'go on' gestures.

Fluttershy took a deep breath, and turned back to the stallion,

"E-eight bits is a bit m-much," she said gently, causing the stallion to nod,

"Yeah, but that whole 'Discord' business mucked up some of mine and Golden's crop, so..." he explained,

"W-well, e-eight bits is-is outrageous!" Fluttershy said, "So I insist on paying, um... n-nine bits!"

Emerald's jaw dropped, once more.

She wasn't serious, right?

"Nine?" the stallion asked, looking confused,

"Er-I mean-ten bits!"

"T-ten? Wait-"

"Eleven bits!"

Rarity's hoof had covered her mouth by this point, and Pinkie was busy trying, and failing, to bury her head in the ground,

"Fluttershy, are you confused?"

"Twel-!"

Emerald had finally had enough, and finally grabbed Fluttershy's tail, and pulled her back before she could bankrupt herself.

"Four bits," he stated, sparing a half-glance at his cousin, who'd fallen to her flank and was now watching him curiously. The stallion at the stand blinked at the sudden change, though whether he focused on the price change or the individual giving it, he wasn't entirely sure,

"Uh... it's eight b-"

"Do you really think you're going to sell a lot if you're demanding four bits a bunch?" Emerald asked, "I mean, look at how many carrots you still have in stock," he said, gesturing to the nearly full bins beside the stallion, "Isn't it a little telling how you're still on your first crate despite it being, what? Five hours into the day?" he asked, "Aren't you usually onto your second by the third?"

The stallion blinked,

"W-well, like I said, we've been having some issues with our crop, and we need some more money to fix-"

"Money you aren't getting 'cause no one's going to buy carrots at double the price," he snapped, "Five bits."

The stallion bit his lip at Emerald's latest offer,

"Seven bits."

"Four bits."

"You went down," the stallion pointed out,

"Three bits," Emerald said, uninterested, "You wanna make a sale, don't you?" he asked imploringly,

"W-well, now, that's not-"

"Oh, imagine what Golden will say if you can't even make _one_ sale."

"B-but-!"

"Do we have a deal?"

"Okay!" the stallion said, throwing his hooves wide, "Okay! Three bits for two bunches!" he said,

"Glad you see it my way," Emerald said, smirking wickedly, "I'll take four then."

He returned to the three mares with the purchases in hoof, placing half into Fluttershy's bag, and the other into his,

"Wow..." Fluttershy breathed, looking at him in awe,

"That was impressive work, Emerald," Rarity praised,

"Yeah! You got him to go even lower than the normal price!" Pinkie added. Emerald shrugged,

"I just pressured him, is all," he said, "Reminded him that he _needed_ to make a sale, and brought up Golden to remind him that there was more things against him than there were me. If it meant getting her off his back, he was willing to sell me his produce for dirt cheap," he said, then tilted his head, "It doesn't work too often, since I don't really go out of my way to know anything about anyone I buy from, but that's only me. I'm sure Pinkie could _really _pull it off, since she knows damn near everything about everyone in Ponyville."

Pinkie nodded vigorously,

"Yep!"

"Now then, that's tomatoes and carrots," Rarity said, "You still need cherries, is that right?" she asked, prompting Fluttershy to nod, "Cherries have a tendency to sell fairly quickly, so we'll have to make haste," she pointed out, "Let's be off!"

Emerald didn't often buy cherries. Wisp didn't like them and he didn't particularly enjoy them either, so he'd never had much of a reason to buy the things. So it was a tad surprising to see a large crowd gathering around the cherry stand.

Thankfully, they all dispersed not long after, with everyone in line trotting off with a bag of cherries in hoof, though it left the cherry stand nearly completely empty.

Actually... looking a bit closer, it _was_ empty!

There was only one, single cherry left sitting on the stand. It was next to worthless, in that sense. One bit was enough to buy almost twenty of the things, since they had to be brought all the way here from Cherry Hill Ranch over in Dodge Junction.

He frowned, and turned to inform Fluttershy of the unfortunate news, only for said mare to blast right by him and the others, stopping rapidly at the counter.

"Oh thank goodness you have one left!" she breathed, smiling brightly, "I have to make a special recipe for my bunny Angel, and he's a _very_ picky eater!" she explained gently, taking out one bit and setting it beside the cherry. Before she could take the cherry she had _way_ overpaid for, the stallion behind the counter spoke up.

"So... you _really_ need this cherry?" he asked. Fluttershy, in a surprising show of courage, had no issues answering a question from a total stranger,

"Oh yes!" she said, "I'm desperate!"

Emerald's hoof quickly connected with his face.

The one thing you should never tell a shop-keeper, was the first thing she was willing to answer without any sort of confidence issue.

"In that case, ten bits for the cherry!" he exclaimed.

Emerald let a growl slip through his lips.

This bastard! _One_ bit for _one_ cherry was already twenty times the price, and now he wants her to pay ten times _that_?!

Thankfully Rarity took a step forward before he could.

"Oh dear, surely you could lower the price for my dear friend?" she asked, sauntering her way up to the cherry stand operator, putting a little _too_ much sway into her hips for Emerald's liking. She hopped up, leaning her fore-hooves against the top of the counter, "Surely a _big_, _handsome_ stallion such as yourself could give my friend a _little_ discount?" she asked, fluttering her eyelashes.

Emerald rolled his eyes, and almost scoffed at the blatancy of her flirting, but stopped when he noticed how deeply red the stallion's face had gotten.

This... wasn't happening, surely?

"W-well, I mean-"

Rarity straightened her hooves abruptly, bringing her closer to eye level with the stallion. She tilted her head slightly, so that she was looking up at him a little despite their now equal height, and reached a hoof up to gently brush against the stallion's brown coat,

"Surely ten bits is a _tad_ much for a mare as sweet as my friend, yes?" she asked. The stallion swallowed, his face darkening,

"Y-yeah!" he agreed, shakily, "Er-uh, i-the cherry's all yours, miss!" he said, swallowing once more, though with more difficulty.

Rarity gave the older stallion a smile, her horn lighting up as her magic gently plucked the cherry and bit off the counter and deposited them into Fluttershy's bag,

"Why thank you, my good sir. I do hope you have a lovely day," she said, backing away from the clearly hot and bothered stallion, who darted into the back room as soon as she turned away.

She walked back over to them with her usual gait, looking not at all uncomfortable with what she just did.

Emerald stared at her for a moment, before turning to Fluttershy,

"You are not allowed to do that. _Ever_."

* * *

He had spoken with the girls for a while after that, though most of it was Pinkie and Rarity trying to give Fluttershy advice on being more assertive. He tried chipping in more than once, but often thought better of it. It wasn't because he didn't want to help her, rather, it was because he and Fluttershy were simply too different for any of his advice to hold.

The only piece of advice he could think of giving her was that assertiveness was not the same as aggressiveness-_he only thought of saying it since Fluttershy seemed under that impression_-but Fluttershy would never be aggressive in the first place, so he'd refrained from saying anything.

Regardless, they'd gone their separate ways when Fluttershy needed to head home and put her groceries away, and he needed to finish his shopping.

But, after another hour, he'd finished and managed to put everything away back home, when there was a loud banging on his door.

He scowled at the banging, but it quickly turned into a confused frown when his ears twitched.

Whoever was at his door was no pony. From what he could tell, they were bipedal, with a broad upper body, and a rather thin lower one.

A memory replayed itself in his head, and he smirked.

He walked over to the door and wrenched it open, finding exactly who he'd expected on the other side,

"Well well, if it isn't Iron Will himself," Emerald stated, staring up at the large minotaur. Iron Will jumped at the sudden opening of the door, the basket he was carrying in his left arm nearly dropping, and laughed down at Emerald,

"Well now! I wasn't expectin' to find you livin' here!" he said, then narrowed his eyes at him, "Huh, that _does_ explain the smirk on your face when I told ya," he added. Emerald nodded,

"Guilty as charged," he admitted, then cocked his head, "So, what brings you here? Setting up your little seminar?" Will nodded,

"That's right!" he said, placing his large hands on his hips, "Talked to the Mayor already, an' she said I could hold my first seminar in about a week, over at the center of the maze here in Ponyville!" he boomed, then plucked what looked to be a pamphlet out of the basket in his left hand, "Here, me an' my crew are goin' around town giving these out," he explained.

Emerald took the pamphlet, raising an eyebrow at the red bull head on the front,

"The details are on the back, but it's got some more info inside of it," Will said.

He wasn't lying. There was the location, the time, as well as a minor explanation about what it was. The explanation was short and to the point, but it did stroke his curiosity a tad.

"Looks good," he praised, causing Will to nod and smirk,

"Course it does! My crew are some of the best I've ever met!" he said, a softer smile lighting his features, "It almost makes me feel guilty 'bout leavin' 'em one day," he said, then smirked, "Almost."

Emerald chuckled, and returned the pamphlet,

"I suppose you'd want me, Wisp, and Glim to be there?" he asked,

"Glim?" he asked, "Starlight's here?" He nodded,

"Forced her to live here myself," he said, almost proudly, "As if I'd let her go back and live on the streets," he added, scowling and looking away. Will only nodded,

"You made a good choice, then," he said, then nodded, "Anyways, yeah, I'd love it if you three would come! Not that you need any of my help to be more assertive," he joked, then brightened, "Hey, maybe you could all volunteer to help the first time?" he suggested, "You mind?"

"Not at all, but Wisp has school then." Will just waved that off,

"Funny thing. While I talked to the Mayor about the show, another mare, Cheery or something-"

"Cheerilee?"

"Probably. Anyways, she thought it would be a good idea to bring the foals from the school to see each seminar!"

"Why the fuck would that be a good idea?" Emerald asked, frowning. Iron Will just shrugged,

"No idea, something about standing up to bullies, I'd guess."

"Likely."

"So, you willing to help?"

"Yeah, sure. Glim and I will be there to help set the thing up."

"You mind coming up on stage sometimes to help demonstrate?"

"No."

"Great!" he said, giving him a thumbs up, "I'll see ya then! Now, if you don't mind me, I gotta go deliver the rest'o these!"

Emerald waved the minotaur goodbye after that, before retreating back into the house.

He chuckled.

_Looks like a lot of stuff's happening at once. First the meeting tonight, then this?_ he chuckled again, _Things are getting interesting. Though, they'll probably be even more interesting once I find out what that meeting is for._

* * *

By now, Ponyville at night was as familiar to him as his own wings were.

So it was with no surprise that he found that he was able to sneak his way around the rooftops, completely unseen, as he slunk towards the library.

This meeting was big enough to warrant the attendance of all pegasi in town, yet small enough to not warrant a town-wide meeting. For this reason, Emerald knew that, whatever it was, it was weather related. He'd be utterly useless in that sense, being a thestral, but it was still something that warranted his attention nonetheless.

Weather did, after all, have a tendency to go awry with so many pegasi involved.

At the very least he'd be able to prepare for whatever fallout could happen, and evacuate the town should need arise.

The thought got him to pause in his tracks.

Did Ponyville have an evacuation plan? With it being so close to the Everfree-_and was now the place where a primordial god of chaos made his playground_-one would think they'd have an evacuation plan in place should anything go FUBAR.

He'd have to check with Mayor Mare.

He dived from the rooftops, keeping low to the ground as he shot forward, until he was successfully placed beneath one of the ground level windows.

This whole sneaking around thing was almost certainly unnecessary, but it didn't feel right to just _walk around_ at night just yet. It was going to take a few weeks before he broke that habit.

His eyes scanned the room, while he positioned himself to be out of the light as best he could. The entire library was filled to the brim with pegasi, as expected, and he could see the hatchling and Sparky setting up a projector towards what would be the back of the crowd, not two feet away from the window he'd chosen.

He ducked into the bushes when Sparky turned around, and stayed when the last few pegasi started showing up. He spent almost five minutes hiding, until his ears picked up the sound of the projector's wheels.

Peeking back out, he stared into the room as the projector began playing a black and white cinematic.

He frowned as the little movie continued. It was just a standard issue documentary detailing Cloudsdale's place in providing Equestria with its rain clouds. It explained what it did, and how the floating city came into possession of the massive amounts of water it took to provide most of Equestria with rain clouds.

But why would they be showing this to the pegasi of Ponyville?

It was common knowledge, so there was no reason for it.

Unless-

The movie cut out suddenly as the projector started ejecting its tape, covering the hatchling in film. There was a sudden spike of chatter amongst the room, before Sparky flipped the lights back on, and Rainbow took center stage.

"Alright everyone, here's the scoop!" she shouted, drawing attention and quieting the chatter, "Cloudsdale has chosen our highland reservoir to supply its water for Equestria's clouds, and you all know what _that_ means!" she said, "What it means-!" she began without input, "is that it's up to Ponyville's pegasi to get that water up to Cloudsdale!"

The chatter started up again, more excited this time.

"Not only that!" Rainbow interrupted, pulling down a poster over the projector's screen, revealing Spitfire in uniform, "But Spitfire, the Captain of the Wonderbolts, will be comin' down here to oversee the whole thing, _and_ record our top tornado wind speed!" she said, before pulling down another poster, depicting a city and a bar graph, "So, last year Fillydelphia broke the record with nine-hundred-and-ten wing power, but I think _we_ can get a top speed _waaaay_ over that! I'm talking, _a thousand_!"

_Wing power? What the fuck is wing power?_

The crowd started chattering excitedly, but it was stopped when Rainbow darted just above them, and glared down at the lot, erasing his thoughts,

"_If_ every single pegasus in town trains hard enough to get their wing power numbers up!" she said.

A sudden coughing interrupted her not-very-motivational speech, and she glared down at the source,

"That coughing better be from a popcorn kernel, Thunderlane!" she snapped, "Nobody's getting sick on my watch!" she huffed, and turned back to the ground, "Alright! Are we gonna train hard?" she asked,

""""YEAH!""""

"Are we gonna be strong?!"

""""YEAH!""""

"We gonna be _fast_?!"

""""YEAH!""""

"_Record breaking fast?!_"

""""YEAH!""""

The sound of the door opening amongst the cheering caught his attention. He glanced over, finding Fluttershy slinking out the door, timidly keeping herself low to the ground.

He frowned at the sight, but let it go.

He was outside and he had to flatten his ears to keep himself from getting hurt. She probably just couldn't handle the sound.

...

Oh, who was he kidding?

* * *

The next week arrived fairly quickly after that.

The meeting had ended right after Fluttershy's disappearance, prompting Emerald to head off before he could be seen. He'd made a few customary sweeps of the town to make sure everything was fine, before he'd turned in for the night.

So, after cooking breakfast in the morning, he'd headed out with Starlight.

They dropped Wisp off at school, and turned right back around, much to Starlight's confusion. Said confusion only worsened when they walked right by their house, and towards the nearby maze. Of course, he didn't explain _why_ they were headed to the maze, as, evidently, she wasn't aware of Iron Will's visit.

He had been confused when he'd realized that, until he remembered that Iron Will had been delivering those pamphlets, and that he'd given the one he'd had back. Plus, Starlight had gone out just before he'd returned from shopping, and he hadn't seen her until much later and, by then, he figured she was aware and hadn't mentioned it.

Oh well, it just meant he'd get to see her reaction in person.

"I didn't know Ponyville had its own maze," she said when they'd passed the entrance. Emerald nodded,

"Yeah, they don't use it much. I thought about using it when I first got here, but..." he paused, then shrugged, "Huh, guess I forgot. Uh, yeah, they only really use the thing during Nightmare Night, as far as I know," he explained.

"Well, I guess a maze on Nightmare Night makes sense," she said, glancing around at the bare green hedges that surrounded them, "But... if they only use 'em on Nightmare Night, then what's going on now?" she asked. Emerald only smirked,

"You'll see."

"Am I gonna like it?"

"I have no idea."

"That's reassuring."

"Isn't it?" he asked sarcastically, turning to send a smirk at her, before it fell and he turned back around, "The event isn't actually starting yet. Since the whole hurricane business is going on with the town's pegasi, the first event is scheduled for an hour after their required training and tests, which isn't for another two hours."

"So... we're here early... why?"

"'Cuz I volunteered us to help out, of course!"

"_Why?_"

"Because."

"..."

"..."

"Really?"

"You'll find out why when we get there."

He and Starlight trekked the rest of the way through the maze fairly easily, until they finally arrived at the center, finding Iron Will and several goats wandering around, each wielding various tools and a few holding blueprints. They'd already started building, actually. The set of wooden flooring and scaffolding towards the other end of the clearing made that clear.

"Will?!" Starlight called, surprised. Iron Will started, and he turned to them. He smiled, and waved,

"Oh, hey you two!" he called, and waved them over, "Glad you got here so early! You ready to help?" he asked. Starlight blinked, and turned to Emerald,

"We're helping Will?" she asked. He nodded,

"Yeah. We'll help him build his stage, and act as volunteers for his seminar," he said. Iron Will, however, shook his head,

"That's fine," he said, "turns out my pals have got the whole stage thing well in hoof," he said, gesturing over to the goats, who had resumed building. They were actually startlingly quick about it, too. Hardly a few seconds had passed and they'd already laid several planks and nailed them in place.

"Okay," Emerald said, "So... what should we do for the next two hours?"

"Got somewhere to be?" Iron Will asked, curiously,

"Fluttershy will be joining the pegasi in their training and tests in two hours, and I figure she'll need _some_ motivational support from family," he said.

"Family?" Iron Will asked, before he snapped his fingers-_which caused Emerald to flinch, since it reminded him a little too much of Discord at the moment_-"Right, that new cousin'o yours! Hey, if you're going, I don't mind showing up to cheer her on!" he offered,

"Uh, yeah! Same!" Starlight chirped. Emerald nodded,

"Cool, but let's get back to what we're doing here. Which is?"

"Rehearsal."

""Rehearsal?""

""Course! What, you think I just go on stage and make stuff up?"

"Yes."

"No."

Emerald glanced at Starlight, deadpan. She sighed,

"Yeah..."

Iron Will stared at the two of them,

"Hurtful," he whined, before shaking his head, "whatever, anyways!" he chirped, clapping his hands together, "Let's get started!"

* * *

The track that the pegasi were using was surprising. Not in its size or layout, but in the fact that it existed.

Emerald had been in Ponyville long enough to recognize nearly any building in town, and had spent enough time to almost completely memorize its layout and the buildings within. So one would think he'd have been fully aware of the track's existence.

Even Emerald had assumed so, until he recalled one glaring fact.

He might know damn near every nook and cranny in the town of Ponyville, but Ponyville was _more than the town_.

The land that made up Ponyville extended quite far in nearly every direction, covering nearly the entire Everfree Forest, the whole Ponyville Quarry, reaching Ghastly Gorge, and covering the entirety of the Whitetail Woods.

The fact that little things like this track, the highland reservoir he'd never visited, and several large ponds, lakes, and rivers that dotted the place completely escaped his notice, shouldn't have been surprising.

Ponyville was simply _too big_ for him to memorize like he'd thought. Which was funny, considering how small the town was.

Well, the Apple Family _were _the only ones who'd wanted the land-_due in part to the unusual phenomena that resulted in Zap Apples thanks to the Everfree_-and thus they'd had no competition in buying the whole place.

He supposed their original intention was to cover the whole place in apple trees, before they settled on making the town.

He shook his head, and pushed those thoughts aside for another day.

Most of the town's pegasi had already shown up, with several pairs doing some leisurely laps around the track. The majority of those who had shown up, however, were all standing along the edge of the track, seemingly waiting for something.

"Woo! This town sure has a lot to it, doesn't it?" Will bellowed, looking around the area with a smile. His loud voice had startled some of the nearby pegasi, who threw him a few dirty looks, though they faded after a moment.

"I know what you mean," Starlight said, looking just as interested as she looked around, "I haven't been here all that long, but I already feel like I know the town like the back of my hoof, and then I see something like this, and..." she trailed off. Emerald nodded,

"Yeah, Ponyville does have this way of getting you to feel comfortable," he admitted, then smirked and sent then a half-glance, "Still, this little town has _a lot_ more to it than meets the eye. I'm sure you'll get to see all the fun shit if you stay here long enough."

Will chuckled,

"I don't doubt that for a second!" he said, held a hand over his eyes, peering out over the selection of pegasi, "So, where's this little cousin'o ours?" he asked, "I ain't seein' too many yellow and pink pegasi from here."

Emerald frowned, and followed his gaze.

Fluttershy wasn't here.

He sighed,

"Oh great... she's probably hiding back in her cottage," he muttered, beginning to turn, "Wait here, I'll-"

"Oh!" the familiar voice of one Twilight 'Sparky' Sparkle gasped when his eyes unexpectedly met hers, "Emerald! What are you here for?" she asked, "You not a pegasus, so you aren't obligated to be here," she pointed out, trotting over to him with the hatchling in tow. Sparky was laden with a pair of saddlebags, containing an abacus and some paper, while Spike was stumbling slightly, carrying a strange propeller-like object with a gauge attached.

"Moral support for Fluttershy, mostly," he admitted, "Though, considering she isn't here right now, I might also need to be the one tying her down."

Sparky giggled at that, and shook her head,

"Don't worry!" she said, smiling, "I'm sure Rainbow's already gone off to get her," she said, then turned to Will, who was watching their interaction with interest, "You must be one of Emerald's-" she paused for a moment, "brothers?"

Iron Will nodded, smirking,

"That's right! Iron Will's the name!" he boomed, leaning down, his hand outstretched, "And you must be the famous Twilight Sparkle, right?" he asked when Sparky took his hand. The mare in question flushed slightly,

"I-I wouldn't say famous," she muttered meekly, looking away.

"Are ya kidding?!" Iron asked, incredulously, "'Course you're famous! I mean, ya got this one-" he thumped Emerald on the back, "-to start lightening up! If that doesn't make you famous, I don't know what will!"

Sparky only turned redder,

"I-I-I don't know about that..." she mumbled, looking away whilst rubbing her leg,

"Nonsense!" Will said, waving off her embarrassment, "Thorax told us all about it!"

Emerald's gaze immediately grew sharp, sending Will a glare that all but shouted '_Shut the fuck up!_'.

Sparky, thankfully, didn't notice it,

"'Thorax'?" she asked, looking up at him curiously, "You mean... Peppermint?" Will stared at her for a moment, before he nodded,

"Right," he said, "I forgot that's what he calls himself," he said, thumping the side of his head, just beneath his horns.

His response only seemed to confuse her more, but before she could ask him the million and one questions she probably had, Spike spoke up,

"Hey, can we hurry up?" he asked, his head peeking out from behind the odd device, "My arms are getting tired."

"Oh, right!" Sparky said, looking at Spike with apologetic smile, "Spike and I need to set up the anemometer for the pegasi's tests!" she gushed, before gesturing for Spike to follow her.

The two of them headed over to the center of the track and set up the machine, already receiving more than one confused look in the process.

"An anemometer, huh?" Starlight mused, "Sounds like their trying to measure everyone's wing power."

"Wing power?" Will asked. Starlight nodded,

"Uh, yeah. It's basically just a measurement of how strong their wings are. Everyday pegasi tend to have an average wing power of about four to five," she said, then tilted her head, "I think the world record is twenty-one-point-three wing power. Not sure who it belongs to, though," she admitted, shrugging.

"The world record for the highest wing power is Red Rocket!" a familiarly scratchy voice behind them shouted, just as Rainbow Dash rushed in front of Starlight, looking excited, though Emerald noticed Fluttershy slinking off towards the crowd from behind her, "He was the Captain of the Wonderbolts before Spitfire, _and_ the Captain of the first Wonderbolt show I ever saw!" she gushed, "He was an awesome flier! Not as good as Spitfire, but he was one of the best!" she said, smiling like a maniac.

Starlight blinked at the mare's close proximity, and carefully stepped away,

"Uhh... yeah, that sounds about right," she said, hesitantly, "I'm surprised you know that, since it's so obscure."

"Like you're one to talk," Emerald snarked, "She wants to be a Wonderbolt, so it's not hard to figure out why she'd know that," he said, before his eyes narrowed, "Why do _you_ know that, anyways?"

Starlight shrugged,

"Spitfire's the Captain, so I did some reading at the Canterlot Library," she said, then wilted, "They... kicked me out for my smell after, like, ten minutes..."

"Thunderlane!" Sparky suddenly shouted, "Coughing, again?" she asked, "You know this is supposed to be a germ free zone!"

"Wha-it wasn't me!" a somewhat familiar stallion shouted back, "It was Blossomforth!"

Rainbow scoffed and approached, with Emerald, Starlight, and Will following after,

"Relax Twilight," she said, scowling at the darker pegasus, as the other three took positions sitting around the anemometer, "Thunderlane's just cookin' up an excuse to spend Tornado Day in bed. How's about coming over here and being our first test flier?" she asked, pointing to the red line on the track.

Emerald smirked as the stallion scowled, and languidly glided over to the starting position, but frowned when he noticed one of the mares nearby stifling a cough.

_Hmm..._

Before Emerald could head over and confront the mare, Sparky shouted,

"Alright! Fly as fast as you can whenever you're ready!" she called.

Thunderlane, who'd already set up by the started line, stretched his wings outward, leaned low and back, before taking off. He shot forward with some fairly impressive speed, zipped by the anemometer, before coming to a slow stop at the white at the other end. He was panting lightly, but it faded soon enough.

Sparky looked at the gauge, wrote some things down on the notepad she'd brought, and called out,

"Nine-point-three wing power!"

Thunderlane was met with some hearty cheers from the rest of the group, who eagerly accepted him back with hoof shakes and pats on the back.

"Not bad," Rainbow said, taking a position at the starting line, "Not bad," she repeated, cracking various joints in her legs and wings, which produced a usually inaudible cracking that had Emerald wincing.

Even so, he couldn't help but groan lightly, catching Starlight and Iron's attention,

"Figures she'd use the chance to show off," he muttered, staring at the mare with light disdain.

She finished cracking her joints with one last twitch of the neck, before adopting a starting position similar to Thunderlane's and shot off. She moved fast enough to leave a trail of rainbow behind her, and the gust of wing she'd left in her wake nearly tore the notepad out of Sparky's unprepared magical grip.

Then again, he supposed he couldn't blame her for wanting to show off. Even he had to acknowledge one, simple thing. After all-

"Sixteen-point-five wing power!" Sparky called, sounding astonished.

She was above them. Simple as that. It was only natural for someone who was better than the rest to want to show off their skills every now and again.

It didn't mean he liked it, but he, at least, could understand.

Even he wanted a good fight every now and then.

Rainbow, of course, preened at the cheers that resounded after that call, but Emerald was momentarily distracted by a prodding at his side.

He turned, finding Starlight staring at him, eyes half-lidded. He blinked,

"What?"

"What's your wing power?" she asked, catching both the attentions of Will and Sparky. He shrugged,

"No clue," he said, confused. Starlight frowned,

"What's the average thestrali wing power?" she asked instead. Emerald blinked, and regarded her blankly,

"... I know I act like I know a lot of shit, believe me, I do, but the first time I heard about wing power was while I was spying on the meeting last week."

"You were spying on that?" Sparky asked, staring at him, obviously confused, "Why?" He fidgeted slightly, and looked away,

"I'm... not used to being able to just walk around at night. I'm more accustomed to sneaking around," he admitted, a tad sheepishly.

Sparky's stare continued, but it looked... sad for some reason.

At least it did, until Starlight's previous line of questioning seemed to catch up with her,

"Oh! Could you test out your wing power?" she asked, turning fully to face him, an excited smile on her face, "It would give us the first look into how thestrali wings compare to pegasi wings! There's been a lot of research about the differences between pegasi and griffons, but I've never heard about anything like this!" she gushed, her eyes practically sparkling. She lunged forward, suddenly clasping his hooves in hers, "Oh! I'd love to do all kinds of tests! Think of all the research we could do! We could compare the magical signatures of thestrals in comparison to all kinds of creatures! We could see how Equestrian magic interacts with yours, determine baseline parameters-!" she suddenly froze, her smile beginning to split her face, "Ooh! I know that thestrals can see in the dark and have better senses than ponies! We could do a full comparison and see how far it stretches, determine basic muscle and strength tests, maybe even some blood tests to compare their similarities..." she trailed off, letting go of his hooves, completely unaware of how still Emerald had gotten at 'blood tests'.

"There's still so much to learn!" she gushed lowly, scribbling away on her notebook, "Basic culture, language, history, social norms, governmental status, biological tests, even mati-" she suddenly flushed and cut herself off, coughing into a hoof, while also sending him furtive glances, "er... maybe save those for another day..."

Emerald barely had time to ponder anything she just said, as a loud roar erupted from the crowd,

"**YEAH!**"

Evidently, he'd missed Rainbow's speech and declaration right after that.

Thankfully, Spike had heard it. As it turned out, she wanted every pegasus in attendance to achieve _at least_ a ten-point-zero wing power _by the end of the week_, where'd they would do some last second preparations before Spitfire showed up.

Now the rest of the pegasi were lining up to record their starting wing power and determine how much work they needed to achieve the desired minimum.

There was a lot of variation, but none of the gathered pegasi had anything less than a four-point-one which, to be fair, wasn't _too_ bad. Most of the gathered pegasi had wing powers in the mid to high sixes, with some sevens and eights, which made sense since _most_ of the town's pegasi had jobs relating to the weather. Other pegasi, who didn't, tended to get somewhere between four and five, with some sixes. There were a few high scores, some nines and tens, and even an eleven and twelve scattered in there.

All in all, it was much better than even he would've expected.

Of course, none of the ponies here, except Rainbow, regularly trained all that hard. Like Starlight said, _everyday_ pegasi tended to average four to five wing power. And Rainbow Dash was _not_ an _everyday_ pegasus.

Idly, he began to wonder what his own wing power would be, and what the wing power of most thestrals would be.

It would be higher than a pegasus's wing power, he knew. Thestrals didn't have the same kind of magic in them that helped them fly like pegasi did. It was muscle more than it was magic, and more muscle meant more weight, which meant _more muscle_ and so on. It would only be natural for a thestral to have a higher wing power. Griffons had the same issue, and they were reported as being stronger than pegasi on average. He imagined that it carried over into wing power as well.

But a Skies or a Tides? Oh, they were made to fight, and training was as much in their blood as fighting. No doubt, their wing powers would _floor_ even the other thestrals.

Though... he shuddered to imagine what a _dragon's_ wing power would be. With their size and weight, he wouldn't be surprised if it was in the hundreds, or, Faust forbid, the _thousands_.

Then again, his curiosity probably stemmed from the desire to get Starlight to _stop fucking poking him in the side_, just as much as it did from honest curiosity.

Eventually the number of pegasi that needed to be tested dwindled down until only one remained.

"Alright Fluttershy!" Rainbow called, "You're up!"

The mare in question flinched slightly at being called, and remained rooted to the spot. One of the pegasi nearby, however, ended up giving the timid pony a gentle push, startling her into jumping forward.

Fluttershy took in a deep breath, and tried to stand confidently in place. However her violently shaking legs made her nervousness as plain as day. She was looking around, eyes darting over each of the individuals in attendance, meeting nothing but excited grins and encouraging smiles that did absolutely nothing to ease her worries.

Her eyes eventually slid over onto him and her two friends. Rainbow, of course, only gave the scared mare a grin, while Sparky gave her an honest and encouraging smile. Emerald merely smirked, and jerked his head down the track she was meant to run.

She bit her lip and turned back to the track, her wings fluttering slightly.

She ended up taking a deep breath in, and took off.

She... wasn't very fast, but she wasn't exactly slow either. The nervousness on her face was easy to see, but the longer she continued flying, the more relaxed she became. She started picking up speed, actually, as a small smile appeared on her face.

Soon enough she was flying... not quite as fast as most of the other pegasi, but her speed wasn't _too_ bad. Maybe a three or a four wing power.

A pair of shrill laughs pierced the air suddenly, and Fluttershy's eyes dilated. Her wings stuttered for an instant, and her speed dropped instantly. She passed right by the anemometer with barely enough speed to cause a draft.

Sparky frowned, staring at the machine, before turning to him and Rainbow,

"Uh... point-five," she muttered,

"She slowed down," Emerald pointed out, earning a nod from Rainbow,

"Yeah, she was going pretty good for a sec there," she agreed. Sparky nodded, then swallowed,

"So uh... who's telling her she has to go again?" she asked. Emerald and Rainbow both grimaced, but before either of them could say anything, Spike spoke,

"She got a point-five?" he called, a little _too_ loudly, "Wait... isn't that, like, less than one?" he asked, only for Starlight to accidentally kick the hatchling while stretching, whistling an off-key tune while she did so, "Ow!"

Emerald frowned, and turned to Fluttershy, only to find the mare shaking in place. The shivers raced across her entire body, and her breathing was coming out fast and heavy. Her eyes darted to and fro, and her ears twitched erratically, as though she was hearing something that wasn't there.

Eventually, she turned to run, only to bonk her head against Iron Will's leg,

"Well hey there little missy!" he boomed cheerfully, startling the panicking pegasus into awareness. She blinked up at him, confused, before she turned her head,

"O-oh, I-I'm sorry..." she stammered, "I didn't m-mean to run into you, or anything..."

Something in Iron Will's expression twitched, but it was gone too fast for Emerald to recognize it.

"Ah, you ain't got nothing to be sorry for!" he said, waving her apology off without issue, and punctuated his statement by sticking out his hand for a shake, "Iron Will's the name! I heard from Emerald you're my new cousin, yeah?" he asked.

Fluttershy blinked, looking up at him, whatever thoughts going through her mind completely scattered,

"O-oh!" she gasped, "U-um, hello...?" she greeted softly, reaching out to grab his hand. Her hoof barely grazed his fingers, before she proceeded to give them one, minuscule shake, and retracted her hoof as though she was burned.

Iron Will was, of course, completely unfazed by her timidness,

"Last I recall, I heard something about you being an animal caretaker, yeah?" he asked, immediately causing Fluttershy to perk up, "I'm on the road pretty often, so I don't get to take a nice rest too often, ya know?" he said, straightening up and looking off into some random spot in the sky, "I plan to travel this whole wide world someday, and I bet there are plenty'o animals I don't know 'bout out there," he said, then turned back to her and winked, "Mind tellin' me 'bout some of 'em?"

Emerald smirked at the way Fluttershy smiled.

Figures Will would be the one to step in. He startled her out of her thoughts, confused her, established a connection, then brought up a topic she was familiar and comfortable with, effectively stopping the panic attack before it even started.

Clever bull. He always was better at that kind of thing.

While Fluttershy was busy talking Iron Will's ears off, Emerald turned to Sparky and Rainbow,

"Why don't we finish up for now?" he suggested. Sparky blinked,

"B-but we need her wing power..." she murmured, though he doubted she actually meant it. He only shrugged,

"Just put her down as point-five. Fluttershy obviously isn't comfortable with this, and I doubt _one_ pony would make much of a difference in wing power, in the end," he remarked, glancing at Rainbow with that last part.

Rainbow Dash looked put out at his words, but nodded.

"Yeah... I guess we'll be fine..."

* * *

Emerald watched from above, more than a tad amused, as the vaguely familiar form of Cheerilee led the foals through the maze. He hadn't interacted with the mare beyond their initial meeting, and even less after he'd had Wisp registered for the school here in Ponyville, but he knew, mostly from second-hoof experience, that she was a good pony.

She bore a two-tone pink and white-ish mane and tail, both styled into curls, a deep magenta coat, and friendly green eyes. Wisp had nothing but nice things to say about the teacher, though she _did_ have a few complaints regarding the mare's seeming willingness to let a pair of fillies, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon if he recalled, torment the other foals.

He assumed it was less letting them go and more that there wasn't any _proof_. He had a feeling that most of the foals refused to indicate either of them in whatever issues cropped up. He doubted the words of the Crusaders alone were enough to get them in trouble.

Wisp had noted, however, that the two of them had stopped trying anything against her not long ago. Their attempts at riling her up usually failed, but now they had stopped completely, and she wasn't sure why.

Given the timing, he was fairly certain it had to do with his reveal as the Champion. He was actually a tad surprised that Wisp hadn't figured it out herself.

Then again, the knowledge wasn't new to her, so she probably just overlooked it.

He shook his head, scattering his errant thoughts.

Iron Will's seminar was set to begin within fifteen minutes, and a surprisingly large portion of the town had actually decided to show up. Ponies both familiar and unfamiliar seemed to flock to the maze, with one of the most surprising, yet somehow most expected, attendee being Fluttershy herself.

At some point during their talk, Iron Will had mentioned needing to head off for his seminar, and Fluttershy had shown a surprising interest in it. Though considering that he'd seen Rarity and Pinkie talking to her for the past week, he had a feeling he knew what had prompted the interest.

He smirked when he spotted Wisp talking to two other fillies, a puffy-red-maned one with glasses and braces and the familiar form of Ditzy's foal, Dinky.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

When had Wisp befriended those two?

In fact... when was the last time Wisp had talked to him about something from school?

For a moment, he lost himself in his worries.

Were they growing apart? Was she going through puberty? Was she going through a _phase_?

_Please don't be a phase..._ he whined to himself, _I don't think I can handle the angst... Ironically enough..._

He shook his head once more, and resolved to try and be more involved with Wisp's life in the future. Until then, however, he needed to head back to the stage.

* * *

"-it exshploded!" Twist gushed,

"Wow!" Dinky breathed, "How'd that even happen?"

"I dunno! I think I added too mucsh shugar," Twist moaned.

"I don't think that's how that works..."

Whisper smirked at their interaction. How could she not? The two of them made such good friends that it was a wonder they hadn't been interacting until just a few weeks ago!

She supposed that was her fault, though. Up until that point, she'd been a fairly isolated filly. She did well in class-_she was the top student, of course_-and she supposed that ended up putting her on some sort of pedestal. Aside from the Crusaders, and Diamond and Silver, no one in the class really interacted with her at the time.

It was one of the reasons she'd be willing to spend time with the Crusaders, despite not really liking them all too much.

There was nothing wrong with them! It was just... they did some _really_ stupid stuff sometimes because of how weirdly obsessed with their marks they were. She couldn't blame them, though, since everyone wanted their cutie marks when they were their age.

"I shtill managed to make shome, though!" Twist said, pulling out a small box from her saddlebag, "Do you girlsh want shome?" she asked.

"Sure!" Dinky said, nodding eagerly. Wisp shook her head,

"No thanks," she said.

"Aw come on, Wishp!" Twist implored, opening up the box of peppermint sticks and letting Dinky levitate one away, "You never want any candy!"

"Hmm! Mmph hmm?" Dinky said through the peppermint stick in her mouth.

Whisper stared at Dinky for a second, prompting the filly to stop sucking on the candy,

"Sorry," she said, "Yeah! What gives?" she repeated in a language Whisper could actually understand. Whisper sighed,

"I just don't eat a lot of candy," she said, shrugging, "It's not a big deal..."

"Courshe it ish!" Twist disagreed, holding out the box to her, silently demanding she take one, "Everypony likes candy!"

"Yeah! A filly that doesn't eat candy is like a rabbit that doesn't like carrots!" Dinky added, pouting at her. Whisper only sighed, and took one of the sticks in her magic, almost petulantly.

"Fine," she muttered, idly beginning to nibble on the end while fighting a smile.

Dinky and Peppermint Twist were a pair of interesting fillies to have as friends. Dinky was a fairly smart little unicorn, but seemed to have inherited a bit of her mother's infamous clumsiness which, surprisingly, had very little to do with her eyesight. Twist was a nerdy looking earth pony with glasses, braces, and a severely poofy mane and tail, who also had a love, and talent, for making candy, specifically peppermint candy.

Dinky's clumsiness and Twist's nerdy appearance made the two, not unpopular, but they were often pushed out of mind. Unlike the rest of the class, the two of them didn't really stand out all that much. They were rather easy to miss, and even Whisper would've ignored the two of them if Emerald hadn't mentioned Dinky as a possible friend. Twist only joined the group a month or two ago out of loneliness, but she hardly minded.

In fact, Dinky and Twist got along so well that it almost felt like _Whisper_ was the newcomer to the group, rather than the earth filly.

Not that she minded. She really didn't have much in common with any of the other foals in class.

She blamed Emerald for that.

"Alright my little ponies!" Miss Cheerilee called, "Everypony form into four horizontal lines!" she gently ordered, leading them to the front of the large crowd in front of Big Bro Iron's stage.

Whisper followed the group, and ended up in the front-most row between Twist and Silver Spoon and right in front of the Crusaders, much to her minor discomfort.

Silver Spoon didn't pay much attention to her, but that didn't mean that Whisper wasn't a tad on edge. Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara were the class bullies, and everyone knew that. They... weren't the best at it, mostly sticking to name-calling and the occasional shove.

They mostly targeted the Cutie Mark Crusaders for the lack of their namesake, but they'd been trying, and mostly failing, to target Whisper since her arrival.

They mostly focused on her glasses and good grades, calling her 'four-eyes' or 'sweaty nerd'-_or anything similar, really_-but Whisper hardly ever paid much attention to them. Their words simply never bothered her, and why should they?

It sounded stupid to say, even in the privacy of her own head, but she'd been through a lot worse than some name-calling, and she got off _a lot_ lighter than most of the rest of her family.

Her tongue had been cut out, yes, but at least she was _alive_. And only... _slightly_ traumatized.

But they'd stopped almost abruptly the day after Emerald was announced as the Champion. It was weird, because the pair never stopped bullying the Crusaders despite their role model/sisters being the Elements of Harmony.

Before she could ponder further on the matter, a spotlight suddenly flashed, illuminating the center of the tall, red curtain on the stage, effectively silencing the crowd.

With a flourish, the curtains were flung out, revealing the tall, broad form of Iron Will with his arms out to the side,

"Welcome everyone!" his voice boomed over the crowd, amplified over the speakers by the mic he was wearing, "My name is Iron Will, and I'm here today to help all of you stop being a doormat!" he said, then held one of his hands to his ear, "But first, I gotta know if you're all willing to go through this! I wanna hear everyone! Stomp your hooves if you are done being a pushover!"

The crowd burst into cheers, stomping their hooves as demanded.

Iron Will smiled, and pointed over the crowd dramatically,

"Scream if you're done being a doormat!"

The cheers _erupted_ into cries, and even she found herself yelling along with them.

"Shout if you want to pay nothing for this seminar!"

The cheers continued, until they abruptly fell silent. Even Whisper was confused for a second. Everyone here had already paid, after all. In order to attend the seminar, each adult had to pay forty bits-_ten for foals_-for a special little hoof band that would allow them to attend every seminar for the next week, so how could they pay nothing?

Eventually, it seemed the crowd understood, and laughter started erupting, only to be harshly silence when Iron Will stomped on the stage, the loud sound cutting out any other.

"This is no joke, friends," he said, smiling confidently, "My techniques are meant to help you all in your daily lives. Be it professionally or socially. That is why this seminar has a. One-hundred! Percent. Satisfaction guarantee! If you are not satisfied, return your hoof band, and you will receive a full refund!" he announced, spreading his arms wide, "Though I pity the poor pony my techniques do not help, that is why that your satisfaction is my number. One. Priority!"

The crowd murmured for a bit, before someone started stomping, which soon cascaded over the rest of the crowd.

"Good!" Iron Will boomed, smiling with his hands on his hips, "Now, to show you all how my techniques work, I need volunteers," he said, then laughed when nearly every hoof in the crowd shot up, "Haha! It's good to see everyone's interested! But we've already got some volunteers from before we started. Come out you two!" he said, gesturing to the curtain.

With a lackluster amount of flourish compared to Iron Will's entrance, Whisper gasped happily at the two individuals who'd walked through the curtain, though she noticed that Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara next to her were doing the same.

"I'm sure you all know them, but please, give us a round of applause for our generous volunteers, Starlight Glimmer and Emerald Skies!"

Starlight gave the crowd a slightly uncomfortable wave, while Emerald gave them a lazy salute. Both actions speaking quite a bit about how the two felt about being on stage.

"Now, before we begin, I want to make sure everyone knows the number one rule about being assertive!" Iron Will intoned heavily, holding up one hand with his index finger extended towards the crowd, "Allow us to demonstrate."

His words washed over the crowd, causing a lot of ponies to stare in confusion.

"Now-" he turned to Emerald and Starlight, "no offense to you, but you are a lot more intimidating than her-" he said to Emerald, who nodded, "so, we'll have you be the instigator, and Starlight will be our solver, alright?"

The two of them nodded,

"Good! Let's go with something simple. Say you're going shopping, and someone cuts in front of you. Let's begin!"

Emerald backed off a bit, and Starlight made her way over to the stairs, before turning back around. She then proceeded to approach Iron Will, only for Emerald to step out right in front of her, his back to her.

"See how he just cut in front of her?" Iron Will asked from off to the side, "His back is to her, so maybe he just didn't see her. Maybe if she asks him politely to move?"

"Uh, hey, could you move? You just cut in front of me," Starlight said, though Emerald didn't look at her.

"Sounds like he didn't hear her. There's no need to worry, maybe if she asks again?"

"Uh, hey!" he turned his head and glanced at her, "Uh, you cut in front of me, so could you move it?" she asked. Emerald huffed, and turned back around, completely ignoring.

"Well, looks like being polite didn't work. What'll happen next?"

Starlight frowned, and forcefully shoved passed him, almost knocking him down,

"Hey!" he snapped, only for Starlight to glare at him,

"Don't 'Hey!' me," she snapped back, "I asked you to move, so next time don't get in my way."

The two continued glaring at each other for a moment, before they both relaxed and moved aside.

"You see how she handled that everyone?" Iron Will asked, looking around, "Can any of you tell me what she did right, and what she did wrong?" he asked, then turned to her class in the front, "How about you little ponies? Can you tell us what she did?" he asked nicely.

She spared a glance around, finding only a few of the other foals raising their hooves.

Iron Will pointed at Featherweight,

"What do you think?"

"Uh," Featherweight squeaked, "well, she pushed right passed him," he pointed out, his voice carrying fairly well in the silence that washed over the crowd, "That was being assertive, right?"

Iron Will nodded,

"You're on the right track little buddy, but that's not quite right. Anyone else wanna take a guess?" he asked, looking around, "No? Alright then, I'll tell ya," he spun around, and pointed at Emerald and Starlight, "She was perfectly in the right to tell him that he cut right in front of her, and to tell him to move. She was wrong however, to shove him like that. This is our first lesson! There's a fine line between being assertive, and being aggressive! Making your voice heard and your opinion clear is being assertive, but shoving someone around is just being plain aggressive. So remember, 'Don't push over, just because you don't want to be a pushover!'"

He began to pace around the stage, arms folded behind his back,

"With that being said, there is a definite overlap. To be assertive is to be a little aggressive. However, aggression itself is not assertiveness. To make herself known, she had to raise her voice, and force him to listen to her. She needed to be a little angry to get him to listen. But she did not shout, nor did she get violent. Keep yourself in check," he said, and gestured towards Starlight and Emerald, who got back into their previous position.

"Hey! You cut in front of me!" Starlight snapped. Like before, Emerald only gave her a cursory glance, then looked away, completely ignoring her.

Unlike last time, where she shoved him aside, she merely walked a bit around him, and stood in front of him.

"Hey!" Emerald snapped, causing Starlight to turn to him, before huffing and turning back around. He tried to do the same thing to her, passing around, but she blocked him,

"This is _my_ spot!" she growled, glaring heavily at him, "Either stay in your place or get to the back of the line!"

Emerald huffed, but backed away. They stayed like this, until they both relaxed.

"See how she handled things this time?" Iron Will asked, smiling, "She made sure the pony cutting in front was aware of what he did, and when he didn't apologize and disregarded her, she forced him to without resorting to violence, and made sure he knew she wasn't to be messed with! The second lesson! 'If someone treats you like a pushover, give 'em the once over!'"

* * *

Iron Will's first seminar did astonishingly well, according to him. Apparently, ponies usually don't show up in such large numbers until the second or third to last show. For him to receive such a large audience on the _first_ show boded well for him and the goats he traveled with.

Though, he also admitted it made him a little sad. For so many ponies in town to come by meant that there were, at least, that many who had difficulty controlling their lives. And being in control of your own life was something that he, along with Emerald and everyone else in their family, valued greatly.

Still, like Iron Will said the week prior, Emerald had practically nothing to gain from attending and likely wouldn't continue to do so-_unless he had nothing else to do, which was looking to be the case_-a fact that Iron didn't hold against him. Wisp and Starlight, on the other hoof...

Well, Wisp didn't really have a choice, since Cheerilee decided it would be a daily, week long field trip for the class, and Starlight wasn't exactly the most confident mare in the world. He was sure she'd turn out fine once she got the whole 'living on the street for six years' thing out of her system, but attending Iron Will's seminars could help hasten that process.

He realized something however, something... horrific.

He had absolutely nothing else to do. He still worked at Sugarcube Corner-_it had nothing to do with missing them, of course, he was just worried Pinkie would hound him about it is all_-so he wouldn't be _completely_ out of something to do.

So it was with a large amount of relief-_hidden of course_-that he greeted Pinkie and Rarity the following afternoon when they walked into the bakery.

"Well, you two seem to have gotten pretty chummy over the past week," he noted, "Any reason?"

"Nope!" was Pinkie's cheerful response.

"Pinkie has been requesting my assistance with a party," was Rarity's.

His brow rose immediately, though it fell when Pinkie whined,

"Rarity, that was gonna be a surprise party!" she huffed to the slightly older mare. Rarity only smiled,

"Now Pinkie, you've been holding that same party on the same day for the past three years. I hardly think it's a secret," she pointed out,

"It was to Emerald and Twilight!" Pinkie retorted, puffing her cheeks up. Rarity stilled at that, sending a half-scared-half-worried glance at Emerald,

"Ah... yes, of course. A-although I'm afraid there's been a slight issue regarding that..." she murmured, biting her lip nervously.

Having had enough of their conversation, Emerald spoke up,

"I am both here and completely out of the loop, so someone better tell me what's going on or they're getting a cupcake to the face," Pinkie's mouth opened, "... or _no_ cupcake to the face."

It snapped shut.

Rarity sighed,

"My apologies, Emerald. You see, Pinkie has been requesting my assistance with planning her yearly Hearts and Hooves Day party next month," she explained, looking a tad exhausted, "She has also been... _kind_ enough to request my assistance with planning the refreshments," she added, looking nauseous.

"Yeah!" Pinkie chirped, darting into the kitchen, before coming back out with a bowl filled with a pink liquid, "We just finished the punch yesterday!" she said, then set it on the counter, producing a cup and ladle from... somewhere, "Want some?"

"No."

"I merely came by to ask if you'd seen Fluttershy," Rarity asked abruptly, "Today is our spa day, but I haven't seen her at all! She wasn't back at her cottage, and she's nowhere to be found in the market," she added. Before Emerald could answer, the shop door burst open, revealing an aggravated looking Rainbow Dash,

"Hey Emerald, you seen Fluttershy anywhere?" she asked bluntly, "I can't find her at her usual haunts."

"Well, it would seem we have the same issue," Rarity noted, "I'm looking for her as well. It's our spa day, you see," she provided, only for Rainbow to scoff,

"Yeah, well, we've got mandatory pegasus training in an hour," she said, frowning, "I know she's not a strong flier, but she has to _at least_ try!" she added.

Emerald frowned, for all of a second until he spotted the clock.

It was one-thirty.

"Have you checked Will's seminar today?" he asked the mares, earning a pair of confused looks, "You know... the one run by my brother, the minotaur?" he clarified.

Rarity shook her head while Rainbow scoffed again,

"I'm afraid I've never heard of these seminars," she said,

"Like I need help being assertive," Rainbow said, "You think Fluttershy's there?"

"She was at the first one yesterday."

"Damn..." Rainbow muttered, rubbing the back of her neck, "I can't believe she's actually going to those things. I didn't think she had it in her," she admitted. Emerald shrugged,

"Probably helped that these two-" he pointed and Pinkie and Rarity, "and myself told her she needed to learn how a week ago." Rainbow huffed,

"Yeah, that'd do it. Shy always had a hard time saying 'No' to stuff," she pointed out, then shook her head and shrugged, "Whatever. Listen, Emerald, I kinda need your help for somethin'," she said. His brow rose,

"Oh? _You're_ asking _me_ for help?" he asked, then frowned, "Must be something pretty important, then." Rainbow nodded,

"Yeah. I need ya to help Fluttershy train," she said, causing Pinkie's jaw to drop, "I'd do it, but I'm stuck with the rest of the pegasi in town, and, frankly, I'm not dumb enough to try and make her train in front of everyone," she said.

"I thought we agreed that Fluttershy participating wasn't exactly mandatory?"

"Well, yeah, but it kinda _is_," she snapped, scowling, "I mean, I don't wanna make her do it, but I don't got a choice. Yeah, _one_ pony's not gonna make much of a difference, and I'm not... hung up about the stupid record enough to force her into this," she said, fidgeting slightly, "this is..." she paused, and sighed, "Listen, you probably figured this out a long time ago, but Fluttershy isn't a strong flier. She's a pretty weak one, honestly. Yeah her wing power might be good, but that's only for short bursts and shit. I've seen the way she dives for animals, and I've seen just how fucking exhausted that makes her."

"Get to the point." Rainbow growled,

"I think it'll be good for her confidence, okay?!" she snapped, " She got made fun of a ton when we were at Flight Camp cuz she couldn't fly very well. That's why she slowed down there. Cloudchaser and her sister laughing must've brought back some harsh memories or something. I figure if she gets her wing power, or at least her stamina, up then she'll feel more confident during the hurricane, and, well..." she trailed off, before sighing and rubbing the back of her head, "I just get worried sometimes, okay? I know I act like an asshole, but I really do care about Shy. She's like my sister, for Faust's sake! I just get so caught up in tryin' to help her, that I kinda push a little too hard. Even if I didn't have everybody else to worry about, I'd probably ruin her confidence trying to help her myself. I'm not exactly a teacher, or a good trainer," she said, then muttered under her breath, "Tryin' to help Twilight kinda proved that."

"Alright."

"Listen, I really think-" she froze, then narrowed her eyes at him, "... You're agreeing?" she asked. Emerald smirked,

"I agreed when you asked. I didn't need the backstory," he said, brow raising, "You did that on your own."

Rainbow's eyes narrowed,

"Fuck you."

Emerald only chuckled,

"I'll find her after the bakery closes," he said, "If it's her stamina we want up, then I'm sure she and Sparky won't mind sharing my course."

"Your course?"

"I'm a guard in a town where nothing happens. I needed something to keep active."

"Fair."

Rainbow left after that, with Rarity heading out not long after-_not without purchasing a few scones though_-leaving just Emerald and Pinkie.

Now if only Pinkie would stop staring at him like that.

"What?"

"We told you what we were planning."

"Yeah, and?"

"..."

Emerald stared for a moment, wondering where she was going with this. A moment passed, where he recalled his threat, and sighed.

He then threw a cupcake at her face.

She was happy after that.

* * *

"Twenty minutes, thirty-six seconds," he read off the watch, then glanced down at the near-unconscious forms at his hooves, "Not bad, Shy. Considering how little you exercise, at least. Sparky, you ended up with nineteen minutes, forty-two seconds. A twenty-two second improvement. Good job," he praised.

It really was good work for these two, considering their general lifestyles and level of activity.

Plus, seeing Sparky flopping on the ground, sweaty and out of breath was always hilarious. Fluttershy doing the exact same thing only made it funnier.

"Woo... hoo..." Fluttershy weakly cheered,

"Yeah... woo... hoo..."

Emerald snickered.

This was fun.

"I hope you enjoyed today, you two. You'll be here bright and early tomorrow, _right_?"

""Y-yeah...""

"Good. Next time, I'll add in some weights for you two, okay?"

""_What?!_""

This was _really_ fun.

* * *

Emerald grunted slightly.

Today was the day before the hurricane, and most, if not all, of the pegasi had managed to get their wing powers up a good bit. The number of tens was probably a lot lower than Rainbow had initially hoped for, but she'd really only given the town a two weeks notice at best.

Honestly, the fact that most of the attendees were in the eight-to-nine range was impressive enough, especially since the majority had only been in the sixes.

They had returned to the track where they'd done their initial testing for one, final test before everyone would head out and prepare for tomorrow.

Rainbow Dash was beaming at everyone, seemingly quite happy despite not getting to the initial goal of having everyone with a ten-point-zero minimum. She'd either never wanted it in the first place-_unlikely_-or had come to a similar conclusion as him.

Just like before, only one pony remained untested.

"Alright! Fluttershy, you're up!" Sparky called, looking quite confident.

And why wouldn't she? She and Fluttershy had both suffered the same, week-long torture that he called training. Both had run that course more times than they could count, each wearing a rather nice fifteen pound vest. It wasn't all _that_ heavy, but, all things considered, it was impressive that they managed it.

Even Fluttershy had managed to achieve an extra five pounds, for a total of twenty, on the day prior.

Plus, despite not achieving lower times on their records-_there were several records that he kept track of, ones with weight, and one without_-the two of them managed to run for longer periods without having to take breaks.

Fluttershy walked up to the starting line, of her own volition this time, though her movements were noticeably stiff, still sore from the workout the previous day.

Even so, she had little issue getting into a starting position, and taking off.

As expected, her speed was quite nice, and even seemed to have increased a bit during the week.

Not that she'd be winning any records with-

"Five-point-six wing power!"

-but for Fluttershy, it was astounding all the same. However-

"Five-point-six?!" she gasped, "That's it?!"

"Fluttershy, that's amazing!" Sparky gushed,

"Yeah!" Rainbow agreed, "You had a point-five before, so that's like, more than ten times better!"

"Well, we didn't really know what her first time was-and I'll stop talking now," Emerald said, only to change when Starlight threw him a glare.

"It's _not_ better, Rainbow Dash!" she argued, in an astonishingly firm tone, "It's _awful_! There's no _way_ I'll be able to fly with ten-point-oh wing power tomorrow!"

"Is that s'pposed to matter?" Iron Will suddenly asked. Fluttershy immediately straightened, giving the minotaur her full attention.

Emerald had to stifle a laugh at the sight. Will had really made an impression on her, it seemed.

"Yes sir! It does matter!" she said, looking him straight in the eye,

"Tell me why."

"Because I'll be the only one flying with less than ten-point-oh wing power! It would be mortifying, sir!" Iron Will only raised a brow, then held a hand out towards Sparky,

"Would it be alright if I borrow that notepad of yours for a moment?" he asked. Sparky blinked,

"Huh? O-oh, sure," she said, levitating it over to him. He nodded,

"Thank you," he said, then proceeded to clear his throat, "Silver Streak, nine-point-two. Blossomforth, eight-point-three. Bulky Biceps, seven-point-eight. Ditzy Doo, six-point-nine..." he trailed off, and stared at Fluttershy, who flushed.

"O-okay, so I wouldn't be the _only_ one, but I would still have the lowest wing power in town," she said. Iron Will nodded, glancing over the list once more, before handing it back to Sparky,

"That might be true, but is that any less reason to try?" he asked, then smirked, "'_If something stands in your way_-'"

"'-_show them that you're here to stay_,'" Fluttershy finished.

Rainbow Dash locked eyes with Emerald,

"... What the hay is going on?"

"If only I knew."

Their attention was brought back to Fluttershy, who now stood in front of Rainbow Dash, a determined look on her face,

"Okay, I'll do it!"

Rainbow stared at her for a moment, before smiling and nodding,

"That's awesome, Shy!" she said, her eyes firming. Her wings spread wide and she launched herself into the air, "Alright everybody! Tomorrow's the day we send the water up to the Cloudsdale! Are you all ready?!"

"""YEAH!"""

"Are we gonna get that water up to Cloudsdale?!"

"""_YEAH!_"""

"Are we gonna break that record?!"

"""YEAH!"""

"Alright! Everyone head home for some rest, cause tomorrow's the day!"

Emerald smirked.

She certainly knew how to get a crowd going. Even Fluttershy was cheering.

"You think they'll be able to do it?" Sparky asked from beside him, idly leafing through the list of ponies, "Break the record, that is," she added. Emerald shrugged,

"Who knows?" he replied, smirking as he turned to her, "I suppose we'll just have to see for ourselves."

* * *

Emerald's gaze locked onto the door seconds before it burst open, and the all too familiar form of Spitfire strut on through,

"There you are!" she said, pointing a hoof at him, "Will told me you'd be here, I honestly wasn't sure if he was kidding or not," she added, walking up to him, slipping her goggles onto her forehead, "A cashier, huh?"

Emerald only scoffed,

"Funny, Spits. A real crowd-pleaser, that one." Spitfire only shrugged, smirking all the while,

"What can I say? I was made to entertain," she boasted, "So, you gonna stop by for the hurricane?" she asked, leaning against the counter. He nodded,

"Yeah. Will, Wisp, Glim, and I are all gonna be there, mostly to support Fluttershy, since I can't do shit."

"Glim? Starlight's here?"

"Forced her here myself."

"Good. I was wondering where she'd gone."

"You wanna order anything before we leave?" he asked, gesturing to the menu. Spitfire shook her head,

"Nah. Can't eat on duty. And even if I could, I can't fly right after eating. Makes me sick."

"I didn't know that."

"I didn't either, until a couple months ago."

"What happened?"

"You don't wanna know."

"No, I do. Spill it."

"I threw up on Soarin during practice."

"Sounds fun."

"He deserved it anyways. He snuck a pie in. _Again_."

Emerald chuckled, and shook his head,

"You ever think of assigning him an escort to make sure that doesn't happen?"

"I tried that once. They helped him sneak it in."

"Funny."

"Whatever, let's get going," she said, hopping off of the counter, "I don't want to be late for this thing." Emerald nodded,

"Yeah, yeah, just let me tell the Cakes. We can go get the others and head off then."

* * *

"Woo, that's a good number of pegasi," Spitfire said as they approached, "And here I thought Ponyville was too small for this," she added.

Emerald hummed slightly. He supposed she was right. There was a good seventy to eighty or so pegasi in town. A fair number, but still pretty small when compared to Ponyville's size and total population, which was, obviously, mostly earth ponies.

"They should do just fine," Spitfire continued, smirking, "Assuming everyone's here, of course."

The five of them, Spitfire, himself, Starlight, Wisp, and Iron Will, finally made it into view of the large reservoir, where the entirety of Ponyville's pegasus population were gathered.

He eyed the massive anemometer for a moment, before spotting the purple unicorn beneath it, fiddling with an abacus, and scoffed.

_Of course Sparky volunteered to be here as well,_ he thought, amused.

"Wow, that thing is huge!" Wisp noted, staring up at the towering machine,

"I'll say!" Will agreed, having to crane his neck.

Emerald frowned slightly as the nearby pegasi began to point at them and whisper, but it softened when he realized they were just talking about Spitfire.

"Spitfire!" the scratchy voice of Rainbow called as she trotted up to them, "Wow, it's grea-"

"What did you just call me, rookie?" Spitfire asked, glaring at the slightly younger pegasus. Rainbow froze under the glare,

"U-uh... I called you Captain, Captain!" she said, snapping to a salute several seconds later. Spitfire hummed,

"That's what I thought," she said, then smirked and looked over the line, "So, this everyone?" she asked. Rainbow nodded,

"Yeah, this is-" she was cut off by the hatchling jogging over to them,

"Uh, we've got a problem!" he said, thrusting Sparky's notepad into her face. Her eyes glanced over it, before she scowled,

"Dammit Thunderlane!" she snapped, "He's been tryin' get out of tornado duty this whole fucking time!" she growled, before turning to the line, "Flitter, Cloudchaser, where the fuck is Thunderlane?!" she snarled.

"Flitter and Cloudchaser came down with the featherflu," another pony said, one he recognized faintly as Silver Streak, "Same with Thunderlane and Blossomforth. They're all down at the hospital," she said.

"They aren't the only ones," Spike said, flipping through the pad. Emerald glanced over his shoulder, finding an entire page and a half covered in red X's.

"_What?!_" Rainbow screeched, ripping the notepad away from Spike, "No way!" she said, before bolting over to Sparky, "Twilight, please, please, _please_ tell me we'll still be able to break the wind speed record!" she said. Sparky looked up at Rainbow,

"No, that's not the issue," she said, causing Rainbow to sigh in relief, "You might not have enough wing power to reach the eight-hundred minimum in the first place, let alone break the record!" she said.

Spitfire frowned,

"Hmm, that's not good," she muttered, "I'm just here to record the whole thing in case they _do_ break the record," she said, glancing at Emerald, "If they're having trouble just hitting the minimum, I'll probably have to jump in to help."

"Are you allowed to do that?" Starlight asked, causing Spitfire to shrug,

"Don't know, but probably," she said, "Getting the water up there is pretty important, so I don't know why I wouldn't be," she added, then shrugged, "But, who knows? They might not need my help."

"How sure about that are you?"

"Not very."

"Alright everybody, let's give it our best shot!" Rainbow shouted,

"""YEAH!"""

"Once that horn over there is blown, that's when we start!" she announced, pointing over to a large brown horn he hadn't seen, "Everybody ready?!"

"""YEAH!"""

"Alright! Let's go!" she shouted.

After a few last minute checks, Spike took in a deep breath, and blew the horn.

***BWARRRRGH***

And like that, they were off.

It was slow at first, but the sight of so many pegasi in one spot was certainly new to him. Slowly, they all began to circle a single point above the reservoir. Their bodies began blurring together, and the wind picked up.

It started as a small breeze, but quickly picked up strength as the tornado formed. A massive pillar of blurred colours, twisting and churning, formed above the water. The wind slammed into him, forcing him back a few inches, before he dug his hooves into the ground.

"One-hundred wing power!" Sparky shouted over the gale.

Just one hundred? Emerald frowned, and his hoof shot out to catch Wisp, who'd suddenly been lifted by the wind.

"Woah!"

"Two-hundred wing power!"

The wind was steadily rising in strength. Rocks had started lifting from the ground, swirling through the air alongside dust, leaves, and anything else that had been ripped from the earth.

"Four-hundred!"

He grit his teeth, and lowered his body to the ground. He was forced to squint against the raging wind, feeling and hearing it tear by.

"Six-hundred!"

"Damn, they're actually gonna do it!" Spitfire cheered, holding a hoof against her mane, clearly more used to the high speed winds the pegasi were generating. Even Iron Will, despite his massive size and weight, was forced to brace himself against the wind.

A moment passed, before a pillar of glowing blue light erupted behind him, striking the sky a few feet above them. It spread out instantly, creating a dome around them.

Just like that, the wind died.

The suddenness of the event was abrupt enough that he ended up dropping Wisp to the ground.

"Oof!"

"Sorry," he said, turning around, finding Starlight's horn glowing a faint blue, "Neat spell," he said. She smiled, a bit sheepishly,

"Thanks," she said, glancing over at the tornado, "I did a bit of looking when the tornado announcement was made. This spell is pretty good against storms, though I wasn't sure how it was going to go against a tornado," she admitted.

The sound of something tinking against glass brought their attention to the dome, where rocks, twigs, and various other torn up things crashed harmlessly against the dome.

"Yeah, that's why."

"Seven-hundred-fifty wing power!" Sparky suddenly screamed, "But it's not going any further!"

Emerald's gaze immediately returned to the tornado. She wasn't wrong. They were definitely maintaining their speed, but it had stagnated. Drops of the reservoir had begun to slowly climb into the air, and a visible bump in the center began to form. They were _just_ too weak to really get it moving.

At this rate, they'd collapse from exhaustion before getting the water to Cloudsdale.

As if reading his thoughts, the tornado suddenly began to wobble, and he could see individual ponies beginning to slow down. Right before his eyes, the tornado suddenly destabilized, flinging ponies straight out of its embrace and right into the dirt, gouging small trenches leading away from the site.

Rainbow Dash was one of the unlucky ones, being flung straight into the bark of a tree, cracking the bark and causing more than one leaf to be knocked loose. Fluttershy suffered the opposite, and landed relatively safely in the branches of a different tree.

Starlight's barrier faded, and, though a faint breeze remained, the mostly still air was a far cry from what it had just been.

"Rainbow Dash! Fluttershy!" Sparky called, running up to the nearer of the two, which was Rainbow, "Are you girls alright?!"

Rainbow Dash growled, and gently pushed Sparky away,

"I'm fine!" she snapped, glaring at the reservoir,

"I'm so sorry, Rainbow!" Sparky whined, looking close to tears, "You were just barely below the eight-hundred minimum!" she informed. Rainbow growled,

"Dammit!" she snapped, stomping her hoof, "We gotta keep going!" she said, preparing to take off. A purple aura stopped her however,

"You can't!" Sparky denied, "Everyone's already been pushed to their limit, if you keep going and break apart again, someone mind end up getting really hurt!" she pleaded, gesturing towards the many pegasi picking themselves up from the ground.

Emerald followed her gaze, and inwardly agreed with her.

Pegasi had been flung far and hard by the tornado, and not all of them were getting up easily. From the looks of it, no one had suffered any broken bones-_pegasi were notoriously sturdy, after all_-but there was definitely some major bruising and possibly even a sprain or two.

Yet... they were all still trying to stand. Even despite their injuries, they were getting to their hooves and helping anyone nearby do the same.

He couldn't help the smirk forming on his face at the sight, and, judging by the way she was beginning to chuckle, Spitfire seemed to have the same idea.

"It doesn't look like that bothers them!" Spitfire announced, stepping forward with a glint in her eye, "If anything, it looks like they just want to go again! Is that right everyone?!" she yelled. Emerald couldn't stop the full blown smirk as the crowd replied with the all too familiar cry,

"""YEAH!"""

Spitfire laughed,

"I love this town!" she cheered, spreading her wings as she turned to Rainbow Dash, "Alright rookie! This is your team, so give 'em the order!" she demanded, "I'll be joining in this time around!"

"Woah, really?!" Rainbow asked, her eyes twinkling. Spitfire smirked,

"You bet!"

"Will you be enough?" Sparky couldn't help but asked, "We're missing a total of fifty wing power, and no one has ever had that much before," she pointed out. Spitfire smirked,

"It might not be fifty, but I've got a wing power of twenty-point-three-" there were multiple gasps, "Besides, wing power fluctuates all the time! If everyone here gives it their all, and keeps giving it, even if they only push themselves up _one_ wing power, then the tornado isn't gonna break apart," she said, pumping a hoof, "Just keep flying, and don't let yourselves fall behind, no matter what! You get me?" she asked.

Rainbow nodded,

"Totally!" she said, then flew up a bit, "Alright, let's give it one more shot! Everybody with me?!"

"""YEAH!"""

***BWARRRRGH***

Just like before, the pegasi started out slowly, but they got into position a lot more smoothly than they did the first time.

In hardly a minute, the wind had picked up, and everyone started moving at a blur.

"Two-hundred wing power!"

Starlight's spell came into existence once again.

"Four-hundred!"

The tornado was still going strong, though his eyes could still pick out a streak of vibrant orange within it.

"Six-hundred!"

"C'MON YOU LOT! I WANNA SEE YOU FLYING LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!" he could hear Spitfire scream,

"THE WATERS BEGINNING TO RISE! COME ON EVERYONE, KEEP GOING!" Rainbow added.

"Seven-hundered-fifty!" Sparky announced, looking nervous,

"That's where they fell apart," Starlight added, looking equally as nervous.

"They'll definitely do it this time!" Wisp said, "Big Sis Spitfire's helping them!"

"C'mon Fluttershy! You best be giving it everything ya got!" Iron Will shouted, hands cupped around his mouth.

"We trained for a week for this. You better not disappoint, Shy," Emerald muttered to himself.

"Seven-hundred-seventy! They're doing it!"

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT SLOWING DOWN" Spitfire screamed, "IF I SEE ANYONE SLACKING, THEY'RE GETTING A HUNDRED LAPS AROUND TOWN!"

Emerald couldn't help but snicker at that.

Even so, the Wonderbolt Captain's threat seemed to do something, since-

"Seven-hundred-ninety-five! They're almost there!"

Emerald bit his lip, feeling a tug in his chest. He really didn't like not being able to do anything.

Suddenly, water _erupted_ from the tornado like it was shot from a cannon. He barely registered its meaning over the cheers from Iron, Wisp, Spike, and Sparky. Eventually, he did, and started laughing as well, while Starlight only sighed in relief from beside him, her barrier dying out once more.

The wind fell once more, the pegasi beginning to slow down as they cheered their success.

"THEY DID IT! THEY DID IT!"

"WOOHOOO!"

"YEAH!"

"ALRIGHT!"

"THAT WAS AMAZING!"

The pegasi all began fluttering to the ground, some of whom immediately collapsed from exhaustion. Their cheering didn't stop, of course, but Emerald focused on one particular pile of jelly limbs.

"Nice job, Fluttershy," he congratulated the panting mare, "Guess you didn't need that ten-point-oh after all, huh?" he asked.

Her panting didn't ease up even one bit, but she still managed to smile.

She did it.

_They_ did it.

* * *

"You're leaving already?" Emerald asked. Iron Will turned back around, finding not only Emerald standing there, but Wisp, Starlight, Spitfire, and even Fluttershy.

He chuckled, and rubbed the back of his head,

"'Fraid so," he said, pointing back at his crew, who had just about finished taking down the stage, "Only ever stay in one town for a bit before we move along. There's lots of ponies out there who need our help, so we can't just stick 'round in one spot for long," he explained, smiling sadly, "Even if I'd like to."

Emerald stared at him for a moment, but nodded,

"Fair enough. Feel free to visit anytime, though." Iron Will smiled, and threw his head back with a laugh,

"Definitely!"

While he was laughing, Wisp ran up and hugged one of his legs,

"It was great seeing you again, Big Bro Iron!" she chirped, smiling up at him. He smiled back, and gently pat the filly on hte head,

"Same to you, little missy," he said, then winked, "Hope my seminars help ya deal with those bullies I've heard about," he whispered, then sent her back to him, making sure to ruffle her mane in the process.

"Shame I didn't get to see any of those," Spitfire said, smirking, "They certainly sounded helpful. Assuming I can trust Fluttershy's word, of course," she added cheekily, elbowing the not-quite-as-timid-as-before mare.

"We're heading up to Dodge Junction, then over to Las Pegasus in a few months," Iron said, "Maybe you can come then?" he offered. Spitfire shrugged,

"I'll see what I can do."

The group lapsed into silence for a moment, before the butter-yellow pegasus was pushed forward by a blue light.

She yelped, and turned to Starlight, pouting slightly, only to find the mare seemingly focused on something in the sky.

Seeing this, she turned back to Iron Will, who was now regarding her with something approaching seriousness.

"Umm... I just wanted to say thank you," she said, looking at the ground, before forcing herself to look him in the eye, an act that brought a smile to Will's face, "Your seminars were really helpful to me, and... well, I'm not the most confident pony..." she trailed off, then shook her head, "Um, I mean...-" she was cut off when Iron Will placed a hand on her head.

"You don't need to thank me," he said, smiling softly, "Helpin' anyone who asks is just something I like to do. Besides, you're family," he said, practically waving off her thanks, "And in _our_ family, askin' ain't even something you need to do, right Em?" he asked, somewhat cheekily as he eyed Starlight.

Emerald chuckled,

"Of course. Family help family, even when they don't want help," he said, wrapping a leg around Starlight, "Right, Glim?"

She scoffed, but kept smiling,

"You're such a jerk," she chuckled, elbowing him in the stomach, not that it did anything.

"S-still," Fluttershy said, gently brushing his hand away, "It really helped me. I... well, my friends can get into trouble sometimes, but I'm such a coward, so I can't really help all too much, but... thanks to you, I think I might be able to help a lot more now!" she said firmly, the spark of determination causing her eyes to shine.

Iron Will only laughed, and nodded,

"Well then, I'm glad to hear it!" he said, then glanced up into the sky, painted red and orange by the setting sun, "Welp, looks like it's time for us to ship out," he added, and turned to his crew, "You hear that, you lot?! We're headin' out!"

His goats bleated at him a bit, but he see them smiling. Looks like visiting this town made more than him happy. It was nice, seeing his crew all cheerful like this. They had this funny tendency to be so serious all the time.

He and his crew, as well as his family, trudged back through the maze, until they ended up on the path leading into/away from Ponyville.

He glanced around at the nearly empty clearing, only just able to see Emerald's house in the forest, followed quickly by the rest of the town just beyond it.

This really was a nice place. Emerald had certainly picked a good spot to settle down in. Assuming the little workaholic and that cute purple unicorn ever got together. They'd make a decent couple, he felt, and Emerald could definitely use someone other than family to keep him company.

He nodded,

"Guess this is 'see you next time', huh?" he asked, smirking down at them. Emerald returned the smirk, his fangs glinting in the fading light

"Course it is. Don't you know that goodbyes last forever?" he asked.

"That's why we say-" Wisp added,

""_'See you next time!'_"" Starlight and Spitfire chorused.


	37. Twilight Tests Thestrali Traits

**Sorry for the wait, all. I got sick and life sucked for a while. But I live, in spite of life's attempts to kill me off, so I'm back. Enjoy.**

**Also, the p.a.t.r.e .o.n is live. The usual link plus -****/voxumfimfic-.**

* * *

Twilight Sparkle had always been a _bit_ obsessive, ever since she was a little foal. She knew this better than most would think, but she'd tried her best to get rid of this particular piece of her personality.

The incident with Smarty Pants-_whom she had spent almost three days searching for, to no avail_-had taught her otherwise.

Thankfully, for the most part, she had managed to firmly stick that part of her personality to the practice of learning and studying practically whatever she could get her hooves on, and it had paid off quite well!

But one little flaw with that, was, well...

The issues she had with Pinkie Pie and her 'Pinkie Sense'-_which had been suspiciously inactive for quite some time now_-rang through her head. Yes, she was an obsessive individual, but she could usually curb it quite well.

But when something like that had tested her patience, time and time again, she just couldn't help but let herself go a little just to satiate her _need_, her _desire_, to learn and understand things. Of course, Pinkie's 'Pinkie Sense' ended up being so completely hard to understand, that she'd just gone and given up on it, for the first time in... quite a long time.

Admittedly, it probably had to do with Emerald's near death at the time-_Emerald came too close to death far too many times for her liking, by the way_-but even so, she hadn't had the _need_ to go back to studying it since then.

But now something else had some up. Something that scratched at her brain in _just_ the right way to get her slight obsession kicking.

Emerald.

Specifically his traits as a thestral.

Starlight had brought up an excellent point during the tornado last week, a question that she couldn't believe she hadn't been asking the whole time!

'What could thestrals do?'

She'd already learned a bit about their culture-_not as much as she'd like, unfortunately, but Emerald's knowledge was old and she doubted he even thought about keeping up to date with his homeland, for multiple reasons_-but she knew _nothing_ about their physical, mental, or emotional capabilities!

Of course, she only had Emerald-_and in a way Fluttershy or Scootaloo's father, but they were only half thestral, and, while having heard of them, Twilight had never met either of Scootaloo's parents so they were out of the question_-so she wouldn't be able to do a full, completely comprehensive analysis on his species, but what she could gather would still be more than she'd read about anywhere on the subject!

Plus, she'd get to spend a little time with him. And, until her friends came by to help, they'd be alone. Together.

She froze in place, the scratching of her quill ceasing.

She'd certainly come a long way. She'd initially been embarrassed out of her mind at the thought of being alone with Emerald-_at least she had been after she realized she'd had feelings for him. In hindsight, her not being able to figure that out was mortifying_-but now?

Now she just looked forward to it. After all-

_-coldlifelessheart**notbeating**-_

-he wouldn't be around forever.

She smiled to herself, and resumed writing to the Princess about her plans for testing, and a request for some general information about Emerald's health.

Nothing too personal or in depth, just a general overview of his health so that she'd know what kind of things to look for and avoid.

She was already aware of his cleithrophobia thanks to the Princess, so she knew that she should _not_ strap him down under any circumstances. Knowing other, simple, things would help her with the tests.

She was mostly looking for things like blood type-_assuming it was the same as a pony's_-allergies, previous injuries, diet, that kind of thing. This information would be good for her tests.

And... other things.

Though... she should probably get Emerald's permission to receive a copy of all that before she asked for it.

She hummed to herself, before nodding.

Right, she'd do that the first chance she could.

* * *

"So, what exactly are you doing, or having done, to me first, Sparky?" Emerald asked.

Twilight glanced over to him, finding him tapping his hoof by the staircase, though she didn't think he was doing so out of impatience.

They were down in the basement of the library, where they'd-_more her than him_-done those inconclusive tests on Pinkie Pie. The very machine that she'd strapped Pinkie to was set up-_in nearly the same spot too_-where some of the lights were blinking innocently, telling her that there weren't any results coming in.

The machine was meant to use her magic to scan the subject's brain waves and record their patterns. It wouldn't tell her anything too crazy, but it would highlight what parts of his brain are more active than others, and, possibly, show just how different a thestral's brain was from a pony's, if at all.

For example, while not by a large margin, there is often more activity in a certain part of the brain depending on what species you were. This is seen most drastically in unicorns, due, in part, to the magic they use, and how close the focus-_the horn_-is to the brain.

She patted the machine,

"Well, first we're going to hook you up to this. It'll use my magic to perform a scan that measures your brain waves and activity as a baseline, then we'll do some other tests while you're wearing this," she explained, smiling, noticing Emerald frown at the phrase 'hook you up'.

"What... kind of tests, exactly?" he asked, looking a tad wary,

"Nothing much," she said, "Some mental and physical exercises to stimulate different parts of your brain, which this machine will record, and I can compare them to the three tribes!" she said.

"And from whom are you getting the data for the others?" he asked. She only smiled, and waved the question off,

"I've already got data from myself, and I'm sure Applejack, Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy wouldn't mind helping me with the last bit after we finish all the tests," she said.

"Why did you record your own brain activity?"

"I had to make sure this machine worked when I first got it, of course!"

"So you... strapped yourself to a machine that may or may not have malfunctioned and caused serious injury to yourself... with no one around to make sure you were okay?"

Twilight huffed, though she smiled at the hint of concern in his voice,

"Oh come on! It's not anywhere _near_ that dangerous!" she said firmly, then frowned, "Though... maybe I shouldn't use my own results to avoid bias..." she muttered, then waved him over, deciding to figure that out later, "C'mon! Let's get started!"

He sighed, but allowed her to strap the headpiece onto him, making sure to mind his ears as she did so. She automatically moved to strap his hooves in as well, but caught herself in time. He didn't seem to notice this, but she wouldn't put it past him to have noticed and just not reacted. She moved over to the control panel and, after doing some minor configurations, flipped the switch and began recording the results.

Emerald flinched slightly as the machine beeped and began to shake slightly as paper started filtering out the slot. Twilight hummed to herself as she scanned over the graph, idly making notes with her magic.

At first glance, the data wasn't any different from a pony's, but, after a bit, she began noticing some minor, but abnormal, spikes and drops amongst the uniform data. She frowned, and made a note of it, but let it be for now.

"Okay," she said, turning away for a moment, her magic digging through some other papers she had planned, gently shuffling and re-stacking them, before levitating them, and a pencil, over to Emerald, "here are some small puzzles for you to do. They'll get more and more complicated as you go," she said, smiling, "Don't worry about getting them right or going fast, just get through the stack," she said, turning back to the data.

They weren't anything too complicated. Some crosswords, colour and shape tricks, some riddles, and a couple logic puzzles.

"You just have these laying around?" he asked suddenly, peering over at her. Twilight shrugged, peering at the data,

"Some of them are fun," she said idly, the vast majority of her focus on the incoming data.

Right now, it wasn't _too_ interesting, aside from the abnormal spiking and dropping, but the mere sight of it and the thought of the upcoming analysis was already beginning to excite her!

Plus, the mere fact she now had these results was tantalizing in and of itself. All this information, all this knowledge, and she could very well be the _first pony ever_ to have access to it!

"Done," Emerald said, gently tossing the papers onto the desk beside him. Twilight started slightly, and looked over at him,

"Already?" she asked, surprised. She didn't doubt his intelligence, but that was fast!

In contrast to her thoughts, Emerald only quirked a brow, the headpiece tilting slightly as he moved,

"I don't think twenty little quizzes in ten minutes is all that quick," he deadpanned, then glanced at the papers, "They weren't hard either, like you said. The only difficult one was the crossword, and that's only because I don't recognize every word on it," he explained.

Twilight blinked, and glanced at the clock. Had it really been ten minutes?

She shook her head when the clock did, indeed, confirm his words,

"I... I didn't even notice," she muttered, a tad embarrassed that she'd been so engrossed in her thoughts that she'd lost track of time, "But ten minutes is still a good time," she said, turning back to him, with a smile, "I've known ponies who'd take just as long and not even be done with one!" she said.

Emerald scoffed and rolled his eyes,

"I don't doubt that," he said, then gave the metal a quick rap with his hoof, "Can I take this thing off now? It's beginning to annoy me." Twilight rolled her eyes at him, but nodded, her magic already removing the straps,

"Alright!" she chirped, clapping her hooves together, "Now we should move on to the physical tests!" she said, her magic hard at work at gathering various things from around the basement. Piles of papers soared through the air, quills, inkpots, and several notepads following along with them. Small devices and little tools also rose into the air, before all of it gently found its way into a set of saddlebags, which ascended and fell gently onto her back.

Emerald smirked at the light-show,

"You really are excited about this, aren't you?" he asked, teasingly. Twilight only nodded, her eager smile not dipping at his tone in the slightest,

"Of course I am!" she said, hopping up the first few steps towards the first floor, "These tests can help bridge the gap between the way ponies and thestrals look at each other!"

"Oh? And how exactly do we look at each other?" Emerald asked, frowning slightly, "I don't think you've met near enough thestrals to have an accurate account of that," he pointed out. Twilight paused for a moment, but gave him a tentative nod,

"Well... that's true," she said, but shook her head, "Still, I've read a lot about the various cultures around the world," she said, peering down at him intently, "Not enough to really understand them, not as much as I'd like to anyway-" she muttered, "but through everything I've read, I've never even _heard_ of thestrals before I met you," she said, frowning. She glanced away from him for a moment, "I... to be honest, I don't like _not knowing_ something. I... well, I understand that it's kinda arrogant of me to want to know everything, even if it's not my business, but..." she trailed off, not entirely certain how to explain,

"You just can't help it," Emerald said, smirking slightly, "Have I ever told you how nosy you can be?" he asked idly, his smirk growing. Twilight glared down at him, though it lacked heat,

"No, as a matter of fact, I don't think you have," she retorted, though she couldn't help the smile still stuck to her face.

"Guess I'll have to remember to do so," he said, following her up the stairs, "Let's get these physical tests done and out of the way," he said, brushing passed her. Twilight only huffed,

"Do you even know where the tests are?"

"Not at all."

* * *

"Okay!" Twilight chirped, eagerly looking out over the near daily source of her torture.

_Training._

She meant training.

Honest.

Anyhow, she looked over the obstacle course that Emerald had let her use alongside him, feeling a nice warmth bubble up into her chest. This was the place where she had finally started bettering herself, the place where she pushed herself to the limit as often as she could, the place where-

"So, why are we here?" Emerald asked, his sudden question completely derailing her train of thought. She glanced over, finding him standing near the boxes they used to rest on during breaks, idly tapping his hoof to some rhythm she couldn't hear. "Aside from the obvious 'physical tests' we, or rather I, am going to do, that is."

"I thought it would be fitting that I'd be the one testing you here, instead of the other way around," Twilight said, already heaving off her saddlebag and setting out the equipment.

Well, calling it equipment would be rather generous. It was really her just sorting out the various tools that she'd gathered for these tests in an orderly fashion, from the one she was going to use first, to the last.

"First!" she chirped, standing up straight as she levitated a roll of measuring tape from off the ground, "We'll do some measurements to compare you against the pony average. Height, wing span, body-length, that kind of thing," she explained, then lifted up some papers and a paddle, "Then we'll test your eyesight. I know you have excellent night vision, but I'm curious if it changes how well you can actually see things."

"Reading is a lot harder," he said, "But I can discern letters and words off of paper easily enough. Provided I could read it in the light, then I could probably read in the dark. It'd be harder, but I could," he explained. Twilight nodded, taking a quill and notepad and jotting down that information.

"Alright, but we'll still test that out," she said, setting the other things down, before lifting a small speaker with a dial and large red button, "This is a frequency emitter-" she explained without prompt, "we'll use this to test what you hear at higher frequencies."

"That's a normal test?" Emerald asked, "I don't see how knowing what frequencies you can or can't hear is important enough information to warrant a test," he said. Twilight nodded,

"It's not, not really, but it's still interesting!" she defended. Emerald rolled his eyes,

"Anything else?"

"We'll also check how good your hearing is. I know it's better than ours but-!" she said, interrupting him before he could speak, "I'd like to know how _much_ better."

"Fine. Anything _else_?"

"Weight lifting," she said simply. Emerald blinked,

"I'm sorry... what?"

"Weight lifting," she repeated, "A test of your physical strength. How much can you lift with your legs, your wings, what's your limit to how much you can carry with your wings, that kind of thing," she explained.

Emerald only blinked again, staring at her blankly,

"... How long have you been wanting to do this again?"

"Ever since I learned you were a thestral," she admitted easily, before placing a hoof against her chin, "Though, I hadn't really given it much thought until Starlight asked about your wingpower," she said, then brightened, her horn doing the same, "Speaking of, we'll be testing that as well!" she chirped, before disappearing in a flash of light, leaving Emerald all alone in the clearing where his course was.

"'I hadn't given it much thought', she says," he muttered, "Bull_shit_."

Twilight returned moments later, now holding onto the anemometer she'd used during the hurricane trials.

"Alright! I think that should be everything," she said cheerfully, quickly going through her mental checklist. She was silent for a moment, before she nodded, "Yep! That's everything for this test!" she said, "Now we just need to wait for the others!"

"'The others'?" Emerald asked, a tad warily. Twilight nodded,

"Of course! As much as I'd enjoy this being just the two of us, I really need the data from the others! Plus, it'll be fun!" she said, "The seven of us all doing these fun little tests and seeing how well we do will be interesting! It'll kinda be like a party game!" she chirped.

"Did somebody say 'party game'?!" the loud, excited voice of Pinkie shouted as she zipped into the clearing, "Ooh, are we playing pin the tail on the pony?! Or-or hide-and-seek?! Ooh! How about-?!"

Pinkie was roughly, but thankfully, silenced when a familiar pair of orange hooves clamped around her muzzle,

"Simmer down, Pinkie. I don't think Twilight had us all come out here jus' ta play hide-an'-seek," Applejack said, before turning to Twilight, "Er, didja?"

"No," Twilight said, smirking a little. Applejack nodded at that, and let go of Pinkie,

"See?"

"Aww..."

"Hellooooo!~" sang the voice of Rarity, who all but sauntered into the clearing, "Sorry I'm-oh!" she gasped, looking around, "Goodness, it seems as though I've arrived much earlier than expected," she tittered, then clapped her hooves, "Well, better early than late, in the end. Good afternoon, everyone!" she called once more.

"Good afternoon, Rarity!" Twilight returned, in contrast to Pinkie's more peppy greeting, and Applejack's simple 'Howdy'.

"Sweet, I ain't late," Rainbow's voice said, before the rainbow mare it belonged to crashed into the ground. She shook off the landing, not paying much attention when Fluttershy landed, gently, right beside her,

"Oh, do you have to land so roughly, Rainbow Dash? It might scare the forest critters," she said. Rainbow cringed,

"Er... sorry, Shy, I, uh... I'll keep that in mind," she said hesitantly, looking a tad uncomfortable. Fluttershy's eyes hardened for a moment, stunning Twilight with their intensity, before they softened and she nodded,

"Okay."

_Guess those seminars really stuck..._

Twilight shook off the momentary trance she'd been put into, just in time to hear Emerald speak,

"Do the six of you coordinate this kinda thing, or is it natural?" he asked, looking at her with a smirk. She only frowned,

"What do you mean?"

"You had just told me about them joining, and suddenly all five of 'em pop up, one right after the other. Seriously, is there some sort of rehearsal I'm not aware of, or...?"

"Now that you mention it, it _is_ rather odd..." Rarity noted thoughtfully,

"Ooh! We could totally do that!" Pinkie said eagerly, only to be cut off by Twilight's laugh,

"No, we don't do anything like that," she said, smiling, then turned to the others, "I'm glad you all could make it on such short notice!" she said, "I'm sorry if I interrupted anything, but I just _had_ to have you all help me with this!"

"It's perfectly alright, darling," Rarity said, waving her worries off with a smile, "But, out of curiosity, what are you having us do?"

"Yeah, you weren't exactly makin' sense," Rainbow added, "You just popped out of nowhere and asked me to come." Twilight blushed, and laughed sheepishly,

"Hehe... sorry about that," she said, before shaking her head, "I'm wanting to do a full exam analyzing Emerald's thestral traits and how they compare to a pony's," she said. Rainbow blinked,

"That's... cool, I guess," she said, hesitantly,

"That certainly sounds interestin'," Applejack said, "An' ya decided ya'd test 'im against us?" she asked. Twilight nodded,

"That's right!"

"Darling, you do know that none of us are, what you could call, average ponies, yes?" Rarity supplied, "Rainbow Dash and Applejack do quite a lot of work, and are much more athletic than the average pegasus and earth pony. Fluttershy is less athletic and has a rather unfortunate fear of heights, no offense dear, I..." she paused for a moment, "Well, I suppose I _am_ rather average for a unicorn," she admitted, "And Pinkie is... Pinkie. Not to mention we're not even the same gender."

Twilight nodded along with Rarity's explanation, frowning,

"Yeah, that _is_ true," Twilight agreed, thoughtfully, "I... suppose I hadn't really thought about it like that," she admitted, "I was just so _excited_, I guess I wasn't thinking..."

"To be fair, that didn't really occur to me either," Emerald supplied in support.

"Well, if it makes ya feels better, I'm sure I can get Big Mac ta help ya out," Applejack said, Rainbow nodded,

"Yeah! I can totally get Thunderlane down here too," she said, scowling slightly, "Moron still says he's got the featherflu, but Flitter and Cloud tell me he's been fine for a couple days now. Figure this'll teach him to skip work," she said.

"Look who's talkin'," Emerald snarked,

"Hey! I don't _skip _work!" Rainbow defended hotly, "Sure I put it off sometimes, but I still do it at least!"

Emerald stared at her for a moment, before nodding,

"Good point."

Twilight nodded, ignoring Emerald and Rainbow for the moment,

"Okay, so that's an earth pony and a pegasus male," she said, then frowned, "I... don't know any male unicorns in town," she admitted.

"Big Mac isn't exactly average either," Emerald interjected, "For the same reason as Applejack."

"Yeah... Thunderlane's... probably average, actually," Rainbow muttered. Twilight frowned, then shrugged,

"Well... this isn't an official study, and _some_ data is better than _none_," she said, then turned to the girls, "I hope you'll all still be willing to help."

"Sure."

"Totally!"

"Of course!"

"Um... I can help too."

"Yeah, it'll be fun!"

Twilight smiled.

Her friends were the best!

* * *

"Eighty-two... Eighty-three... Eighty-four..." Fluttershy gently counted from beside Twilight, doing her best to keep the counting even and at a good pace.

They had moved on to the push-up segment of the testing, primarily to test their upper body strength and endurance. The four being tested, Rainbow, Applejack, Emerald, and Rarity, were told to keep going until they couldn't anymore, and Twilight would record their results and they'd move on after some rest.

Rarity, predictably, had been against being made to do these particular tests, but, after promising a spa trip once they'd finished, she'd agreed and gotten started.

It was astonishingly surreal, watching the alabaster mare, who'd probably never done a work out like this before in her entire life, pant and turn red from exertion, before falling to the ground after the twentieth push-up, gasping like a fish out of water.

Twilight didn't say anything, other than congratulating her for doing so well, but she'd been quite stunned that she'd lasted that long.

"Eighty-five... Eighty-six..."

"Ugh..."

"Mm..."

Twilight's gaze moved from the still gasping unicorn over to the pegasus and earth pony duo. She didn't voice it, but the amount of vindictive pleasure that coursed through her at the sight of Rainbow's red, panting face would've been downright shameful, but the memory of her failed training session with Rainbow completely nullified any shame such feelings would've brought.

Applejack was taking the exercise much better than Rainbow, her face only slightly red, and her pants coming out in slight grunts. She wasn't sure if Applejack's better condition was a result of her work on the farm, or just her constitution as an earth pony, but that's what these tests were for!

Still, neither mares really worked on their upper bodies, with Rainbow focusing on her speed and wings, and Applejack on her back and hind legs. What they could do was amazing to Twilight, and she doubted she'd ever reach that level.

But, when compared to someone who actively trained their upper body...

"Two-hundred-forty-three! Two-hundred-forty-four! Two-hundred-forty-five!" Pinkie chanted excitedly.

Emerald, seemingly in a rare case of wanting to show-off, was doing a non-stop set of push-ups, and wasn't even breaking a sweat. It was astonishing, watching him do something that no athletes she knew-_of which Rainbow and Applejack were the only ones, unless Shining counted_-could do.

It was... frankly a little intimidating, but she wasn't exactly surprised. She'd never seen him training with his spear, but the maneuvers he performed during his 'fight' with the Mutts and Discord _had_ to require an obscene amount of physical strength to perform, and his endurance was easily more than she could imagine, considering how many times he got right back up after taking a beating from Discord.

Intimidating or not, however, Twilight had an admittedly difficult time looking away from Emerald. A mixture of awe, surprise, and-_to her shame_-a slight twinge of arousal made it harder than it should've been.

Still, this was valuable data! Even if it was completely skewed due to the difference in lifestyles of her test subjects, it would at least give her a frame of reference if she ever managed to do an _actual_ test!

Assuming she could look away from Emerald.

* * *

Next up was the flying test, one that Twilight could tell Rainbow was looking forward to quite a bit.

Twilight didn't blame her, either. For someone like Rainbow Dash, who put her pride into her flying ability, to be up against someone like Emerald in what was, likely in her mind, a competition... There was no question. She was excited.

Like Rarity in a fashion competition, or Applejack during that whole Flim Flam fiasco. This was her element, and Emerald was clearly familiar with it as well.

This test was to determine how fast they could fly, their wingpower, and their general ability in maneuvering.

Rainbow, unsurprisingly, did phenomenally in the maneuvering and speed portions of the test, performing, yet another, Sonic Rainboom to demonstrate, and doing an entire set of acrobatic twists, loops, and spins to prove herself.

Her wingpower hadn't changed since the tornado, however, but that wasn't too surprising.

Rainbow chuckled beside her as Emerald got into position to start,

"This is gonna be awesome!" she muttered to herself, "I'm totally gonna-!'

Whatever Rainbow was going to say, and Twilight was honestly curious, was cut off when Emerald's wings snapped shut, propelling him forward far faster than Twilight had anticipated, and he was in the sky instants later.

Moments later, he snapped his wings again, and she heard a familiar ***BOOM*** echo across the sky, though it lacked the, by now familiar, wave of colour, meaning it was easy enough to see the streak of green shoot across the sky, before it slowed down and made its way back.

Twilight blinked in shock, but wrote down her findings regardless.

She hadn't been expecting a second sonic boom, but she probably should've.

He moved onto the aerial maneuvers after that, but even Twilight could see him struggling with it. He could perform spins, loops, flips, and basic things just fine, but the second he moved on to more advanced acrobatics, things Rainbow had done with ease, he faltered and the routine fell apart.

He didn't seem too put out by it when he returned to the ground, though. Almost as though he'd already been aware of his difficulty.

"I never was a stunt flier," he'd said when she pointed this out, "Spits has always beaten me in that regard, and I'm honestly not even a little surprised that Rainbow kicks my ass as well. I'm good at a lot of shit, but I'll never be better than someone who actually puts _real_ effort into something, other than fighting. Why do you think I'm a cashier and not a baker?"

She hadn't known how to respond to that.

* * *

The results of the night vision test were unsurprising.

* * *

The results of the physical strength test were equally surprising as they were unsurprising. She really should've seen that one coming, considering how heavy some of those weighted vests Emerald wore during the obstacle course were.

Still, Applejack had done remarkably well in comparison. Even Emerald was surprised by how strong she was compared to him, being able to lift only fifty pounds more than she had.

Though, she supposed lifting strength _was_ different than hitting strength.

When that thought struck her, she'd been tempted to have them hit trees to test it out, but figured that it wouldn't be the best idea. Not right now, at least.

* * *

She forgot about his wingpower!

* * *

He refused to test his wingpower...

* * *

The hearing test was quite interesting. Unlike the others, all seven of them participated in this one.

Twilight wasn't too surprised that Rainbow and Fluttershy stopped hearing the frequencies first, as pegasi were recorded as having worse hearing than unicorns and earth ponies on average due to the high altitudes they tend to frequent.

Applejack was the next to go, with Pinkie not long after.

She and Rarity lasted up until the frequency hit 35kHz, and Emerald only claimed to stop hearing at nearly 60kHz.

After that, they moved on to testing how well they were able to hear quiet sounds. This was was made to be a little more fun, since it involved Fluttershy heading into the Whitetail Woods and hiding, producing small sounds every minute until she was found by the subject.

Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, and Emerald each took turns searching for Fluttershy, having to wear special noise cancelling earmuffs while she hid.

Rainbow took over ten minutes to find her. Applejack took almost the same amount of time as Rainbow, but she'd managed to catch some of Fluttershy's sounds a bit quicker.

Rarity didn't find Fluttershy.

Emerald, however, found her immediately. Taking off the earmuffs, heading off for a bit, before turning and making his way directly to Fluttershy's location without further preamble.

Rainbow said that she'd found her because she'd heard her muttering, Applejack claimed she'd managed to catch the sound of her breathing, and Emerald...

Emerald said he heard her _heartbeat_.

He said it took a bit of focus, but he'd managed to catch and follow the sound of her heartbeat after a moment of searching.

The thought of him just so casually listening to her heartbeat both startled Twilight, and made it beat a lot faster.

* * *

Twilight smiled to herself as she carefully organized the papers in front of her. Today had been good. Not much had happened, she got to learn more about thestrals, _and_ she got to spend time with all her friends!

Especially Emerald.

_-or found myself falling for the sixth one, seemingly out of nowhere._

She swallowed, even as she had to fight the smile and giggle forcing themselves onto her.

It was strange, how that thought alone was able to send her insides squirming, her heart beating, and her mind into mush. But it was a _good_ kind of strange. The mere memory of those words sent spine-tingling shudders running through her entire body, setting it alight with all the subtly of a raging thunderstorm.

Eventually she failed, the giggle escaping her throat.

She couldn't help it, though! Even as she dropped the papers and tried to stifle the sound with her hooves, the giggles only grew louder and came faster.

"Hehehe!"

She squirmed suddenly, before throwing her hooves out into the air,

"He likes me back!" she shouted gleefully, unconcerned with the idea of anyone hearing her in the empty library, "He said it! He said it! He said it! He said it! _He said it!_" she chanted, dancing in place. She flopped backwards, not caring at all about the cold floor against her back.

"I have to ask him out," she said to herself determinedly, her horn lighting up. A distant book was covered in a lavender glow, before it was yanked from its shelf and zipped over to the prone mare, stopping, gently, above her. It opened, the pages flying about until it stopped on one particular page, titled _'The First Date'._

She'd never tell Rarity about her new interest in Love Bug's Matters of the Heart: A Self-Help Guide, but she resolved to pay the mare back for introducing her to the idea in some way.

Hearts and Hooves Day was in a few weeks. According to a later chapter in the book, that was an excellent day to head out, since the day itself was dedicated to couples expressing affection for each other. It advised using Hearts and Hooves Day-_provided it was around the corner. Not once did the book recommend just waiting for Hearts and Hooves Day to come around_-to make the first move. Since the day was dedicated to forming couples, it would be a nice, traditional way of asking someone out for the first date.

Twilight contemplated that fact for a moment. Would it be a good idea to ask him out then? His culture was different than hers, and she doubted his culture had a Hearts and Hooves Day-like holiday. Then again, he'd been living in Equestrian culture for the majority of his life, so... She nodded. She'd ask him out then.

Matters of the Heart: A Self-Help Guide had a lot of little, simple tips to help relationships prosper and bring about a lot of love between the two individuals. It recommended starting small. Dates like going out for dinner at a semi-casual place, taking walks together, telling stories, all very simple things to keep a relationship interesting in its first stages.

Twilight bit her lip slightly as she read over the short chapter-_idly wishing it were longer_-using her magic to take notes off to the side.

She needed a plan, of course. If she was going to ask Emerald out, then she needed to know what kind of things he was interested in. She could ask him out to eat, but she didn't know exactly what he liked to eat. He always went to Horte's Cafe and ordered the alfredo-_she'd seen him there nearly every other day for lunch_-but she didn't know if that was because he _really_ liked alfredo, or if that was just because it was the only thing on Horte's menu that he enjoyed.

This was one of the reasons she'd asked the Princess for information about him. Yes, it had been for her tests, but, if Twilight was being honest, it was mostly so she'd know what kind of places he'd be able to go to for a date.

His diet told her what restaurants he'd be able to go to-_he could practically eat anything_-past injuries told her what activities he couldn't do anymore-_he didn't have any lasting injuries that debilitating, thankfully_-allergies told her what foods to avoid-_strawberries_-and much more. The only things she didn't know, really, were his likes and dislikes.

Plus, after eating, they'd have to go out and do something interesting for both of them.

They _could_ go see a movie, but Twilight herself wasn't too interested in any, other than science-fiction, and she doubted Emerald would be either.

She wasn't very good at _any_ physical sport, so something active that he would probably enjoy was... not out of the question, but she'd rather avoid embarrassing herself in front of him.

...

Embarrassing herself _more_.

She groaned, letting the book fall onto her chest, her legs spreading out around her.

"What am I gonna do...?" she asked herself, staring at the ceiling as though it would provide the answers.

The door into the library creaked open,

"Uh, Miss Light? Are you there? There's somethin' I kinda need your help with..."

Twilight blinked, her neck craning to the side to watch the young filly walk into the room, her little hooves making almost no sound as she walked.

She stared at Wisp for a moment, her eyes unblinking.

All at once, her eyes began to shine, and her smile stretched across her face.

_If she wanted to know what Emerald would like-_

"Uh, Miss Light? The look on your face is kinda scarin' me."

_-who better to ask than his own little sister?_


	38. Whisper Between a Hoof and a Heart Place

**Sup. Join my p.a.t.r.e.o.n. at /voxumfimfic It helps my life move forward.**

* * *

Whisper had never really seen the point of Hearts and Hooves Day.

Aside from the chocolate, that is.

But yeah, aside from all the chocolate going around, she'd never really understood the holiday. It might have something to do with her upbringing, sans Facility. She'd never really been brought up in Equestrian culture despite being born in it.

...

Actually, to be perfectly honest, Whisper didn't know if she'd been born in Equestria. She was a unicorn pony, and she had a faint memory of her parents, proving that _they_ were both ponies as well. It was a logical assumption, that she'd been born in the primarily pony populated nation, but it wasn't a guarantee.

Well, not that it mattered. The point is, Emerald-_and the others who were involved with raising her_-never really put much effort into instilling the pony culture into her. She understood Hearth's Warming well enough, considering how historically important it was, but a holiday without any historical importance like Hearts and Hooves Day?

Not a chance.

It was why she'd headed down to the library to ask Miss Light if she could help her understand the significance of the overly-pink-holiday.

She... wasn't entirely okay with what she found.

Miss Light had been laying on her back, staring at the ceiling, while a book hovered in the air nearby. She'd looked at her when she'd entered, and, for a moment, everything seemed perfectly normal.

Then she got this really scary look on her face that Whisper immediately recognized as not being good. For her, specifically.

"Uh, Miss Light? The look on your face is kinda scarin' me."

In hindsight, she should've ran away.

"Wisp!" Miss Light cheered, scrambling to her hooves, that scary smile still in place, "Your timing couldn't be more perfect!"

"Uhh... what for?" she asked, carefully backing up a few steps when Miss Light approached,

"I need your help asking Emerald out on a date on Hearts and Hooves Day!"

That was... not at all what she was expecting. Her expression must've shown it, since Miss Light turned red,

"I-I, i-it's just, well, I've liked him for a w-while now, and-"

"You have?" Whisper asked, blinking up at the older mare. She didn't know that Miss Light liked Emerald like that! Wow, either they were really good at hiding it, or she was bad at being able to tell.

Looking at Miss Light now...

Yeah, she was just bad at being able to tell.

"Since when?" she asked anyways. Miss Light blinked,

"O-oh, well... since we met, I suppose?" she said, looking away, "I... well, I guess it started off as just a physical attraction. Then we started spending more time together, and I got to know him, and... it sort of just... happened?" she said, sounding entirely unsure.

Whisper stared at her for a moment, before nodding,

"Okay," she said, accepting the explanation for what it was, "But, why do you need my help? Couldn't ya just ask your friends for help?" she asked. Miss Light turned a slightly darker red, bit her lip, and started scratching her cheek,

"W-well, I could, but... um..."

"You... think they'll make it worse, or somethin'?"

"Frankly... yes." Whisper blinked in surprise at that, but didn't comment on it,

"So... why my help?" Miss Light sat down, pressing the hooves on her forelegs together,

"W-well... I figured that, since you're his sister and have been living with him for the majority of his stay here, then, you'd know a lot about the things he likes and dislikes. I-" she bit her lip, "well, I really _do_ like him, but I... don't really know much about his hobbies or personal preferences..."

Whisper just frowned. She... didn't know much about that either. Emerald was a total workaholic. He didn't really _have_ hobbies, apart from training.

"Well... he really likes apples, an' truffles, an'... stuff," she said lamely, scratching her head in thought, "Uh... Big Bro doesn't really have any favourite foods, that I know of. An' he doesn't really have hobbies either..." she trailed off, a faint memory suddenly playing through her head, "... Actually, I think he likes ice skatin'," she said, smirking slightly at the surprised look on Miss Light's face, "We tried it, once, in Canterlot. I wasn't very good at it, but he seemed to have fun," she added.

Miss Light nodded, a notebook, quill, and ink-pot suddenly appearing next to her.

"'Ice-skating'..." she muttered, writing it down, before looking up at Whisper, "That's... not possible right now," she murmured, scribbling something down, "Maybe some other time?"

Whisper sighed. This was not how she was expecting this trip to go.

Her sigh apparently caught Miss Light's attention, since she gasped,

"Oh! I'm sorry Wisp!" she said, setting the notebook and quill down, "What'd you come by for?"

"Well... Hearts an' Hooves Day is in a couple'a weeks, but I don't... really get it," she admitted, tilting her head, "Why's it so important?" she asked. Miss Light hummed to herself, her horn lighting up,

"Well, Hearts and Hooves Day is a day where everyone all over Equestria can celebrate the idea of love and affection between two or more individuals," she began, her voice taking on a lecturing tone, as an unfamiliar brown book floated next to her, "Specifically, it was designed to celebrate _real_ love, since it was originally put in place due to an incident involving a failed love potion, otherwise known as a love poison."

"A love _poison_?" Whisper asked, appalled at the concept. Miss Light nodded, flipping the book open,

"That's right. Long ago, though not _too_ long before the time of the Founders of Equestria, there was a prince who'd fallen in love with a princess. Nothing he ever did could catch her eye, so he used his abilities as a potioneer in an attempt to create a love potion with which he could win her heart," she began, "He gave some of this potion to his servants and instructed them to dose both himself and the object of his affections during a royal meeting between the two. His plan worked flawlessly, and both ponies were put under the spell of the love potion."

"If it worked, then why'd you call it a love poison?" Whisper asked. Miss Light smiled,

"That's a good question! You see, the potion worked _too_ well. It caused both individuals to fall in love so deeply that it became _obsession_. Their kingdoms were forgotten and their royal duties left unattended. At the time, there was a great dragon who'd lived on the land and, for an annual fee, was willing to allow the kingdom to exist in its territory. Because they ignored their duties in favour of each other, the dragon grew angry and, after several attempts to remind them to pay, destroyed their kingdom in a fit of rage. The dragon was merciful, however. While the kingdom lay, burned and broken, the ponies who'd called the kingdom home were left remarkably unharmed. They blamed the destruction of the kingdom on the two affected ponies, and had them locked away. It was only after being separated for an hour that the effects of the potion were nullified, and both returned to their senses, and the truth was revealed."

"But, why's it a _poison_?" Whisper asked once more. Miss Light rolled her eyes, and smiled,

"Well, potions are defined as alchemical concoctions with a generally beneficial affect. Regular love potions only increase someone's levels of affection for someone else to a slight degree. They are also very easy to detect and ignore as well. Potions also require repeated doses in order to keep, or fully apply, their effects. Poisons, however, usually have malicious effects, and normally only require one dose to work. To stop a potion, you only need to stop taking it for long enough, while a poison often requires an antidote, or anti-poison, though weaker ones _can _be flushed out of the body naturally. I've heard that _that_ is rather unpleasant, however. There _are_ some exceptions, like the love poison in question, whose somewhat more mystical effects can be stopped in other ways," she said, tapping her chin in thought.

Whisper nodded,

"So... because a fake, obsessive love caused a kingdom to fall, Hearts an' Hooves Day celebrates real love to keep ponies from usin' fake love?" she asked. Miss Light blinked, then nodded,

"I... yes, actually."

"Huh," Whisper muttered, "I... guess Hearts an' Hooves Day _is_ kinda important..." Miss Light nodded,

"Yep! Without Hearts and Hooves Day, ponies might not have learned to cherish the concept of love as much as they do now," she said, smiling softly, "Love potions might not be illegal, because of how weak their effects are, but they are _heavily_ frowned upon for anything outside of..." she blushed, "... _recreational_ use."

"I guess that's fair," Whisper said thoughtfully, then frowned, "Is that why everyone at school wants to give cards to Miss Cheerilee?" she asked. Miss Light giggled,

"Well, Hearts and Hooves Day isn't just about _romantic_ love, Wisp," she said, smiling, "It's also about the love between friends, family, and the community around you. Miss Cheerilee works very hard to teach all of you, so your classmates giving her cards on Hearts and Hooves Day is just their way of telling her they love her and to thank her for all her hard work."

"Oh... I guess that makes sense. If it's just for thankin' someone for their work, no wonder Big Bro kept gettin' so many," she said idly.

The quill Miss Light was holding in her magic snapped suddenly.

* * *

The weeks passed pretty quick after the impromptu lesson from Miss Light.

Not much really happened during that time. Miss Cheerilee had them help her decorate the schoolhouse in lacy, pink ribbons, though. Plus, some of their previous lessons were replaced with arts and crafts, though she doubted any of her classmates particularly minded the break from their daily readings and work. Their homework also had Hearts and Hooves Day themed word problems whenever math came around. Plus they focused a bit more on poetry during those weeks as well.

Then, when school let out the day just before Hearts and Hooves Day, they were assigned a new bit of homework. They had to make and design several cards, with at least one card for someone in the class, and give it to them the next day.

She, of course, sort of just winged the whole thing and made several cards. One for Starlight, Emerald, Miss Light, and, since the memory of her lesson with Miss Light was still somewhat fresh in her head, one for Miss Cheerilee as well. Plus two for her friends.

"Hey Wishp! How'sh yoursh coming along?" Twist asked her the next day. Starlight had dropped her off today, wishing her luck while thanking her for the card. Everything was proceeding perfectly normally, even though she was sure she spotted Miss Light walking away from the school when she and Starlight arrived, covered in some green and brown paint while wearing a bush on her head, and dragging a set of binoculars in the air behind her. She'd looked oddly dejected as well. Like she'd been expecting someone who didn't show up.

Yet, despite that, everything so far seemed normal. Dinky and Twist had immediately taken their spots right next to her in the front row, eagerly talking about their cards.

"Mine's doin' fine," she said, showing the simple, red, heart-shaped card to the other filly, addressed to their teacher, "How 'bout yours?" she asked in return.

"It'sh doing great!" she chirped, showing Whisper the peppermint themed card addressed to, who Whisper assumed to be, both of her parents, "What about you, Dinky?" Twist asked, leaning forward to look around Whisper. Dinky's head shot up from her card, where she was still doodling something with a gray crayon,

"Oh, mines amazing!" she gushed, "My Mom's gonna love it! I can just tell!"

Inwardly, Whisper flinched a little at the revelation that both her friends had gotten cards for their parents. Parents that she didn't have.

She shook it off easily enough. With siblings like hers, who needed parents?

The thought caused her to smile slightly, but it was later interrupted when Miss Cheerilee called out,

"Okay class! It's time to deliver your cards!" she chirped, looking out excitedly, "Remember to be polite and thank each other!"

Wisp immediately used her magic to dig out the two cards from her saddlebag addressed to her friends, plopping them down on their desks without any fanfare whatsoever.

"Oh wow!"

"Aw, thanksh Wishp!"

Her friends immediately-_likely through a form of telepathy she hadn't learned yet_-locked her into a hug from either side, completely squishing her between the two happy fillies.

It was a testament to their friendship that Whisper did not _immediately_ struggle to get free.

"Miss Cheerilee!" Applebloom called, standing up alongside Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, "Is it okay if mah friends an' I go get our card?"

"Yeah! It was too big to carry in with us!" Scootaloo added. Miss Cheerilee blinked at the admission,

"Oh... well alright girls, but be quick about it, okay?" she said. The three fillies all nodded,

"""Okay!""" they chanted, before darting out the door, already giggling.

"How d'you make a card too big?" Whisper asked, still squished between Twist and Dinky,

"I dunno," Twist said, "Too mucsh glue?"

Their thoughts were interrupted by a squeaky, high-pitched male voice,

"U-um... Twist?" the voice, Whisper faintly recognized it as Snips, asked. Almost as one, the three fillies turned to find the buck-toothed colt fidgeting in place, holding a red card in his magic, "I, uh, Imadethisforyou!" he squeaked, all but shoving the card into Twist's face, before running off.

Twist blinked, idly glancing down at the second card now laying on her desk,

"Uh... thanksh?" she muttered, turning to look for the embarrassed colt. They were interrupted, once again, by the arrival of another colt,

"Uh... hey, Wisp?" she heard, and she turned to find Featherweight standing awkwardly in front of her desk, "Uh... h-here," he muttered, placing a card onto her desk, before, like Snips, running off.

Whisper blinked and, like Twist, glanced down at the card on her desk. She only managed to stare at it for about a second, before the two fillies-_who were still hugging her_-tossed their own cards right on top of it,

"Happy Hearts and Hooves Day!" they cheered, hugging her tighter.

Only Whisper spotted Rumble discreetly place a card onto Dinky's desk, before he, too, disappeared.

Finally having had enough of the affection, Whisper used her magic to, gently, push the two off of her,

"Okay, that's enough!" she snapped lightly, smirking at the two put out fillies, "Don't gimme that look! I still got cards to give out!" she defended hotly. Dinky nodded,

"Right, me too!" she agreed, hopping out of her seat. Whisper sighed, and glanced at Twist, only to find the nerdy earth filly hoofing out a few cards of her own. Whisper shook her head and smirked, before following their example.

Hopping out of her seat, she grabbed the only other card she had to deliver in the class, and trotted up to Miss Cheerilee,

"Happy Hearts an' Hooves Day!" she chirped, holding out the card in her magic for the teacher to take. Miss Cheerilee smiled,

"Oh, thank you Wisp!" she gushed, gently plucking it from her magic, "I'll cherish it. Happy Hearts and Hooves Day!"

With her task done, Whisper spun back around and trotted back to her seat. Or she would've, if the door to the classroom hadn't suddenly shot open, and a large shadow overtook her world for a moment.

She squeaked slightly as something big and astonishingly light fell on top of her, completely submerging her in darkness. Despite being smothered, she could still hear what was happening on the outside, even if it was slightly muffled,

"""Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, Miss Cheerilee!""" three voices chorused. The darkness was suddenly illuminated a moment later, as the face of a worried Miss Cheerilee peeked under the... whatever the thing on top of her was,

"Oh dear, are you okay, Wisp?" she asked, gently pulling the filly out from her prison,

"Uh... yeah, I'm fine," she muttered, turning to find out what had tried and failed to crush her.

She blinked, finding the Crusaders all scrambling to set up an utterly _massive_ paper heart. It was about as tall as Princess Celestia was and was completely covered in glitter, ribbons, and lace, all with horseshoe patterns all over the front, topped off by a red bow.

She had to admit, it was impressive. If cumbersome.

"It's lovely, girls!" Miss Cheerilee said, "And so... big!" she continued, having to pause for a moment, "Though, you should try to be more careful," she added, placing a hoof on Whisper's head for a moment.

"Well, we jus' wanted ta let ya know that we think you're the best teacher in the whole wide world!" Applebloom said, almost completely ignoring the second half of what Miss Cheerilee said, while Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo struggled to keep the heart from falling over again, "And that we think you're super, and that we love ya so so much, an' 'cause we wanted ya ta have the best Hearts an' Hooves Day-!"

"""EVER!""" the three of them chorused, just as the heart fell again, smothering them instead of Whisper this time around.

"By smotherin' someone?" Whisper muttered, though she went unheard as Miss Cheerilee moved to help them like she had with her,

"That's very sweet of you girls. I love it! I really do," she said, smiling down at them. Though her smile fell for a moment as Sweetie Belle got in close, whispering conspiratorially,

"I bet it's nothing compared to the gifts you've gotten from your _very special somepony_!" she chirped. Miss Cheerilee looked annoyed for a half second, but her expression returned to normal,

"Oh I don't have a special somepony, girls," she said idly, turning away from them.

"""_WHAT?!_""" the three of them chorused, their faces twisted in confusion. Admittedly, even Whisper was a tad surprised. Miss Cheerilee was a very nice pony. Why would someone like her be single on Hearts and Hooves Day?

Sweetie Belle shared her thoughts,

"How could a pony and nice and pretty as you be all alone on Hearts and Hooves Day?" she asked. Whisper smirked slightly at the way Miss Cheerilee wilted, before it fell as she spun around,

"It's alright Sweetie Belle," she said, "I have lots of friends and students who care about me," she added, brandishing Whisper's card with a smile, "Don't worry, I'll have an absolutely fantastic Hearts and Hooves Day!" she affirmed, before turning to the rest of the class, "Alright everypony! Who's ready to play 'Pin the Heart on the Pony!'?!"

Whisper stared after Miss Cheerilee for a moment. She hadn't sounded like she was faking it. Miss Cheerilee honestly sounded happy when she spoke.

Her head tilted itself. Miss Cheerilee seemed perfectly fine to not have a special somebody today, but... back in Canterlot, she'd seen plenty of ponies who'd been outright devastated to be alone on Hearts and Hooves Day.

But, Miss Light's words returned to her.

_Miss Cheerilee works very hard to teach all of you, so your classmates giving her cards on Hearts and Hooves Day is just their way of telling her they love her and to thank her for all her hard work._

She nodded to herself. Right. Hearts and Hooves Day wasn't _just_ about romantic love, like Miss Light said. It was also about friends, the ones close to you, and other stuff like that.

Still...

"If anypony deserves a special somepony, it's Miss Cheerilee!" Applebloom moaned.

She had a point.

Sweetie Belle suddenly gasped,

"I have an idea!" she said, her smile nearly growing as wide as one of Pinkie's, "Why don't _we_ find Miss Cheerilee a very special somepony?!"

Whisper turned to her, eyes half-lidded.

"That's-"

"That's a great idea!" Applebloom interrupted,

"Told you!"

Whisper just stared at them, not quite understanding.

How in the world were they gonna get Miss Cheerilee a special somebody? No adult in town would take them seriously if they asked-_except Pinkie_-and she doubted that Miss Cheerilee herself would be too happy about it.

Regardless, Whisper already knew there'd be no stopping these three. She sighed and turned away from them, very pointedly ignoring their conversation.

Whatever they were going to do didn't involve her. So she had no reason to say anything.

It's not like anything they would do was going to have any impact on the rest of her day, so best to just ignore it.

* * *

Whisper idly trotted down the road. Usually she'd either be with Dinky and Twist or at home by now, but their families had stuff planned for the day together, and she doubted either Emerald or Starlight would be home right now. The ponies around town were certainly lively, though. Couples were wandering about town without a care in world, every bit of affection and care between them out and open for the world to see.

Truthfully, it made Whisper feel a tad uncomfortable, seeing the way everyone acted so openly. Part of her wondered if she felt uncomfortable on a personal level, or if her unease stemmed from being raised by someone like Emerald, whose culture wasn't quite so open.

That aside, she had to admit, it _was_ nice to see all the couples together, in a strange way. Miss Light hadn't been kidding when she said that today was a celebration of love, or whatever.

Though, given the way the Crusaders were stalking about, she wasn't sure how long the relatively peaceful atmosphere would remain.

"Wisp!"

The filly blinked at the call, pausing. She turned around, finding Miss Light walking up to her with a bright smile that spelled doom.

"Uh... hi, Miss Light," she greeted hesitantly, "Whatcha doin'?"

Miss Light's smile, somehow, grew a bit at the question,

"I've been following your brother around, trying to figure when would be a good time to try out Plan A." Whisper blinked,

"Plan... A?" she asked, then shook her head, "Wait, you've been followin'-?"

"Plan A!" Miss Light interrupted her, a book and rolled up piece of parchment flying out of her saddlebags, covered in a purple aura, before the parchment unrolled, allowing Whisper to read the contents,

"'Step one: Locate target an' proceed to examine their general mood an' temperament for the day. Step two: Determine best method to approach the target. Step thr-'," she paused, and glanced up at Miss Light, "So... you're just gonna walk up an' talk to 'im?" she asked. Miss Light's eyes narrowed for a moment, before she smiled and nodded,

"I suppose that's one way of putting it!" she chirped, rolling up the parchment in one motion, before the book opened and levitated down to Miss Light's eye level, "This book has plenty of ideas and scenarios I can reference for ideas, but I'm sure Plan A will more than suffice!" she said.

Whisper blinked, glancing at the title,

"'Matters of the-" was as far as she got when the book slammed shut and vanished into Miss Light's saddlebag, the mare in question now red as a beet.

"Uh-hehe-you-uh-you don't need to read that!" Miss Light said, laughing nervously. Whisper's eyes narrowed at her,

"O... kay..." she muttered, before relaxing, "So... why'd ya come over here?" she asked. Sensing the topic change, Miss Light jumped at it easily,

"Oh! I was hoping you could lend me a hoof with asking Emerald out!" she said,

"How?"

"Well..." Miss Light trailed off, before perking up, "I'm pretty nervous, actually, I was hoping you could be there for... motivational support," she said, smiling timidly. Whisper stared at the older pony for a moment, before eventually nodding,

"Uh... sure. I don't mind," she said,

"Great! Let's go before he disappears!"

"Wait, we're doin' this now?"

"Of course!"

Whisper was left behind almost immediately, the much larger pony's excitement spurring her larger legs on, making the task of keeping up with her much harder. They wove through the crowd easily, though Whisper noted that, in her haste, Miss Light was causing more than one pony around them to stumble slightly, and they, in turn, caused Whisper to stumble in her attempts to avoid them.

"Oh! Hey Emerald, I did not see you there!" Miss Light suddenly called from somewhere ahead of her, sounding not at all convincing.

"Is that right, Sparky?" she heard Emerald respond, his voice muffled slightly by the sounds of crowd's hooves around her. She grunted slightly when she bumped into someone's leg, but her ears twitched when she heard Miss Light speak,

"It's a lovely day today, would you not agree?" she asked. Was it just her, or did Miss Light sound like she was reading off of a script?

"Are you okay, Sparky? You seem... stiff."

"Of course I am okay! Why in the world would you think otherwise?!"

"You're talking funny."

Miss Light laughed, though it sounded somewhat strained,

"That's funny! You are a real comedian, Emerald!"

Whisper couldn't help but freeze in place, momentarily.

What was Miss Light doing? Even _she_ had to know how weird she sounded.

"Oh! What are you drinking?" Miss Light asked, her voice sounding a little more genuine. She couldn't see it, but Whisper was sure her older brother was giving Miss Light one of those 'There is definitely something wrong with you, but I won't press it until I know it's an issue and not you just being odd' looks. She'd seen him use it a lot. Usually with Pinkie.

"Some of this punch Berry was selling. I was thirsty so I figured 'why not?' and bought some. It doesn't really fit my tastes, though. Want it?" he asked. Whisper grunted slightly, having to squeeze through the gap between two ponies, but she was getting close enough that she could spot the familiar pair of purple and green bodies of her brother and tutor through the gaps of the crowd.

Honestly, Whisper hadn't realized just how many ponies were out today until now!

"Sure! That sounds lovely!" Miss Light said, and Whisper wasn't sure that the word 'lovely' should've been used right then, but by that point she had finally managed to worm her way out of the crowd. She'd barely managed to walk up to them, when the sound of buzzing caught their attention.

"Is that-?" Emerald asked, only to suddenly step to the side as three familiar fillies on a scooter and wagon came rushing through. Scootaloo put on the brakes, turning roughly to the side. Unfortunately, this particular maneuver sent Applebloom tumbling out of the attached wagon, roughly colliding into Miss Light's legs, sweeping them out from under her, which knocked some books and parchment loose from her saddlebags.

That wasn't the only thing, however. Whisper's eyes trailed the mug of punch that Miss Light had happily taken, watching as it flipped, end over end in the air, before coming down straight on Emerald's head, completely soaking his mane and most of his upper body,

"Oh my gosh, Emerald! I'm _so_ sorry!" Miss Light suddenly said, scrambling to her hooves.

He grunted wiping at his eyes,

"It's fine, Sparky," he said, "Not like you meant to do it."

Miss Light looked around, likely for something to help dry him off, until the Crusaders spoke,

"Are you alright, Mr. Emerald?" Sweetie Belle asked, looking up at him nervously while Applebloom asked the same of Miss Light. He only grunted again,

"Yeah, I'm fine, Sweetie Belle," he said, "Is there something you three need?" he asked, eyeing them somewhat warily,

"Oh yeah!" Scootaloo said,

"Uh, we were jus' wonderin' if ya had any plans for Hearts an' Hooves Day?" Applebloom asked, carefully climbing back into the wagon. He only blinked,

"Ah, no?"

The three of them smiled toothily,

"Awesome!" Scootaloo cheered, her wings revving up again,

"Why'd you ask?"

"No reason!" Sweetie Belle chirped, just before Scootaloo suddenly turned and sped off.

The three of them were silent for a minute, before Emerald ended it.

"Well, it was... nice seeing ya, Sparky. I'm gonna head home and take a shower before I get all sticky. Later," he said, turning around and walking off. Miss Light reached out a hoof, for a moment, and looked like she wanted to say something. In the end, however, nothing came out, and she was left standing there.

Her mouth closed and her hoof dropped after a moment. She sighed and plopped onto the ground, right next to Whisper.

Whisper frowned slightly, glancing off in the direction the Crusaders left in, before turning back to Miss Light. She placed a hoof on one of her legs, patting it comfortingly,

"It's okay, Miss Light," she said, "You'll... get 'im next time?" she said, not quite sure if that was the right thing to say. Miss Light looked at her, and smiled after a moment,

"Yeah... I guess you're right, Wisp," she said, gently patting Whisper on the head, before standing, "Alright! Time for Plan B!" she announced, levitating a scroll and the book whose title Miss Light kept out of sight,

"Plan... B?" Whisper asked hesitantly, taking a small step away from the elder unicorn,

"Yep!" she chirped, eyes roaming through the book rapidly, "I just need to talk to Pinkie and the Cakes for it to work," she said, glancing over at the scroll, "I'll come and get you when it's ready, okay?" she asked.

Whisper only nodded,

"Um... okay?" she said,

"Great! See you then!"

Whisper watched Miss Light all-but-skip away, shaking her head.

_Why do I get the feelin' today isn't gonna go right?_ she asked herself. The sound of buzzing preceded the arrival of the Crusaders once again, prompting Whisper to curse herself.

"Hey, Wisp!" Sweetie Belle called, "Can you help us with something?"

... She jinxed it, didn't she?

* * *

Whisper growled to herself, her magic making easy work of setting up this picnic. She didn't know why the Crusaders needed this thing, but her own curiosity overwrote the 'No' she'd just been about to give them.

They'd dragged her to the park and asked her to set up this picnic under the gazebo, while they ran off to do... whatever it was they tended to do. She figured that, whatever this whole thing was, it had to do either with them getting their cutie marks or Miss Cheerilee's lack of a special someone, given their reaction earlier in the day.

Both possibilities promised some form of entertainment for the foreseeable future, a reasoning that only compounded with her curiosity, prompting her to say 'Yes'.

In the case of the latter, Whisper couldn't help but wonder what poor fool the Crusaders had deemed lucky/unfortunate enough to be in the center of their little scheme.

As if summoned by the thought, the three fillies in question appeared over the hill, running towards her position at full tilt, all of them holding wide, twinkling smiles on their faces.

"They're on their way!" Scootaloo said, practically vibrating in place, "This is gonna be perfect!" she said,

"Yeah!" Sweetie Belle agreed, "And with this picnic, there's no way they won't ask each other to be their special somepony!"

"It's a guarantee!"

Whisper's brow rose. They were really confident in this plan of theirs, weren't they?

"So who're you plannin' to get Miss Cheerilee to ask out?" she asked. She was honestly curious. What poor fool had agreed to-_or been tricked_-into going along with whatever little machinations the three had concocted?

The way the three of them suddenly froze and turned to look at her didn't exactly fill her with confidence, however.

"Uhh...?"

"Hello girls!" Miss Cheerilee's voice cut through the awkward silence with ease, the cheerful mare trotting right up to the group with a smile on her face, "And hello to you too, Wisp," she greeted upon seeing the bespectacled filly.

"Hey, Miss Cheerilee," she responded, not taking her eyes off the stiff looking fillies.

"So, girls," Miss Cheerilee began, looking around almost eagerly, "You said you needed help identifying a tree around the gazebo, right?" she asked,

"Uh, yeah!" Scootaloo said, pointing off to the side. While she did that, Applebloom rushed towards her and started to push her away,

"What the-what're you doin'?" she asked, scowling slightly at the other filly,

"Ya gotta get goin'!" she said, giving Whisper a firm push, sending the other filly stumbling forward, "Befer he gets here!" Whisper huffed,

"Before _who_ gets-?"

"Alright, I'm here. What was it you three needed help with?" the familiar voice of Emerald called. He came from the opposite direction Miss Cheerilee had. Before she could say anything, a furious glare aimed straight at Applebloom, the yellow filly tackled her, knocking both of them into a bush not far away while Sweetie Belle ran up to her brother.

"What the-why's my brother-?!" she tried snapping, only for Applebloom to stuff a hoof in her mouth,

"Shh!" Applebloom hissed, "The girls an' I went 'round town lookin' fer somepony fer Miss Cheerilee! The only ones we could find in town who were single were mah brother an' yers!" she said, glancing back, her head poking out of the bush slightly, "Sorry 'bout not tellin' ya, but we really think that Mr. Emerald would be a nice colt fer Miss Cheerilee!" she defended.

Whisper glared up at her, her horn igniting. A simple burst of telekinesis sent Applebloom rolling off of her with a yelp, and she sat up, glare turning vicious.

"What makes ya think that's okay?!" she snapped, "Ya can't just go around choosin' somebody to date Miss Cheerilee like that!"

"But she deserves a special somepony! Yer only sayin' that cuz it's yer brother!" Applebloom snapped back, "Mah brother's too shy ta ask anypony out, but Mr. Emerald ain't shy at all!"

"So?! That doesn't mean he's gonna ask her out or anythin'!"

"That's what the picnic's fer, duh!" Applebloom retorted. Whisper growled, but was interrupted before she could say anything by the arrival of the other two 'matchmakers', who knocked her to the ground when they jumped into the bush.

"Okay, everything's going according to plan!" Sweetie Belle gushed quietly, looking through the gap in the bush they'd just jumped through. Scootaloo and Applebloom joined her immediately, not giving much thought to the filly they had inadvertently sat on.

Whisper growled from her position against the ground, her horn igniting, before it sputtered out, a hiss of pain escaping her throat.

_Ow! They hit my horn when they landed on me!_ she whined silently, bringing up a hoof to rub at her injured horn. She adjusted her glasses, and turned her head to yell at them, but caught sight of what they were looking at through a second gap through the bush.

Emerald and Miss Cheerilee were talking to each other, though whatever they were saying was too far away for her to hear. A moment passed, before they both nodded, and they turned, walking away without looking back.

"OH COME ON!" Sweetie Belle shouted, only to be forcefully brought back down by the other two, sending them all sprawling to the ground, freeing Whisper from their weight.

Without so much as a second thought, the once-trapped-filly sprung up from the ground, jumped out of the bush, and ran away.

* * *

Whisper panted slightly as she reached town. The park wasn't too far away from town, but she wasn't exactly built for long-distance sprinting like that. Something she would have to fix one day if she wanted to join the guard like her brother when she was older.

She sighed once her breath returned to her, and shook her head.

Those fillies were crazy. She'd known that already, but it was always nice to have further confirmation.

She fell to her flank, plopping onto the ground without a care.

_At least nothin' else is-_

"Wisp, there you are! I've been looking for you!" Miss Light's voice interrupted her thoughts, breaking through her moment of calm like a raging whirlwind. She looked up, finding the purple mare beaming at her, "Plan B is ready to go!"

_... This is gonna be my whole day, isn't it?_

* * *

"So... you plan on doin'... what again?" Whisper asked, glancing up at her elder, still confused. Miss Light smiled down at her, gently setting down the book she was reading on the counter, conveniently keeping the title out of her sight the entire time,

"I asked the Cakes to empty out Sugarcube Corner for me, where I plan on surprising Emerald with the history of Hearts and Hooves Day! He'll be so fascinated by the subject, he'll be more susceptible to being asked out!" she gushed, her hooves clenched determinedly under her chin. Mr. and Mrs. Cake eyed Miss Light sympathetically as they passed behind her, but otherwise didn't say a word, walking into the kitchen.

"Okay," Whisper said, frowning, "So, why am I here?" she asked, glancing around the currently empty bakery,

"Pinkie's already gone around asking everyone to stay away for a bit, so I was hoping you could get Emerald and bring him here," Miss Light explained,

"Yeah!" Pinkie exclaimed, suddenly popping her head out of the kitchen window, "I told everypony there's a super-duper-special-secret party for Emerald and Twilight!" she said, then disappeared back through the window.

The sounds of clinking pots and pans filtered out from the kitchen, but Miss Light seemed to ignore it,

"I know I'm being selfish in asking you and everyone else for help, Wisp, but... well..." she swallowed, and sighed, pulling out a roll of parchment, "I need to practice while you go and get him."

Whisper blinked, glancing at the scroll,

"Uh... practice what?"

"Our conversation, of course!" Miss Light said, her eyes scanning over it already, "I've written down a comprehensive list of topics I can use to keep him from getting bored and leaving, as well as predicted responses! Plus, '_The ability to maintain a good conversation is key in a relationship!_'," she said, as if reciting something, before nodding to herself and looking back at Whisper, "He'll be so impressed by my ability to converse, that he'll just _have_ to say yes!"

Whisper was pretty sure that wasn't how it worked.

Judging by the looks Mr. and Mrs. Cake were sending her from the kitchen, she wasn't wrong.

* * *

She sighed, glancing around, searching for any sign of that familiar green stallion. Whisper had no way of knowing where he'd be at this time, especially since he didn't celebrate this holiday. Emerald hadn't needed to work today, since the Cakes had given him the day off-_for reasons unknown_-meaning that he could honestly be doing anything.

"Hey Wisp."

Like scaring the living daylights out of her.

Putting a hoof against her chest in an attempt to calm the sudden pounding her heart, she glared angrily at her elder brother, who only smirked down at her.

"Oops," he said sarcastically, smirking. Whisper huffed, and stomped her hoof,

"That wasn't funny!" she snapped, pouting up at him. He only shrugged,

"No, it was pretty funny," he disagreed, then glanced around for a moment, "Hmm? You here all by yourself?" he asked, brow rising, "I'd've figured you'd be spending time with those friends of yours," he added, then tilted his head, "Which reminds me, you should introduce me to them, sometime."

Whisper only shook her head,

"They're out with their parents," she said, earning a nod from Emerald,

"Fair," he said, glancing off into the air, "... Is there anything you'd like to do, Wisp? I'm sure Starlight wouldn't mind tagging along if we asked," he pointed out. Whisper smiled, but shook her head,

"No, but thanks!" she said, but froze for a moment, and glanced at Sugarcube Corner, "... Actually, can we get somethin' from the bakery?" she asked. Emerald's brow quirked and, for a moment, it felt like he was looking right through her.

Eventually, however, he nodded,

"Alright. Let's go."

She let out a subtle sigh, and followed her elder brother through the bakery's door.

The bell rung above them, prompting Miss Light, who was still the only one in sight, aside from Mr. Cake at the counter, to turn in her seat. She visibly perked up,

"Oh Emerald!" she said, "I did not expect to see you here today. What a crazy coincidence, huh?" she asked brightly, if a tad stiffly. Emerald glanced around for a moment, but answered regardless,

"I guess so," he said, sparing a final glance at Whisper, before he moved forward, "Business is pretty slow," he noted, looking right at Mr. Cake, who laughed,

"Hehe, yeah I suppose so," he agreed, smiling despite the furrowed brow.

"Funny. I'd've figured that today, of all days, would be... _very_ busy. Did anything... happen?" he asked, not even bothering to hide his suspicions. Mr. Cake swallowed nervously,

"Nope! Nothing at all!" he said, smiling a visibly strained smile, before he suddenly perked up, "Oh? What was that dear? You need my help? Of course! I'll be right there!" he said, before bolting into the kitchen with all the grace of a three-legged sprinter.

Emerald grunted, but smirked, and turned to Miss Light,

"So, what brings you, _of all ponies_, here, Sparky?" he asked. Miss Light smiled, and waved around,

"Oh, I was just getting into the spirit of things," she said, using her magic to lift up the familiar book she'd read to Whisper not long ago, "I've been reading up on the history of Hearts and Hooves Day, you know?"

Emerald glanced at her, then back to Miss Light,

"Have you now?" he asked, stepping forward to sit at the same table as her,

"Yep!" she chirped, sounding happier than before. Whisper grimaced, however, having spotted the unrolled parchment laying on the seat next to her, which she noticed Miss Light glance at every now and again.

And if she noticed, then Emerald _definitely_ had.

"It's quite interesting, you know?" she asked, the book in front of her magically flipping through its pages, "Would you like to hear about it?"

"Sure. Why not?" Emerald responded, leaning forward to rest his head on his clasped hooves. Miss Light smiled brightly, and cleared her throat,

"Well, for starters the story begins a long time before the time of the Founders of Equestria, and in that time, there was a prince and a princess of different parts of the land. The prince fell deeply in love with the princess, but no matter what he tried, he could never get her to notice him. So, he decided to make-" the bell above the door suddenly rung again, "a _love potion_-"

Whisper didn't have time to do anything when three familiar blurs suddenly shot passed her, sending her spinning to the floor, and stopped in front of Miss Light,

"Did you say a 'love potion'?" Sweetie Belle asked eagerly, looking up at Miss Light with shining eyes. Miss Light froze, sparing glances between Emerald and the Crusaders.

Whisper sighed lightly, but had to hold back a slight laugh.

Knowing Miss Light, she probably wanted to start a lesson on the history of Hearts and Hooves Day for Sweetie Belle like she had with herself, but was torn between that and her 'plan' to ask out Emerald.

Whisper suddenly froze, and leveled a stare at the Crusaders, noting, idly, that Emerald was doing the same.

_Why are they interested in the love poti-... No... they can't really think..._

"Um... y-yes! I did!" Miss Light finally said, still glancing between the four of them, "You see, Hearts and Hooves Day was founded because of this love potion," she said, turning to the book for a moment, "um... it-it even has the recipe, if you can believe it!" she added eagerly.

"Wow, that sounds _super_ interesting!" Scootaloo suddenly said, smiling widely,

"Uh, yeah, it does!" Applebloom agreed, albeit hesitantly,

"Do you think we could borrow that book for a little while?" Sweetie Belle asked innocently. Miss Light blinked,

"Oh!... Umm..." she stared for a moment, before smiling, and levitated the book down to the younger unicorn, "I-I'd love to let you borrow it, but, um... th-this is the library's copy and I don't have the register to let you check it out here, so-"

"Can we head to the library to check it out, then?" Scootaloo asked eagerly,

"Yeah, can we?" Sweetie added. Miss Light sputtered, eyes dancing between them and Emerald,

"U-uh, I-I'd love too, but, um, I-I was-I, you see, E-Emerald and I were talking, and-"

"It's fine, Sparky," Emerald suddenly said, standing up from his seat, "You can give me the history lesson some other time," he said, walking over to the counter, where Mr. Cake had finally been replaced by his wife, "I was just going to order something for me and Wisp before heading out anyways," he said. Miss Light opened her mouth to speak-_likely a protest of some kind_-but was stopped when the Crusaders all latched onto her, and began to drag her away,

"C'mon Twilight! We gotta check out that book!"

"Yeah!"

"Let's hurry!"

The pleading expression Miss Light threw her made Whisper feel somewhat guilty, but she was through the door before anything could be done. Whisper thought about running after and stopping them, for several reasons, but chose not to, instead turning around to order something with Emerald.

It was just a love potion, after all, she reminded herself. And she remembered Miss Light's lesson about how weak and generally ineffective they were. With that in mind, how much trouble could those three _really_ bring with it?

Although... there _was_ this odd feeling in the back of her head...

Had she forgotten something?

* * *

Whisper sighed, jogging as she made her way towards the library.

That feeling in the back of her head just refused to go away. No matter what she did or thought about, it remained there, taunting her with the idea that she'd _forgotten_. Not just something, but something _important_.

It was niggling at her, _burning_ within.

She _needed_ to remember. And she needed to remember _now_.

It was about the love potion, she just _knew_ it was. What else could it be, after all? The Crusaders had gotten in stuck in their heads that Emerald and Miss Cheerilee would be a good couple together and-

She froze, her head cranking to the side.

Right there, contrasting everything she thought she'd known about the world, was Miss Cheerilee and Emerald. They were walking together. That, alone, wouldn't have been _too_ strange, if a little out of place, but the wide, dare she say it, _dopey_ smiles on their faces were more than she could handle.

They were standing almost too close to each other, coats just shy brushing against one another. Any closer and they _would_ be brushing, something Emerald would only ever do with someone he _really_ cared about.

Still, Miss Cheerilee seemed to try to close that distance, and Emerald never seemed against it, yet he always drifted _just_ out of reach, though the look on his face never strayed, like he wasn't even aware of it.

They were talking as well, but whatever they were saying was too low for her to hear, but it was always followed by one of them giggling-_Emerald giggling was a scary sight to witness, by the way_-and sometimes accompanied by one nuzzling the other.

She watched, transfixed, as the two made their way through town, looking exactly the image of a loving couple on Hearts and Hooves Day.

"What the fuck...?" she muttered under her breath, utterly dumbfounded, "B-but... how? Big Bro an' Miss Cheerilee...? That-that doesn't-but, what about-?" she shook her head, "No... they didn't... but, love potions don't work like that..." she muttered. She frowned, but didn't give it much thought.

She was right. Love potions didn't work like that. The most likely case was that they were just humoring the Crusaders. They'd been really adamant about them going out, after all, and Miss Cheerilee was nice enough to play along. Plus, she doubted Emerald would care enough to decline, even if he was putting more effort into it than he should've. Maybe... he secretly liked pranks? He _did_ really enjoy sneaking up on everyone...

Despite her confusion, she kept on going until she finally reached the library, poking her head through the door. She found Miss Light looking through the book she didn't want her reading again. There was a strong look of concentration on her face this time, and, right beside her, a quill was rapidly scratching something onto an unfurled piece of parchment that reached the floor.

"Um, Miss Light?" she called. Miss Light yelped, the quill shooting into the air,

"Wisp!" Miss Light scolded, turning to look at her, "You shouldn't sneak up on someone like that!" Whisper snickered, hoof held against her mouth.

Emerald was right. That _was_ funny. Maybe he _did_ like pranks!

She shook her head,

"Sorry, Miss Light," she apologized, moving further into the room, the door closing shut behind her, "I was just wonderin'... ya remember that book the Crusader's wanted?" she asked. Miss Light perked up slightly,

"Yes," she said, "The Tale of Hearts and Hooves Day. Why?" she asked, looking worried, "Did they lose it?!" Whisper deadpanned at her tutor,

"No," she said flatly, "They didn't lose it," she sighed, "It's just... I feel like I'm forgettin' somethin' about that story. The love potion made 'em go crazy, right?" she asked. Miss Light nodded,

"That's right. The love potion ended up being, what we now call, a love _poison_ rather than a potion."

"Didn't you say the recipe was in the book you gave 'em, though?" she asked, frowning, "Ain't that kinda dangerous, just havin' that recipe in a public book?" Miss Light shook her head,

"It's fine, Wisp. The love poison only worked like that because neither pony in the story were aware of its full affects," she said, smiling, "Love potions are generally weak and easy to overcome, _especially_ if you're aware of it. Even the strongest love potion in the world is little more than a minor stimulant in that case, and only slightly more effective if you are _not_ aware. It's a property found in the love poison as well. If a pony is aware of the potion and its affects, it's easy to ignore for the allotted time. Unlike regular love potions, however, both parties are required to drink it for it to work. This unique property actually makes it easier to avoid, since, if somebody wanted to use it to make someone fall for them, the fact that its description, affects, and cure are all listed in the book, it would prevent the poison from working on the brewer, and, by extension, the unwitting drinker. For those reasons, it's considered safe to have in a public book," she explained.

Whisper nodded. That made sense, in a convoluted kind of way. Knowing about it reduces the effects, since you'd be fully aware of what it does and be prepared for it.

Though, if someone weren't aware, then they might think the affection is natural. Though, Whisper wasn't sure how much it raised affection by, so... it would probably be really easy to figure out if it just happens for someone you don't know all that well or don't like. Plus, they'd having to keep dosing them, and, at some point, it would probably be super suspicious if they kept giving them drinks, depending on how often they needed to take it.

Well, at the very least, she could completely relax now. Even _if_ the Crusaders had managed to slip Emerald and Miss Cheerilee the love poison, Emerald was sure to know about it, considering how dangerous it could be.

...

Right?

He _would_ know about it. He _had_ to. Even if he didn't know much, if anything, about Hearts and Hooves Day, the love poison was a dangerous sounding poison, so, surely, he'd be aware of its existence...

_Right?_

* * *

Whisper bit her lip, even as she kept pace beside Miss Light.

The idea that Emerald might _not_ be aware of the love poison's existence haunted her. If he _did_ know about it, then they were safe, but if he didn't, then she would, _somehow_, have to devise a way to separate the two of them for an _hour_.

She shook her head.

_No, no, no no no, he... he _totally _knows about the love poison. It's Big Bro, after all..._

Still, it terrified her, the thought.

Well, she'd find out sooner or later. Miss Light had finished writing down 'Plan C', and was ready to act on it. Unlike the previous two, this plan involved getting him _completely_ alone-_though Whisper was still asked to be there for moral support_-by asking him to help her out with something at the library. After that, it was... mostly the same. She'd attempt to establish some common ground-_following some guideline Whisper was sure was in that book she wasn't allowed to read_-before asking him out.

Whisper glanced over at Miss Light, who appeared to be growing increasingly nervous as they walked, finding no sign of Emerald anywhere as they did so.

"Oh... where is he?" Miss Light muttered, looking around, "Hearts and Hooves Day is over halfway over..."

Whisper swallowed the lump in her throat. Not finding her brother was beginning to take a toll on her as well, considering the idea that her brother had well and truly been _poisoned_ by a trio of fillies who were meddling in something they _really_ shouldn't have been meddling in.

It was as they were passing Sugarcube Corner that Whisper's fears proved to be true.

"Twilight!" Mr. Cake's voice yelled as he burst through the doors, practically falling over himself as he ran towards them, "Twilight, you have to come quick! There's something seriously wrong!" he spluttered, sweating slightly. Miss Light blinked,

"What?" she asked, her nerves vanishing, "What's going on? Did something happen to Pinkie? Or the twins?" she continued, eyes widening. Whisper watched on in worry, even as Mr. Cake shook his head,

"No it's-well, uh-" he bit his lip, glancing back at the bakery, "You have to see it for yourself!"

Sharing a glance with Whisper, the three ponies immediately made their way to the door. Whisper swallowed, a million thoughts racing through her mind, each battling for a place at the front of her mind.

Miss Light was clearly having the same issue, as dozens of different expressions flickered over her face.

Worry, fear, concern, anger, determination, nervousness. That and many more were reflected in her eyes as they approached.

Finally, Mr. Cake pushed open the door-

"You should take the first sip, schnoogle-woogles!"

"No, _you_ take it, schnoodle-bum!"

It was horrifying. A scene played out straight from a horror novel, in her opinion. An impossibility made reality.

_Emerald was engaging in baby-talk._

"No-o-o, you sugar lump!"

"No you shnookie pie!"

He and Miss Cheerilee were sitting at one of the bakery's tables-_they were the only occupants, strangely enough_-a milkshake sitting on the table between them. They were constantly pushing it back and forth between each other, 'No you''s exchanged with every push.

"E-Emerald?" Miss Light stammered, staring wide-eyed at the scene before them, "Wh-what are you doing?"

Emerald didn't so much as glance at her. Miss Light swallowed and stepped forward,

"E-Emerald?" she asked again, voice wavering. She leaned forward, bringing herself only a scant few inches away from his face, carefully staring at him, as if looking for something. He didn't so much as glance at her, his eyes steadfastly focused on Miss Cheerilee's.

Miss Light reached out with a hoof, gently cupping his chin. She froze for a moment, but when he didn't react, she began pulling, twisting his head to the side.

"Em-?" she was cut off by a quick hoof to the chest, knocking the wind from her lungs and sending her to the ground.

"Miss Light!" Whisper shouted, rushing forward. Miss Light clutched at her chest for a moment, coughing, but she waved Whisper off,

"I-it's okay, Wisp," she coughed, getting to her hooves shakily. Despite her words, she was staring at Emerald as though seeing him for the first time. She swallowed, a shaky hoof reaching up to brush against the spot he'd struck. Her jaw clenched, her legs stiffened, and her eyes-watered. Her breathing started picking up suddenly, before she forcefully calmed it down, shaking her head.

"N-no... no, Em-Emerald wouldn't... he wouldn't..."

Whisper watched, worriedly, as Miss Light mumbled to herself, eyes darting around the room frantically. She was just about to reach a hoof out when the bell above the door rang.

She turned around immediately, startled by the sudden noise, only to freeze.

It was the Crusaders.

They walked into the bakery, nervously. She could see the book they'd borrowed from Miss Light resting on Sweetie Belle's back.

_She saw red._

"**_You!_**" she snarled, stomping towards them, "_You did this!_" she snapped, pointing at the poisoned duo, "You are gonna help us fix this, or _so help me I'll_-!"

"Wisp!" Miss Light said sharply, cutting off her threat. Whisper spun around, staring angrily at the older pony, who remained unfazed, her gaze locked onto the three trembling fillies, "Did... did you girls give these two the love poison?" she asked calmly, completely ignoring Whisper's death glare at this point. The three of them shared a glance and, for a moment, Whisper thought they'd try to deny it.

Fortunately-_or unfortunately in Whisper's case, as she really wanted to hit something_-they had enough sense to nod.

"W-we didn't _mean_ to..." Scootaloo began,

"We just thought it was a love potion," Applebloom added,

"Yeah, we just wanted to give Miss Cheerilee a good Hearts and Hooves Day," Sweetie Belle said, "She's a really nice pony who deserves a special somepony!" she defended. Miss Light's lips thinned, nearly turning white from how hard they were pressing together,

"Girls," she began, her tone demanding their full attention, "while your reasons might be good, what you did is _wrong_," she intoned, "You only wanted to help out Cheerilee, I understand, but did any of you think, even for a second, about what she _actually_ wanted?" she asked, eyes narrowing, "And if she _did_ want a special somepony, do you really think she'd want to _force_ someone into loving her, _against their will_?" she asked.

The three of them were already hanging their heads when she started speaking, but by the end of it they were practically laying on the floor.

"I'm sure you never meant for anything like... _that_-" she pointed at the two forced-lovebirds, who were now nibbling on a cherry together, "to happen. But not only did you push what _you_ all wanted onto Miss Cheerilee, you also _forced_ someone else into this. Think about how that must feel to these two," she said, turning to look at them, almost shaking, either from worry or rage, Whisper didn't know.

"W-we're sorry Twilight," Applebloom said, only for Miss Light to shake her head,

"Don't apologize to me. You'll apologize to Emerald and Cheerilee when we've snapped them out of it," she said.

"But.. how are we gonna do that?" Whisper asked.

"Well..." Sweetie Belle said suddenly, lowering the book into her hooves, "the book says all we have to do is keep them from looking into each other's eyes for an hour, and the curse'll be broken," she supplied. Miss Light nodded,

"That's correct," she said, but frowned, her brows creasing, "It won't be easy though. According to the story, it was only broken when the prince and princess were locked in the dungeon for an hour. We... don't have a dungeon in town," she muttered, "I don't even think Ponyville has a jail, crime is so uncommon..."

"Emerald would prolly break out anyways," Whisper muttered, staring at her cursed elder sibling, "He's done it before."

"Right," Miss Light said, not even looking bothered at the information, before she sighed, "We're... gonna need help with this..."

* * *

"_Applebloom!_"

"_Sweetie Belle!_"

"_Scootaloo!_"

Whisper watched, with open amusement, as the three fillies responsible were chewed out by their older sisters/role model.

"I can't believe ya'll would do something like that!"

"Using a _love potion_ of all things!"

"That's _so_ not cool, Squirt!"

Whisper smiled as every word caused the three of them to flinch, further dropping their heads. Each time one of them tried looking away, they ended up catching her eye, hastily glancing away at the sight of her wicked grin.

She couldn't help it. It was just so _wonderful_ to see these _idiots_ get exactly what they deserved for _poisoning her older brother_!

"Girls, you can punish the Crusaders later!" Miss Light said, dragging everyone's attention over to her, "First, we need to figure out a way to separate Emerald and Cheerilee for a full, uninterrupted, hour."

After leaving Sugarcube Corner-_where Miss Cheerilee and Emerald were_ still_ arguing over who should take the first sip of their likely melted milkshake_-the five of them-_Miss Light, herself, and the Crusaders_-gathered the rest of her friends before migrating over to the library, where Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow scolded the three fillies.

"Yer right, Twi," Applejack said, sighing, before throwing her younger sister a sour look, "But don't think yer off the hook jus' yet, Applebloom. Big Mac an' Granny are gonna hear 'bout this," she said, causing Applebloom to pale.

"Indeed," Rarity added, "I'm sure Mother and Father would want to hear about this as well. We'll discuss your punishment when they next visit." Sweetie Belle's white coat hid her paling quite well, but the dilating of her eyes gave away her sudden fear.

"Lucky you, Squirt," Rainbow said, frowning at the cowering pegasus, who spared a confused glance up at her, "I can't exactly punish you, since I'm not family. But I'm sure Emerald, _your cousin_, would wanna talk to your mom and dad when he's fixed."

Scootaloo didn't pale. She turned _white_.

"So... what should we do?" Fluttershy asked, looking between the other girls, "I don't think we should... _force_ them apart," she said, "Even if they're under a spell, it just wouldn't feel right..."

"Yeah, Fluttershy's got a point," Rainbow agreed, her face twisting, "Cheerilee's a nice mare, and Emerald's... a friend. I don't think I'd be able to just... hold 'em down against their will, or something."

"Well, if it helps 'em, I don' mind usin' a rope ta keep 'em down," Applejack said, "Though, Emerald could probably jus' burn it, ta be fair."

"We'll have to distract them instead, I'd imagine," Rarity supplied, hoof placed delicately against her chin, "Rather than force them apart, we'll have to get them to willingly part, and simply keep them distracted for the full hour."

"Ooh! I have an idea!" Pinkie chirped, eagerly raising her hoof into the air, "What if we tell them there's a party-?!"

"What exactly would we distract them with?" Miss Light asked, completely ignoring Pinkie, eyes furrowed in thought, "It would have to be something they'd think is important enough to distract from the other. With the poison in affect, that... won't be easy."

"-we could celebrate something _really_ special! Like, like, a birthday! Ooh! Or maybe a birth day! Ooh, how about-?!"

"Maybe we could fake a monster attack?" Rainbow suggested, smirking, "I mean, fighting monsters is pretty important. Emerald would totally go for that!"

"And what's gonna stop Cheerilee from runnin' right after 'im?" Applejack asked.

"You could tie her up?" Fluttershy tried adding, though her voice was lost under Pinkie's ramblings,

"-a funeral! Those are _super_ serious! Or maybe a cutecinera! Ooh, ooh, I know-!"

"What about a wedding?" Sweetie Belle's voice somehow cut through the throng of voices. As one, the six mares turned to her, looking stunned, causing Sweetie to shrink, "I-I mean... they think they love each other, right?" she asked, "So... um... w-wouldn't they really wanna get married?"

"U-uh, yeah!" Scootaloo agreed, "Aren't there, like, those magazines for ponies who wanna get married, and stuff? There's a lotta stuff in those, so..."

"Yeah, don't some weddin's take a super long time ta set up?" Applebloom asked, "Like... they gotta get the dress, an'-an' the rings an'... other stuff..." she trailed off, looking nervous.

"A... wedding?" Rarity repeated, nodding slightly, "Yes... that could work. I could have Cheerilee trying on dresses or Emerald trying suits at the Boutique for quite some time," she said.

"And Cheerilee _would_ need a dress..." Miss Light added, then frowned, "But... he's not a pony, it's possible he doesn't know much about our weddings..." she perked up a bit, "I could try to teach him about them. It might be able to stall him for a few minutes, before he goes for the rings... Though, neither of them are unicorns, so a _ring_ isn't-"

"Ooh! I could help him get the ring!" Pinkie volunteered, cutting her off as she thrust a hoof in the air, "I know _tons_ of stuff about rocks! I could _totally_ keep him busy!"

Miss Light stared at Pinkie for a few moments, before nodding,

"Well... I suppose it doesn't matter what he gets, since there won't _actually_ be a wedding..." she muttered, before shaking her head, "Anything else?"

"I might be able ta stall Emerald fer a few minutes if he gets away," Applejack said, smirking, "He might be a mite stronger than me, but I doubt he's ever had a good ol' fashioned bout of Apple Family wrestlin'."

"I can head off and tell the Mayor and that jeweler about this," Rainbow offered, jerking her hoof towards the window, "Probably make this whole thing take longer if they help us stall," she pointed out.

"Good idea, Rainbow," Miss Light said, then turned to everyone, "Alright girls, we've got a plan. We'll all head back to the bakery and convince Cheerilee and Emerald to get m-married," she flushed at the word, but frowned as well, before shaking her head, "After that, Pinkie, Applejack, and I will go with Emerald to stall. Fluttershy and Rarity can head to the Boutique with Cheerilee to keep her busy, while Rainbow goes off to talk to the Mayor and the jeweler-"

"His name is Gem Finder," Rarity suddenly supplied. Miss Light stared at her, causing Rarity to blush, "That... wasn't necessary. My apologies..." she muttered. Miss Light turned back to the group,

"Rainbow will talk to Mayor Mare and _Gem Finder_-" her teeth ground together in annoyance, but she relaxed, "before heading back to help Rarity and Fluttershy. Does everyone agree?" she asked, earning a round of nods,

"What about me?" Whisper asked, piping up for the first time in awhile,

"Yeah! Us too!" Applebloom added, almost indignantly.

"I'll tell ya what yer doin'!" Applejack snapped, causing her little sister to flinch, "You three are gonna head on home an' wait fer us so we can talk 'bout your punishments, that's what yer gonna do!" she said, cutting off any objections,

"Indeed," Rarity agreed, further shutting down their objections.

"As for you, Wisp..." Miss Light began, only to trail off, "well, knowing Emerald, I'm sure he wouldn't mind you helping us..." she muttered, before sighing, rubbing the back of her head, "Why don't you... check up on us?" she offered, "Make sure everything's going according to plan and keeping on schedule, that kind of thing," she said. Whisper frowned, but eventually nodded,

"Okay."

"Good!" Miss Light said, nodding in return, "Alright girls, let's go!"

* * *

The scene was just as disturbing now as it was the first time.

Walking into a room, only to find her brother-_normally calm, cool, collected, and speaking in a **perfectly normal** voice_-engaging in vomit-inducing baby-talk with her teacher.

Ugh, the thought alone almost made her retch.

They were still sitting at that table, though the milkshake was found laying on the ground about two feet away. With it gone, the two of them were just... staring at each other. It was, frankly, kinda creepy.

"Oh my..." she heard Rarity mutter,

"Yikes, how long've they been here?" Rainbow asked,

"Over an hour," Mr. Cake deadpanned, his face pressed against the counter. He lifted his head, causing a sound not unlike tearing velcro, "Nothing I've done has fixed this," he added, staring at them with dead eyes, "Honestly, if I wasn't so sure something was wrong, I'd've thought they were on their honeymoon."

"Don't worry, Mr. Cake!" Pinkie chirped, bouncing forward, "They're just acting all funny 'cause they drank a love potion!"

"_Poison_, Pinkie," Miss Light interjected, "A love _poison_, not a love _potion_."

Mr. Cake's jaw dropped,

"A-A love _poison_?!" he nearly shrieked, "Are they gonna be okay?!"

"They'll be fine," Applejack reassured him, smiling faintly, "Long as we can get 'em away from each other fer an hour, at least."

"How are you going to do that?" he asked,

"Like this," Miss Light said, before boldly walking over to their table, plastering a painfully fake smile that they were sure to miss in their current state, "Wow! The two of you seem to be doing great!" she said. Miss Cheerilee smiled, leaning,

"I have a special somepony!" she gushed dreamily, eyes practically twinkling. Even from here, Whisper managed to spot a faint pinkish-purple glow coming from her eyes as she spoke.

Emerald smiled widely, though it looked off,

"And _I_ have a very special somepony!" he gushed in return, leaning forward to rub his nose against hers.

Whisper swallowed slightly as she watched Miss Light's face contort at the display, her horn emitting very ominous looking sparks.

"Gee!" she spoke through clenched teeth, "With the way you two are acting, I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up getting married!"

Like a cannon firing, the word seemed to trigger something in the duo's head, both going ramrod straight in their chairs,

""Married?!"" they chorused, before sighing and leaning forward once more, placing their heads in their hooves, sighing dreamily, ""Married...""

A few of the hairs in Miss Light's mane suddenly snapped out of place.

"_Of course_," she continued, her magic enveloping Emerald as she dragged him away, while Rarity's did the same to Miss Cheerilee, "if the two of you are going to get married, I'm sure Emerald will need to learn more about how we Equestrians do it," she said, turning to look at the frantically struggling stallion, his hooves reaching out towards Miss Cheerilee, who was doing the same, "You want to learn about the right rings and flowers to get, like a good _husband_-" the word was spat venomously, "... don't you?" she asked.

"And, of course, the bride will have to have the most marvelous dress imaginable, no?" Rarity asked, her voice straining slightly as she focused on restraining the struggling Cheerilee.

Similar to the earlier words, it seemed what Miss Light and Rarity said triggered something in their poison-addled minds, both individuals going still.

"Ring?"

"Dress?"

"Ring!"

"Dress!"

With renewed vigor, both individuals started struggling, but their focus was no longer directed at the other. Miss Light sighed, pushing through the door with her temporary charge, Rarity and hers not far behind.

"Alright. Here we go."

* * *

Whisper grunted, pounding one of her hooves into the back of Emerald's head as his attention wavered, bringing it back to the lesson he was semi-unwillingly taking part in.

"Pay attention, Emerald," Miss Light said airily, tapping her blackboard with the ruler she held in her magic, "The sooner you learn this, the sooner you'll be out getting your _shmoopie, huggle bunny_-" she grimaced, as if the words physically hurt to speak, "that ring."

She, Miss Light-_dragging Emerald along_-Applejack, and Pinkie Pie made it to the library, where she set up a stool for Emerald to sit on, and a blackboard for her to write on. For some reason, Miss Light had placed a pair of square glasses on her nose and tied her mane into a bun. Whisper didn't know why, but if it helped her get into character and stall him longer, then it was fine.

Though, when Miss Light had taken her place by the blackboard and stared at Emerald, who had gotten into his seat, her face had turned bright red, and a dollop of blood had leaked from her nose.

While she was dealing with... whatever that had been, Applejack took her position, standing by the door in case Emerald made a break for it, while Pinkie was... not in the room, for some reason.

Whisper looked around, but was unable to spot the pink pony after a minute. Eventually she just pushed the thought to the side.

Miss Light smacked the board with her ruler, where 'COMMON WEDDING KNOWLEDGE' was written, snapping both hers and Emerald's attention back to the board.

"Now-" she growled, brushing a strand of hair from her face, "Equestrian weddings are often large affairs where friends and family of both the bride and groom attend. The ceremony itself is usually hosted by an ordained minister, though for smaller towns like Ponyville, the Mayor is usually the one to do so. There have been times, however, where Princess Celestia herself has performed the ceremony. It is a... well known secret that she likes weddings," Miss Light admitted, turning a faint red, "..." she cleared her throat, "S-sometime during the event, most weddings have entertainment planned for the guests, along with food and drinks being provided for all. It could be a band, or games, or something similar-"

"What about the ring?" Emerald interrupted, "The ring is important."

Miss Light stared at him, the ruler making not-very-good cracking sounds as it bent in her grasp. She smacked it against the board,

"... The ring, or other piece of jewelry since rings are more of a unicorn tradition, are presented to your significant other, accompanied by asking for their hoof in marriage. Presenting the ring, or whatever, is most often done in a romantic setting, whether that be alone or in public does not matter. As I was-"

"That didn't tell me anything."

"_As I was saying_-" she snarled, causing him to go silent, "... As I was saying, most weddings have pre-planned entertainment for the guests, as well as food and drink. These all normally follow a set theme the wedding has, though one is not required. These all may be influenced by the venue chosen to have the wedding in. Choosing the venue is a process that takes some time, and is important for many reasons-"

Whisper tuned Miss Light out at this point, her attention now thoroughly rotten and dried up.

She hopped from her little stool where she'd monitored Emerald, and walked over to Applejack,

"I'm gonna go check on Rarity an' Fluttershy," she said. Applejack tipped her hat to her, stepping aside,

"Wish 'em luck from me, sugarcube."

* * *

"Applejack says 'good luck'," she said immediately upon entering the Boutique.

She froze, however, upon seeing the scene in front of her.

White wedding dresses of varying styles, patterns, and complexity were littering the floor of the Boutique, or were tossed haphazardly over various bits of furniture, and, in one case, stuffed into the cushions of the couch.

Rarity was standing over by a large changing curtain-_where Whisper could faintly see Miss Cheerilee's outline frantically shifting about_-holding several more dresses in her magic, a strained smile on her face.

"Now now, Cheerilee, there's no need to rush," she said through clenched teeth.

"Uh... everything alright?" Whisper asked, tentatively stepping forward,

"Oh, well, yes," Fluttershy said, appearing through a nearby door, pushing a rack filled with more dresses into the room, "Well... sort of..." she amended, glancing around at all the strewn about dresses.

"I've had my fair share of brides coming through here-" Rarity said as she approached them, speaking low enough so that Miss Cheerilee couldn't hear, "but very few of them have ever been this... _picky_," she grimaced slightly, "Not that there's anything _wrong_ with a mare being picky about her wedding dress, it _is_ a very special occasion after all, but most brides have found and decided on a dress before the _thirtieth _one!" she almost snapped, but reigned in her temper admirably.

"Now Rarity, we _want _Cheerilee to be picky," Fluttershy gently reminded her. Rarity nodded, but still looked somewhat put out,

"I know, darling, but I can't help but feel a tad insulted," she said, turning to glance at the poisoned pony, who, even now, was still tossing dresses aside, "Nearly fifty dresses in less than thirty minutes, and she hasn't liked _one of them_!"

Whisper stifled a giggle, just as the door behind her opened once more.

"Okay, the mayor and jeweler are in," Rainbow Dash announced, waltzing in the room, "So, what'd I miss?" she asked, glancing around.

"Oh, nothing much really," Rarity said, sarcastically, "Just the desecration of my _entire _wedding inventory."

"You have an entire wedding inventory?" Rainbow asked. Rarity only tilted her head,

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"... Somehow, I'm not surprised," Rainbow muttered, rubbing one of her eyes, "So, what's the plan?" she asked.

"Yeah, what _is_ the plan?" Whisper agreed, frowning, "Unless you have several hundred more wedding dresses, then you can't keep Miss Cheerilee here. Unless you hold her down with magic, or something." Rarity sighed,

"Yes, that _is_ a rather large problem. I'm afraid this particular rack is my last set," she said, fondly caressing one of the dresses on the rack Fluttershy brought in, before Miss Cheerilee's hoof snatched the rack away from her.

"Why don't ya just offer to make a custom dress, then?" Rainbow suggested, watching Miss Cheerilee tear through the dresses, eyeing her like a rabid animal, "I mean, when you were making my, uh... you know..." she trailed off, looking uncomfortable, "Y-yeah, when you were making that thing, I had to stick around for _several_ hours to tell you what to do. You only need to stall for less than one at this point."

Fluttershy nodded,

"Rainbow's right! You could ask Cheerilee to model her own dress. She won't be able to leave while you do that!" she gushed. Rarity hummed, rubbing her chin with a hoof,

"Hmm... yes, that would certainly take up quite a bit of time..." she then grimaced, "But however shall I get her to stay still for it?" she asked.

"Ask nicely?"

"Tie her up?"

"Lock her in a room?"

Rarity gave the three of them a deadpan glare,

"I... _appreciate_ the suggestions, but perhaps something else?" she asked. Rainbow shrugged,

"That was all I got," she said, frowning,

"Fluttershy's idea might work," Whisper said, "Miss Cheerilee might be actin' crazy, but if ya phrase it right she'd prob'ly do just 'bout anythin' if it meant gettin' to her 'wedding' faster," she pointed out. Rarity sighed, bit nodded,

"Yes, I suppose that is true..." she muttered, looking thoughtful, but traces of doubt still remained, "Even so, I'm not sure-"

Her words were cut off when a small pile of white fabric suddenly landed on her head, falling to the ground and hanging from her horn.

"I need the perfect dress for my schmoopie-poo!" Miss Cheerilee announced, looking around the room worriedly, her eyes alight with panic.

Contrary to Miss Cheerilee's eyes, Rarity's eyes were now burning with something much darker than Whisper thought was possible for her. Her head lifted, the wedding dresses hanging off her horn and muzzle slipping to the ground.

"Oh, _Cheerilee_!~" she sang, her voice sickeningly sweet, "How about I make a very _special_ dress for you?~" Miss Cheerilee turned to her, frowning,

"But none of these-!"

"_Stand over there_," Rarity suddenly ordered, pointing over to a small pedestal in front of some mirrors, "_Now._"

Likely sensing the dark undertones in her voice, Miss Cheerilee obediently walked over to the stand, while needles, thread, and white fabric came to life, swirling through the air around her as Rarity walked over.

"Now-" she began, snaking a measuring tape around Miss Cheerilee's stomach, pulling it taunt enough to earn a grunt from the teacher, "we'll have to take your measurements, first, before we move onto anything else," she said, as the measuring tape started contorting around Miss Cheerilee's body, occasionally snapping against her body thanks to how fast it was moving.

"Ow. Ow. Ow! _Ow!_" Miss Cheerilee grunted. Rarity smiled, pulling the measuring tape away, holding up the threaded needle and fabric,

"Excellent!" she gushed, carefully placing the fabric against Miss Cheerilee, before not-too-carefully jabbing her with the needle.

"Ow!"

"Oh my, I'm _terribly_ sorry, darling," Rarity apologized, smiling faintly, "I'm simply so _excited_ for yours and Emerald's wedding that I'm positively _shaking_! Why, I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up _nicking_ you a few more times after this..."

Whisper swallowed, staring at the alabaster unicorn with some slight fear.

_Wow, she can be really vindictive, can't she?_

"Yeesh, remind me to never tick her off," Rainbow muttered, wincing along with every one of Miss Cheerilee's pained yelps.

"Yeah..." Whisper muttered, carefully taking steps backward until she was near the door, "I'm just gonna... goooo..." she said, slipping out the door.

She closed it shut behind her, glanced backwards, and shivered.

* * *

She carefully made her way down the street, trying very hard not to think about Rarity's vindictive tort-_er_-quality service.

Whisper sighed, her mind frantically going over their plan. Separating Miss Cheerilee and Emerald had been easier than expected, and the trip to the library and Boutique had taken, roughly, five minutes. Miss Light had taken a further eight minutes to both get into character and begin her 'lesson' with Emerald reluctantly listening in. The trip over to the Boutique hadn't taken long, maybe three minutes, and the small talk and planning session she'd had there took several more minutes.

That meant they'd managed to keep the two of them apart for roughly twenty minutes as of right now.

Only forty left to go.

"Hey, Wisp!" the familiar accented voice of Applejack called, prompting Whisper to look around. It took her a moment, but she eventually spotted the farm mare standing in front of, what was obviously, the town jeweler's shop, "Good timin', we jus' got here," she added, gesturing for her to follow.

Following the older pony's lead, Whisper rushed over to the shop-_idly glancing at the sign, which read 'Gem Finder's Jewels and Appraisals'_-before slipping inside, followed by Applejack.

What she found inside was about what she was expecting. Pinkie Pie was animatedly talking to Emerald about whatever gem she was holding, either unaware or uncaring of how intensely his gaze was locked onto the red jewel in her hooves .

"-of corundum! They're _super_ hard too! Not as hard as diamonds, but-!"

Miss Light was standing off to the side, staring at Pinkie as though seeing her for the first time.

"Uh... Miss Light?" she called, cautiously taking a few steps towards her. Miss Light blinked, then shook her head,

"Oh, uh, hey Wisp," she said, still sounding dazed as she turned to her, "Um..." she shook her head again, more vigorously, "How are the others doing with Cheerilee?" she asked.

"They're doin' fine. Rarity's gonna make Miss Cheerilee a custom dress to keep her occupied," she said, choosing to omit the designer's sudden cruelty. Miss Light nodded,

"That's good," she said, sighing, "Everything's going according to plan, then." Whisper nodded, but frowned when she noticed Miss Light's attention slowly return to Pinkie and Emerald.

"Everythin' alright, MiIss Light?" she asked, brow rising. Miss Light nodded,

"Everything's fine, Wisp," she said, frowning, "I just..." she licked her lips, "I know Pinkie said she knew a lot about rocks and gems but... I wasn't expecting _this_," she said, gesturing over at them.

"-scratched pretty easily, so you don't wanna wear it _all_ the time! Oooh, is that moonstone?!"

"I would've expected this kind of knowledge to come from Rarity," Miss Light said, sounding exasperated, almost, "but not _Pinkie_."

"She's jus' full'o surprises," Applejack said, chuckling, before she shook her head, "But this'un ain't too bad. She werked on a rock farm 'er entire life, 'member? 'Course she'd know all this!"

"I know," Miss Light said, grimacing, "it's just... hard to imagine a pony like Pinkie working on a farm. I just can't help but think she was born with cookie trays and baking sheets in hoof, instead of rocks and dirt," she said, smirking faintly. Applejack snorted,

"Jus' goes ta show, there's a lot we still gotta learn 'bout each other," she said, smiling. Miss Light nodded,

"Yeah... I look forward to it."

"That's the spirit!"

"Diamonds are super pretty, but they're _kinda_ brittle, even if they don't really scratch, so you gotta be careful!" Pinkie continued explaining, Gem Finder-_at least she assumed the the gray and blue earth stallion behind the counter was Gem Finder_-helpfully providing a gem to match whatever it was she was describing.

"... It _is_ kinda freaky, though," Applejack agreed after a moment.

Whisper listened to Pinkie's strangely educational ramblings for a while, until Gem Finder eventually ran out of jewels for them to look at, and excused himself to go 'check in the back'. While he was doing this, Emerald stayed by the counter, peering through the glass, eyes locking onto each and every piece of jewelry he could see.

Pinkie trotted back over to the three of them, looking oddly tired,

"Uh... I'm kinda outta stuff to talk about," she admitted sheepishly. Miss Light just smiled,

"That's fine, Pinkie. That was amazing!" she gushed, staring at Pinkie appreciatively, "I never knew you knew so much about gemology!" Pinkie scoffed, and waved her off,

"Oh _please_! My big sister Maud knows _way_ more stuff! She's studying to get her rocktorate in geology!" she said, smiling brightly. Miss Light blinked,

"You mean her doctorate?"

"Nope!"

"Wha...?"

"Well, all that talk'o yers managed ta get us another fifteen minutes!" Applejack said, jerking a hoof to point out the window, where the Ponyville Clock Tower could be seen, "Jus' twenty-five left!"

"Awesome!" Whisper chirped, smiling brightly, "Miss Cheerilee an' Big Bro'll be cured in no time!" she said. Miss Light chuckled, gently ruffling her mane,

"That's right! It's the final stretch girls!" she said, turning back to the counter, "Not much longer lef-where'd he go?" she suddenly cut herself off.

Whisper whirled around, eyes raking around the store, only to find no sign of the green stallion.

"Wha-how'd he-?!" Applejack sputtered, only for Pinkie to speak up,

"Uh oh..." she said, pointing at a small stack of bits on the counter, which just so happened to be placed over an empty pillow where a pair of wedding bands had just been, "I think he bought something..." she muttered.

"I feel like that's closer to stealing than buying, Pinkie."

"Nah, he overpaid, so it's okay!"

"Talk 'bout it later!" Applejack snapped, charging for the door, "We gotta catch up ta 'im!"

Once outside, the four of them glanced around, before Pinkie spotted him practically skipping down towards the Boutique, ponies all but scrambling out of his path. Evidently, she wasn't the only one weirded out by it.

"How are we gonna stop him?!" Miss Light asked as they took off after him,

"Ya got magic, don'tcha?!" Applejack responded,

"... Right," Miss Light muttered. She came to a stop, suddenly, her horn sparking to life.

Emerald skipped along the road, seeming quite happy, though he let out a surprised grunt when he failed to return to the ground after a particularly strong skip.

"Got him!" Miss Light cheered,

"Nice one, Twilight!" Applejack said,

"Ooh, that looks fun! Can you pick me up next?"

""Not now, Pinkie!""

"Aww..."

Whisper sighed, staring up at her older brother. His eyes were still firmly locked onto the distant Boutique, and his ears soon began twitching as well. Moments later, he began to struggle.

A dreadful feeling started to creep into her chest, though she couldn't figure out why. Until Miss Light started grunting behind her, at least. At that, she spun around.

Beads of sweat were beginning to trail down Miss Light's head. Her eyes were screwed shut, and a wordless grunt was escaping from her clenched teeth. The aura around her horn suddenly flickered, before shorting out with a bright flash,

"Ah!" she shouted in pain, her legs giving out from beneath her.

""Twilight!""

"Miss Light!"

Whisper's worries weren't over, however, as Emerald landed, kicking up dirt and rocks.

"He's out!" Pinkie shouted, "Applejack!"

"On it!" the farm-mare responded immediately, already charging towards the stallion. After landing, Emerald had nearly buckled like Miss Light, but he'd managed to recover much faster. Despite that, he was busy rubbing his head, as if to clear a headache. This, combined with the poison, left him open to an attack that, in any other situation, probably wouldn't have worked.

As it was, he was completely blindsided when Applejack rammed into him, taking them both to the ground.

As they hit the ground, a little blue box was sent flying into the air, where it then landed in front of Pinkie. She picked it up and opened it, gasping,

"I've got the rings!" she shouted, holding them into the air like a prize pulled from a chest,

"Run, Pinkie! I don't know how long I c'n-gah!" Applejack grunted as a green elbow struck her jaw,

"No!" Emerald shouted, leaping away, only for Applejack to lunge and grapple his back legs, sending him back to the ground, "Those are my huggle-snuggle-bun-eeh!" he was cut off, somewhat, when Applejack jumped forward, slamming onto his back.

"Pinkie!" she shouted again. The party mare nodded, gave a salute, before rushing off in the direction opposite the Boutique.

While this was going on, Whisper hurried over to Miss Light,

"Are you alright?" she asked, using her head to help the older unicorn to her hooves. Miss Light grunted, rubbing the spot just beneath her horn,

"Y-yeah, I'm fine, Wisp," she said, wincing as her horn flickered, but produced nothing other than sparks, "My magic just overloaded. He's... stronger than I thought," she muttered, glancing over at the wrestling duo. Whisper nodded, doing the same.

She turned just in time to hear Emerald's growl, before Applejack was suddenly launched into the air,

"Woah nelly!"

As Applejack fell, Emerald jumped back to his hooves, staring off in the direction Pinkie went. He glanced backward, towards the Boutique, then back again. After a moment of what seemed to be intense deliberation, he growled and ran off after Pinkie's still retreating form.

"I hope she'll be okay," Whisper muttered,

"She'll be fine," Miss Light said, staring after them, "She managed to keep up with Rainbow while we set up her surprise party last year. She should be able to keep away from him for a while."

"I sure hope so," Applejack muttered, rubbing a spot on her head while casting her gaze around, "Where's mah hat?"

"Maybe we should go see how the others are doin'?" Whisper suggested, ignoring Applejack's grumbling as she looked around. Miss Light nodded,

"Right. Pinkie will be fine playing keep away for, what?" she glanced over at a nearby clock, "Fifteen minutes? That should be fine. Let's go."

"Seriously, where's mah hat?!"

* * *

When the three of them got to the Carousel Boutique, everything seemed perfectly normal.

Yes, the windows were shut, and the curtains pulled tighter than usual, and, sure, the sounds of struggling from within were a little off-putting, but, aside from that, perfectly normal.

Miss Light and Applejack spared a nervous glance at each other as Whisper strode forward, not even bothering to knock as she pushed through the door.

The inside of the Boutique was, somehow, even messier than when she left earlier. She openly gawked at the sight. Large strips of fabric, bits of furniture, and even several shards of a broken mirror were laying, scattered across the floor.

"Oh, hello Whisper. Is everything going well with Emerald?" Rarity's voice calmly asked from her right. Whisper turned, eyes bugging out and jaw dropping at what greeted them.

Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash were all huddled up, backs against a large pile of furniture. Chairs, couches, ponyquinns-_was that her **bed**?!_-and even a large table, were all pressed against a door which, judging by the occasional jolt, kept a frantic Miss Cheerilee at bay.

"Huggy-bear?!"

Make that _very_ frantic.

"Uhh..."

"Now now, a young lady such as yourself should not debase herself with such a display," Rarity gently scolded, as if she wasn't holding back a demented earth pony with a pile containing what might be every piece of furniture in her house.

"Is everything alr-oh my goodness!" Miss Light gasped, walking inside from behind her,

"What's wroo-_oooohhhh_..." Applejack trailed off, peeking inside, "... How long ya'll been holdin' her back like that?"

"Ten minutes," Rainbow growled, a jolt of the pile causing her to lose her balance.

"Where are Emerald and Pinkie?" Fluttershy asked, sounding a bit nervous,

"Did you lock him in a room like we did?" Rainbow asked, smirking. Miss Light chuckled nervously,

"Uh, hehe, actually he... kinda got away," she admitted.

"_WHAT_?!" Rarity shrieked, startling the entire room. Her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed. She coughed into a hoof, "Ahem, I mean... what?"

"He ran off when we looked away fer a second. He, er... he _bought_ the weddin' bands an' ran off," Applejack began with a sigh, "We managed ta get the bands away from 'im, an' Pinkie's runnin' 'round with 'im hot on 'er tail."

"Really?" Rainbow asked, "Damn, wish I was there to see that."

"What happened to the custom dress?" Whisper asked when they lapsed into silence. Rarity grimaced,

"Nothing," she said through clenched teeth, "Nothing at all."

"Cheerilee didn't like it," Rainbow said, snickering under her breath, "Practically ripped the thing off trying to run away!" Miss Light's brow furrowed,

"Oh... are you alright, Rarity?"

"Why, I'm perfectly _dandy_!" Rarity somehow growled with a smile, "I'm not at all incensed at the fact that not only were _every single one_ of my dresses discarded like trash, but that even my most heartfelt attempt at a special, custom order was _ripped_ to shreds like common parchment!" she snapped, breathing heavily. She forcibly calmed her breathing, and gave them a pretty smile, "Why do you ask, dear?"

Miss Light swallowed,

"Uh... no reason?"

"Um, how long do we have left?" Fluttershy asked, "I, uh, I'm not really comfortable keeping Cheerilee trapped like this for too much longer," she admitted. Rarity nodded,

"Indeed, I feel much the same."

"Well, by now we've got a bit under ten minutes 'til that poison wears off," Applejack said, glancing out the window, "Pinkie's prolly gettin' tired by now. I wouldn't be surprised if she was on 'er way back 'ere by now."

"Applejack's right," Miss Light began, holding a hoof to her chin, "We need to figure out a way to keep Emerald in one place for the remainder of the poison's effects. Preferably before Pinkie gets back here with Emerald in tow."

"I mean, we could-" Rainbow began,

""""NO!""""

"Okay, okay!... Jeez..."

"So, what're we gonna do, Miss Light?" Whisper asked. Miss Light hummed, glancing outside with Applejack. Her eyes raked around the area for a moment, before narrowing,

"... Why are there a bunch of shovels and rope outside?"

* * *

Whisper bit her lip, hoof tapping against the ground impatiently.

Where was Pinkie already?!

There were only five minutes left, and she wasn't here!

Whisper tried forcing herself to calm down. It was possible that, contrary to their beliefs, Pinkie was still going strong. She might have decided to bunker down and hide somewhere Emerald couldn't find her, or-

"GET BACK HERE PINKIE!"

Nevermind.

Whisper jumped excitedly when she spotted Pinkie come into view a few seconds later, rushing out from an alleyway not all that far from where she was waiting.

Whisper frowned slightly at Pinkie's haggard appearance. Her mane was even messier than usual, somehow, her coat had some large patches of dirt in spots, and there was an openly panicked look on her face.

_Four minutes!_

"Over here Pinkie!" she shouted, waving her hoof in the air, a sight that caused the mare on the run to brighten, "Follow me!"

With that said, she took off back towards the Boutique, with Pinkie hot on her trail, and Emerald not far off behind her.

She didn't dare look back for fear of seeing him gaining, but she knew he definitely was when Pinkie caught up to her,

"Where-uhg-are-ah-we-pff-going?!" she shouted,

"The Boutique!"

"But-but that's-ugh-where Cheerilee-ahg-is!" she gasped,

"We have a plan!"

They didn't speak after that, both mares far too focused conserving their breath for this last leg of the race.

The Carousel Boutique eventually came into sight, revealing Miss Light standing at the door, where a massive hole was dug into the ground several feet in front of her.

"Jump!" she shouted, and they did just that.

She and Pinkie leapt over the giant hole, where they came crashing to the ground, both ponies sputtering and completely out of breath, Pinkie more-so than Whisper, of course.

_Two minutes!_

Miss Light's magic snatched the little blue box that Pinkie was carrying and held it in the air just above the hole, and just in time for Emerald to rush around the last turn.

He came to a skidding stop, teeth bared while he looked around angrily,

"_Pinkie!_" he yelled,

"Hey, Emerald!" Miss Light shouted, catching his attention, "Looking for this?!"

His eyes locked immediately onto the box, seemingly not caring for the hole that lie beneath it. Whisper looked up from her spot on the ground just in time to watch Emerald charge towards them, and leap into the air, wings beginning to unfurl as he approached the box-

Only for a well thrown lasso to suddenly snap around him, forcing his wings shut as the box was pulled from his reach.

He yelled as he plummeted, crashing into the hole and sending up a large amount of dirt into the air.

_One minute!_

Moments later, a massive crash was heard from inside, coupled with some yelling Whisper recognized as coming from Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity.

"Lovey-bunny?!" Miss Cheerilee's voice shrieked from inside,

"Schmoopy-doo!" Emerald called from the hole. The front door of the Boutique was nearly thrown off its hinges when Miss Cheerilee burst through, looking around wildly.

_Forty seconds!_

"Bunny?!"

"Schmoopy!"

_Thirty seconds!_

Miss Cheerilee's eyes locked onto the hole behind them, and she began to charge.

"No!" Miss Light shouted, lunging at the poisoned teacher. They collided, and were sent sprawling to the ground.

_Twenty seconds!_

Whisper stumbled to her hooves, watching as Miss Light and Miss Cheerilee fought. Miss Light kept throwing her hooves out to catch Miss Cheerilee's and keep her from standing, only to be constantly kicked away.

_Ten seconds!_

Miss Light managed to grapple Miss Cheerilee's waist, but the love-struck mare's front hooves latched onto the ground, and began dragging her towards the hole.

_Five!_

She crept closer, eyes wide and frantic, the ground crumbling beneath her hooves.

_Four!_

Miss Light was finally thrown off, an almost errant kick from Miss Cheerilee striking her in the jaw and forcing her to let go.

_Three!_

Miss Cheerilee batted her aside, lunging for the hole.

_Two!_

"Sweetie-pie!"

"Lovey-bear!"

_One!_

Miss Cheerilee disappeared into the hole, a cloud of dirt being kicked up as she landed, out of their sight.

Everything was silent.

Applejack's head popped out of a nearby bush,

"Did we... did we do it?" she asked, beginning to creep out of the foliage. Fluttershy appeared in the door, half-carrying a dizzy looking Rainbow on her shoulder. The curtains of one of the windows was suddenly pulled apart, and Rarity appeared, mane haggard, staring daggers at the hole in front of her home.

Miss Light sat up from where she'd been knocked down, gingerly rubbing her jaw,

"I... don't know," she muttered, looking worriedly at the silent hole.

For a minute, nothing happened, and no one even said anything. Eventually, Pinkie managed to catch her breath enough to drag herself over to the hole, and peer inside.

"H-...ugh... hey you two!" she greeted, obviously exhausted but no less cheerful.

"Pinkie," Emerald's voice suddenly spoke, causing everyone present to straighten in hope, "... why am I in a hole with Wisp's schoolteacher?"

"And why am _I_ wearing a wedding veil?" came Miss Cheerilee's voice.

Whisper was practically flooded with relief, sagging onto her flank with a sigh,

"Oh thank goodness..." she muttered,

"You're back!" Pinkie chirped, hopping onto her hooves,

"Did we go somewhere?" Emerald asked, climbing out of the hole, before turning and helping Miss Cheerilee do the same, "Seriously, what happened?" he asked.

"I'd like to know as well," Miss Cheerilee added, taking off the wedding veil with a frown, "The last thing I remember is the Crusaders asking us to taste test their punch," she said, looking around, "Though I get the feeling it wasn't punch, was it?"

"It... wasn't," Miss Light said sheepishly,

"Well, it couldn't have been a love potion," Emerald said, sounding confused, "Those aren't strong enough to leave blanks in the victim's memory, like some others do."

"It wasn't a love _potion_," Whisper spoke up, "It was a love _poison_."

"A love 'poison'?" Emerald asked, brow furrowing. Miss Cheerilee, however, perked up,

"Oh! You mean the one from 'The Tale of Hearts and Hooves Day'?" she asked. Emerald blinked,

"You mean... Hearts and Hooves Day actually has a story behind it?" he asked,

""Yes,"" Miss Light and Miss Cheerilee said at once, causing him to flinch,

"Oh... I just figured it existed as an excuse to sell more chocolate."

"It's okay, Big Bro," Whisper said, gently patting his leg, "I was confused too." He scoffed, and ruffled her mane,

"Thanks for the support, Wisp," he said with a smirk, before frowning, "Though, I suppose a poison makes more sense. A potion wouldn't have been that strong." Miss Cheerilee suddenly sighed,

"Oh those girls..." she said, shaking her head, though there was an almost fond smile on her face as she looked up, "I'm afraid, since this was done outside of school, I can't exactly punish the girls apart from giving them a stern talking to. I suppose... I can ask you all to make sure they know how badly this could've hurt somepony?" she asked.

"Don't you worry 'bout a thing, Cheerilee," Applejack said, smirking, "Applebloom is gonna get a right talkin' to back 'ome. An' that's before Granny wakes up."

"Indeed, Sweetie Belle will be getting much the same thing," Rarity added, "I'll have to consult with our parents, of course, but I'm sure we'll find a fitting punishment for her, soon enough."

"I'll have to talk to Scootaloo's parents," Emerald piled on, though he paused, "... I don't suppose you'll be willing to help me with that, Rainbow." Rainbow blinked, and glanced around, before pointing at herself,

"Uhh... you mean me?" Emerald rolled his eyes,

"Duh. Who else?" he asked, "You've known the Half-pint longer than I have," he said, then grimaced, "Plus you actually know what happened. I can't exactly give my input on her punishment if I don't even know what this whole... 'love poison' thing did."

"Ooh! Ooh! I can tell you!" Pinkie volunteered, raising her hoof into the air,

"Ahh... I think I'll just ask Wisp for that," Emerald said, glancing back down at her, "So, whaddya say, Wisp? Why don't we go grab Glim and you can tell us about what happened to me today over at Sugarcube Corner?" he said, before looking up, "You can come along with us if you'd like, Cheerilee," he offered, turning to his fellow victim.

Miss Cheerilee giggled,

"That's sounds nice. I'll have to take you up on that offer, Emerald. I'm pretty curious myself!"

Whisper was pretty sure she could hear Miss Light's teeth grinding behind her.

* * *

Emerald's forehead hit the counter, followed by a whimpering groan.

"I actually fucking _said that_?" he asked, one eye peering over at her, begging her to say otherwise.

Whisper giggled, and nodded,

"Yep!" she said, taking a long sip from her milkshake, stifling a snort when he groaned again.

Like he'd said, the three of them-_herself, Emerald, and Miss Cheerilee_-had hunted down Starlight before migrating over to Sugarcube Corner, where, much to their surprised, Mr. and Mrs. Cake were loudly celebrating the return of their senses, and, like herself, were more than happy to fill them in on _all_ the little details of their poisoned shenanigans.

"Goodness that is... certainly embarrassing," Miss Cheerilee agreed, her face several shades darker than it usually was.

"I wish I could've seen that!" Starlight laughed, clapping her hooves together, "Hehe, I-I can't even imagine the looks on everyone's faces when they saw you acting like that! Ahahahaha!"

Emerald growled at that, but didn't raise his head.

"Well, at least it's over," Miss Cheerilee offered, "And, a part from some stories we're likely to hear, we at least don't actually remember it." Emerald made a noise, and finally rose,

"I... suppose that's true. Plus only a small portion of the town actually _witnessed_ anything... though, stories are likely to spread..." he muttered, then slammed his head back down onto the counter, "Can I just... go back to the days where I didn't care about anyone's opinion of me?" he asked,

"Nope!" Whisper answered cheerfully, "I like it here, so I don't wanna go back!"

"Same here," Starlight tacked on to that. Miss Cheerilee giggled, drawing their collective attention,

"What's so funny, Miss Cheerilee?" she asked. Miss Cheerilee shook her head, smiling,

"Oh nothing," she waved her off, only to fold a few seconds later under their combined stare. She sighed, "It's just... well, I'm glad to say that I was wrong to be worried, is all."

Emerald's head rose,

"About what?" he asked. She shook her head,

"Just something every teacher worries about every now and again. Nothing too important," she said,

"Well, if it isn't important, you should be able to tell us," Starlight pointed out. Miss Cheerilee bit her lip,

"Well... I suppose I was rather worried about Wisp's home-life. She's a very smart filly and, for the longest while, she wasn't making any friends. She was astonishingly mature as well, often showing me a level of maturity I'd never seen in anypony her age," she began, her eyes losing focus, as if she was staring at something they couldn't see, "That kind of behavior can be worrisome, especially in such young foals. She started making friends, particularly with Dinky and Peppermint, but I still worried," her eyes refocused, and she turned to Emerald with a smile, "I just realized I have nothing to worry about. Wisp is clearly a happy, cared for, and loved little filly, who is simply a bit more mature than I'm used too. I'm... aware that some rather foul things happened to you in the past, due to your records that I received from Canterlot when you transferred, but I don't know any details. I suppose it never really occurred to me that you'd be so mature because of them."

Whisper blinked up at her teacher, before shrugging,

"I was raised like this," she said, glancing at Emerald, "'Sides, I wanna be in the Guard someday," she said, causing Starlight to gasp and Emerald's eyes to widen, "I can't be playin' 'round all the time, else I'll never get in!"

"You... never told me that," Emerald said, causing Whisper to huff,

"Whaddya think my Nightmare Night costume was for?!" she snapped, puffing up her cheeks,

"Being cute," he snarked in return. She glared at him while Starlight snickered,

"Do you have any pictures of that?" she asked,

"'Fraid not," Emerald said, "I had to head up to Canterlot, before Luna dragged me back to Ponyville, where I had to deal with... Pinkie, frankly." Starlight gave an overly-dramatic sigh,

"Shaaaaaame!" she said, before frowning, "How are you two feeling, by the way?" she asked, eyes darting between Emerald and Miss Cheerilee, "We kinda glossed over that during the story, but are you two alright? I can't imagine it feels good knowing you were, pretty much, brainwashed into liking someone."

Emerald stiffened at those words, eyes glazing over for an instant, before he shook his head,

"Yeah... it's... not the best feeling," he said, lowering his voice, eyes glazing over, as though he was lost in thought, "But it's gone now... like it was never there..."

"It's definitely not something I'd like to do again," Miss Cheerilee added, frowning, "But, I... suppose it was nice, in a way."

Three heads snapped to look at her, wide-eyed, while another two popped out of the kitchen window,

"""""WHAT?!"""""

Miss Cheerilee flinched at the five-fold shout,

"W-well..." she stammered, turning red, "I-it was nice in th-that it, well, it _felt_ real and... well, e-even if it turned out to be fake, it still felt nice to be in love... even if, like I said, it turned out to be fake..." she murmured, shyly touching the tips of her forehooves together.

They all stared at her for a moment, before Emerald spoke,

"Do you... get o-"

The sound of magic filled her ears for a moment, completely muffling whatever it was that her elder brother said. She frowned, and turned to the cause, only to blink at the convulsing form of her older sister.

The sound disappeared after a moment, replaced by Starlight's uncontrolled laughter, Miss Cheerilee's embarrassed sputtering, and Mrs. Cake's scolding.

She stared for a moment, before smiling up at Emerald, who was snickering quietly, completely ignoring the scolding.

It was nice to have him back.

_Still..._

She frowned, looking over between Starlight and Miss Cheerilee.

_What did he say?_


End file.
